“Problems own sleep.”
If you can diagnose and address your customer’s sleep issues, you can solve their sleep problems.
Enter events such as the Vegas Market, which exists to put on full display every retailer and manufacturer’s products to help you meet your customer’s sleep needs. In today’s episode, we discuss foot traffic at the recently concluded market and talk about some of the companies that seemed to do well. In assessing those who did exceptionally, four characteristics were noted:
1) They gave vendors a reason for their presence
2) They built value in the shopper’s experience
3) Many used the HATCH method
4) Most were having fun and got creative in their approach.
We also discussed Lifeloom. Made with Dermatherapy® technology, Lifeloom created the first sheets and pillowcases to earn FDA clearance — it’s a frictionless sleep system that’s easy to demonstrate to consumer and truly solves sleep problems. Tune in to find out more.
Full Transcript
Mark Kinsley
The DOS Marcos crew just wrapping up a Las Vegas market. Was it packed? Was it slim? Were people there and what is the future we are going to be in the DOS Marco show begins in 60 seconds with a full recap from Las Vegas market
Mark Kinsley
I gotta tell you about some of the videos that are coming my way. Because I missed one of the most monumental events of the year. It was madman’s 40th birthday party in Las Vegas, and I got it. I’m going to tell you about why I missed it. And I’m gonna tell you the quote of the night I’m not going to tell you who it came from. He will know he’s on my list
Mark Quinn
the two I hate that we neither one of us could go at sucked and we had a big imitation that was gonna be a big night. I’m sure it was
Mark Kinsley
literally in the heart and Elvis costume in my bag to Vegas, as you should always when you go to Vegas, and I didn’t get to break it out and use it because at Las Vegas market. I was there on Saturday. I was there on Sunday. And then Sunday night, it all went off the rails. And I wish I could say is because for you know fun reasons like, hey, we had too much fun. But it was a massive case of the stomach flu. And I got to be very familiar with the bedroom in the bathroom at the Wynn
Mark Quinn
you know what I have to admit, you said I’m out. I you know, and matter of fact, I went to England to space looking for you. And they’re like, yeah, he’s like sick. He’s not coming in. I’m like, really? We had a good dinner. We didn’t drink that much. And I left you and we were going back to our rooms. It’s not like I thought you were like gonna go out and like throw down a party. It did cross my mind. I’m like, okay, but that’s not like you either. Even if you were to have done that you always answered the answer the bell. So anyway, then I talked to you and you sounded like hell. And you had a very bad couple days. I felt horrible for you. It was rough, bad. I was texting with your wife. I’m like, What can I do? Can I help him? What does he need? You know, she’s like, Oh, no, it’s bad. Stay away from here she goes,
Mark Kinsley
she luckily she was there to help me out because she goes I’ve been we’ve been married for 15 years. She goes I’ve never seen you that sick and 15 years. So thankfully she was there. I was felt awful that it ruined her being able to have a good time. She hadn’t been anywhere in a long time. And normally, she comes to Vegas with me in the winter because Englander has a internationals dinner so all of our international partners from all over the world our licensees will come in and we’ll host this dinner and she hosts and wives and husbands calm and it’s this amazing experience. So she came out to Vegas with me as she normally does. I was like just go and come out and have a good time. So she ends up taking care of her sick husband. She is a saint for doing that. But had you know not not the Vegas that you that you would have expected? Unfortunately,
Mark Quinn
no gosh, no. But well, she had some good nights. You have a couple of good nights in there. So it wasn’t a total loss. That did she get sick because she was around you and that kind of stuffs pretty contagious. No,
Mark Kinsley
no she didn’t thankfully and you know, I heard from some other people, some other industry friends who are either jetted home or said I can’t wait to get to my bed. I ate something that was bad for me. So apparently this this like stomach bug was going around. But it’s
Mark Quinn
Brendan Bay who came home with COVID. He didn’t get. I mean, I don’t I don’t know if anyone else got COVID. But Brandon went there and he actually got COVID He was he was not sounding too good. Yeah. Anyway, one of those things better, he’s better. Well, how was Vegas? I mean, I got to see you there. So that was cool. But you know, everyone in Vegas, it always comes down to So how was traffic? You know, what are the elevators like, and how many people are coming in, I thought that there was a good amount of traffic, considering the fact that, you know, there is a big round of COVID going on throughout the country, but I was really happy Kenzi I thought there was quite a few people there. And it wasn’t as packed as like a January market would be normally. But there’s some good in that also, because you’re able, you’re not like constantly on a turn, you know, like people you know, coming through, you actually get a little bit more time to talk to people. And that’s kind of how I felt it was. So I actually thought it was a really good event. How about you?
