As I write, I am flying to Miami, then on to the Bahamas.  This is one of those tough assignments that come with the territory.  One of our largest customers rewards its top associates with a trip to Nassau. We, as a supplier “get to go”  (code for help fund the trip).  Nevertheless, this is a great opportunity for many reasons.  I get to hang around with top producing mattress sales associates, and partake in a dream list of activities such as, snorkeling, swimming with sharks and sailing on a catamaran, etc.   Just another day at the office.

The lady sitting next to me, Margaret, and I start talking.  She noticed I was preparing a slide presentation and asked me what I was working on.

I explained that I’m a Sales Coach for the bedding industry and provide training for retail Sales Associates.  She was surprised that such a simple product would require much training at all.

When you realize that mattresses are practically a ‘guaranteed sale’ – because most consumers who are shopping for beds are very likely to buy - it does seem a little odd.

If you read any of my articles, books or ever attend one of my seminars, you’ll hear me talk about the attitude of consumers.  Buying a mattress for most people is a ‘grudge’ purchase.  When I told my plane mate, she challenged and even disagreed with me, saying that she didn’t feel that way at all.

In fact, she really felt good about buying a quality mattress.   Through some questioning I discovered that this feeling was a value that had been passed down to her from her grandmother to her mother then to her.  It seems her family had been poor, but understood what was important in life.   If nothing else, her family was going to have food, shelter, clothing and a good mattress.

Her family’s struggles gave her an appreciation for the basic necessities in life that many of us take for granted, even though she was doing quite well now.

Unfortunately most of us spend our lives dreaming of the next thing we want to have, do or be.  So often, those “dreams” don’t live up to our expectation or the newness quickly wears off.  As time passes, we often look up and realize that our lives have passed before us.  My wife always says: “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift, that’s why it’s called the present”.

If all of us, like Margaret, would place more value on the “basic necessities of life” we would not be quite so preoccupied in chasing our elusive dreams.  Such an attitude would certainly make selling mattresses a whole lot easier!

Fortunately, we can relate stories like Margaret’s to help our customers understand the real value of a good mattress.