Before I get started, just a reminder that Mark Kinsley and I moved our podcast to DosMarcospodcast.com so check out the new site or search for us on your favorite podcast app. You can also watch video of each podcast on our Facebook page, just search for Dos Marcos Podcast. Finally, I will be speaking at the Brand Source Summit event this weekend in Nashville, Tenessee so if you are attending come pay me a visit. I am part of Mattress University and will be talking about the things that can destroy your business, so check it out in room Bayou E, Saturday at 1:45.

On March 8-10 our Industry has an opportunity to rally around something way more important than mattresses, sheets, pillows, protectors and adjustable beds. We can connect all of these things to the amazing thing that occurs from buying these items. It’s something everyone wants, that’s emotional and can deliver a happy life. Great Sleep.

The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) will have it’s first ever Sleep Show in Houston, Texas. They are expecting to see over 10,000 consumers at this show who will be coming to buy products from vendors and learn more about sleep and how it can benefit them and their family.  Some of the companies showing at the expo will include Bed Bath and Beyond, Mattress Firm, Gallery Furniture, Tempur-Pedic/Sealy, Serta, 24 Hour Fitness, The Pillow Bar, and the meditation app Head Space just to name a few. There will also be some great speakers there talking about sleep and our industry.

On the main stage you can hear from experts like Dr. Harvey Karp, author of Happiest Baby, and The Sleep Doctor/ Dr. Michael Breus among others. I will also be giving a talk with Mike Magnuson, founder of Goodbed.com on March 8th at 4pm, as we expose the underbelly of the mattress industry. Are the reviews and influencers out there legit and how can you tell who is shooting you straight?!  I will be giving a second talk on March 9th at 2:45 where I speak to consumers about the 5 best ways to make sure your children are getting the sleep they need. In addition, I will be the emcee for their Sleep Tech Awards on the main stage all day Saturday the 9th, as the NSF looks for the very best technology out there focused on helping us sleep better.

You need to go just to hear Mike and I speak of course, but believe it or not, there are more important reasons for you to attend.

When I was the Chairman of the Better Sleep Council we had many conversations with our PR firm about how to connect products in our industry to better sleep. Sure, consumers understand that sleep is important to a happy life, but consumers don’t make the connection that says…mattresses, pillows and sheets deliver happy life. If there is an industry event that is focused on the consumer, educates the public on the importance of sleep to the quality of life in a HUGE WAY, and then offers our products up as part of those solutions, why in the world wouldn’t we rally around that event? Consider the dots connected. If you’re a manufacturer and want to sell direct, this is a great place to do it. Do you have a new innovative product that you want some national media exposure for, this is a great place to launch.  Or come to learn and create some marketing content during the show that you can use to demonstrate to your customers that you really are about more than the products you make or sell. Interview speakers after their talks, take some photos of your team at the event and post this gold to your blog or social platforms. Sure beats more pictures of cats taking naps.

Remember what Theodore Roosevelt said…”People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” If you are connecting your company to something emotional like “happy life”, and show people that you have their best interest at heart by learning more on their behalf, then you give purpose to what you are doing. Stop selling the things you make and start selling the “why” behind it all.

Hope to see you there!