Mark Kinsley
Yeah, I think my assessments similar. I mean, it was slow. There’s no doubt about it. When you look at, you know, past markets, especially winter markets, with big bedding introductions, we would see a lot more foot traffic than we saw this time around. But I think that’s maybe the evolution of markets. I mean, we had so many people in our showroom, doing, you know, sales reps and, and doing FaceTime tours with customers that didn’t make it this. So it was just a combo. It’s just turned into a hybrid type event. I mean, it is a place where people do want to come and touch and feel. But maybe they’re only making one trip a year. Or maybe they’re trying to find some of the regional shows that some of the manufacturers do. Maybe they’re you know, goes to primetime, things like that. So it’s just, it’s just changed how people prioritise their time and, and where they’re going to put their attention, and what their level of exposure and their comfort is. So yeah, it was definitely slower than we’ve seen in the past. But it’s a classic line, but it is kind of true, good quality conversations. I mean, that’s what you end up getting to have is some some depth versus a lot of breath. It once
Mark Quinn
again, though, I was so disappointed not one single hooker came on to me, not one. And they didn’t go to Vegas. No, no one didn’t care about me. They don’t even like, you know, I feel like my self esteem drops when I go there because I’m like, I’m not even attractive enough for like a working girl to like, make me an offer, you know, and they just look past me every single time and I just want them to like, show me a little attention, you know that? I’m gonna say no. So it’s okay. But it but they don’t know that they don’t, I’m going to turn them down. It would be nice to be asked. That’s all I’m saying.
Mark Kinsley
He just wants to be asked that. It’s just a guy that just wants somebody to say, You’re, I’m gonna make you feel handsome. Right now.
Mark Quinn
You look like a guy that I could overcharge for an activity. And you know, now I joke
Mark Kinsley
I literally have seen you on the phone with your wife. And a hooker accosted you. And you said I’m on the phone with my wife. What did she say? Whenever you said that to the hooker that was trying to come onto you in New York.
Mark Quinn
Like it doesn’t, I don’t care. Like that doesn’t bother me or something like that. I’m like, my wife will care, you know.
Mark Kinsley
economy’s bad, and they were being much more aggressive.
Mark Quinn
So either I’m unattractive, or I look like I’m poor. One of the two things is true. And so it’s probably better that you know, anyway, so Kinsey, you had a lot of traffic in your space part of it. I kept seeing people gathered around that very kick ass display you had there with life limb. Talk about that. And I’ll tell you because I, I actually brought some people over there to check it out. But it was a really cool demonstrably thing that I think we should talk about i What was the reaction you’re getting?
Mark Kinsley
Oh, people had a blast with it. So first of all, let’s talk about what lifebloom is. And then yeah, yeah, for people who don’t know, lifebloom is the world’s first FDA cleared sheets and pillowcases. So they have a frictionless sleep system that uses these patented machinery, and these long strand polyester and nylon fibres, so long strand on patented machinery to create this super tight weave that has passed as a medical device. And so it’s been clinically proven to to improve psoriasis and eczema, and inflammatory acne and night sweats and bed sores. And it’s crazy the list of conditions that this this set of sheets, actually is proven to help and you know, we talked about all the time problems own sleep. So if you can solve specific problems people have, then you’re going to help them obviously be on the on the warpath. a better night’s sleep. But anyway, you know, these guys, really cool crew, Jeremy and Brad and Danny, and the whole crew behind the scenes from lifebloom. I’m like, I’m always trying to curate really good ideas and bring them into the Englander space. And I’m like these guys are getting launched, this is truly unique. There’s so much fluff in the mattress industry to have something that’s defensible. I thought it’d be great. And so one of the things that that they did is they brought in a way to demonstrate what does it mean to have this what they call a frictionless sleep system. And so they created this ramp. And on one side, you had like microfiber, or high thread count cotton, and on the other side, you had life loom, and you had kind of a pinewood derby style. So like microfiber plank with a microfiber block, then you had a mike lifebloom plank with a lifebloom block, and you slid them down at the same time, and it was a race to see who got to the bottom first, because whoever got to the bottom first was the most frictionless there was no race, it was no raise, you put the the microfiber down, it doesn’t move, you put the lifebloom down, and it zips to the bottom. And it really is a compelling visual to show the consumer, what is frictionless mean? Means you can move around easier. And whenever you reduce friction, you keep yourself cooler. So just at a high level, it was really good way to kind of demonstrate and illustrate those benefits. So I thought it was such a cool thing that you got into both. What does it mean for the average consumer. And then if you have these specific conditions, lifeline was a way to help solve those problems and help people get better sleep. So great job to the lifeline guys. I know they gave away a bunch of pillowcases, they signed up accounts, and they were drumming up business. So that was a that was a fun thing to see and created a lot of buzz in the Englander showroom.
Mark Quinn
So Kinsley let’s, let’s go from there. It was really neat. And by the way, when you talk about that microfiber sheet, what’s interesting is you feel it. And you could if you felt both of those sheets, and then you had to place a bet on which one was going to have the fastest trip down the playing the playing the fastest trip down the ramp. I don’t think he could have picked it. I mean, it wasn’t like they, the hand was so different that you’re like, oh, yeah, like that’s so coarse. It’s It wasn’t that they both were smooth. But that’s just a testament to how smooth and how that the construct of that lifetime sheet is because it like it wasn’t even close. But I thought that was so interesting. I
Mark Kinsley
love that. I love that thought process too. Because whenever Yeah, you know, we always talk about if you can demonstrate something to a consumer and involve them, that’s when they buy it. But whenever you touched the microfiber, for example, like you said, How did people describe it soft, I feel soft. And whenever you touched the life loom, you’re like, oh, it’s it’s smooth, but it feels different. And so whenever you see that block, being placed on the plank, and it doesn’t move, all of a sudden you say to yourself, I can’t trust, the touch, and how that translates to what I’m actually going to feel I can’t trust myself. So meaning, if I was just going to choose a sheet on my own, and I was going to go off, the softness of what my hand tells me is soft, I would choose maybe this one or this one, or whatever variety of sheets I decided to put my hands on. But at the end of the day, if you really want to reduce irritation of the skin, you have to trust the demonstration, you have to trust the visual, you have to trust the science, you have to trust the clinicals. And I thought that was a really good kind of anchoring effect of saying to a consumer. Look you you can’t trust yourself in this selection process. You know, you have to be able to trust it by looking at the visual and seeing what it does. Because yeah, I would have went
Mark Quinn
with it. What I like about it is there’s so much bullshit in our, in our industry. Speaking of fluff, there’s so much bullshit inside our industry, that the marketing spin and stuff. This is legit, their story is legit. There’s science to it. It’s FDA approved, doing clinical trials is incredibly expensive. These guys have gone through that. So they’ve differentiated themselves. So hats off to you guys, Brad, Jeremy, all of you, Danny, it was awesome to see you. So Kinsley one of the things, here’s what we’re going to do if you’re okay, I’m just going to call it right now. We’re going to talk about traffic into showrooms first, and then we’re going to close it out with maybe one of the funniest stories I’ve ever heard. And I’m going to start the story and you’re going to finish it and that’s how we’re going to show you good
Mark Kinsley
I’m good let’s talk traffic.
Mark Quinn
Do you know the story story I’m talking about
Mark Kinsley
no but I’ll I’ll just make it up if I don’t know it.
Mark Quinn
Nintendo you’ll know Okay, so when when you’re walking around market, there are so many showings there’s there’s a lot that aren’t full too, because I mean, it’s, you know, COVID. And I’m sure a lot of people like backed out. But, you know, for the guys who you look around and you’re walking down the the like the, the, the hallways and you’re like, I’ve never heard of them, I’ve never heard of them, how many then you’re like, who buys from these guys? Like, there’s a lot of people there. And it just, it always blows me away how much opportunity there is and how many guys I’ve never even heard of. And so they’re there’s traffic in the building. But the real question is, how do you get the traffic into your space. And It shocks me that there are so many people there that don’t understand how to bring the people in the building into their showroom. And it really does require an effort, it requires strategy, it requires them to push their story out, it requires them to have a compelling reason to stop. And it requires them investing time, energy and treasure into earning the traffic into the showroom. So It shocks me how have a little I see from guys like that even making the effort? You know what I’m saying?
Mark Kinsley
Well, we wrote a book on this. Yes, we did. It’s called come back with the book was
Mark Quinn
for retail, but all of it applies to what we’re talking about, right?
Mark Kinsley
That’s where my head went immediately. You know, we talked about the principles of driving foot traffic. And we talked about the cage method, you know, community answers, giving experiences. But these can be translated into your showroom experience as well. It can be translated into the marketing to get people from Las Vegas market or wherever they’re coming from all around the country, into your show space. And I think it’s really, you know, it’s a mentality of you really nailed it right there. Like, what is the reason I’m going to give anybody to come into my showroom? You know, first and foremost, and we talked about this a lot, if it goes wrong, it probably went wrong at the beginning. So what are the reasons you’re giving someone to come in, and then don’t just give them a reason, you have to tell them, you have to build value in it, you have to tell them that, that you have to remind them, you have to schedule appointments with them. But you know, I really do think about it as like a strategic build up, you know, so what’s the reason? How have you, you know, mobilised your Galaxy graph as we call it in the book, so that you’re pushing out that message into every possible place where somebody might be able to interact with you. So, you know, we talked about the Galaxy graph is, you know, literally like this worksheet of what are all the places I could push my message out, and then what are all the things I need to create to support it. But it’s just, you know, a lot of times, it’s just, you’re doing the hard work, of putting pen to paper, creating a plan, having a team that’s held accountable to that plan, and then following up and debriefing on that to make sure everybody did it. And then the fun part along the way is, you know, getting creative with it, you know, making sure that it’s not just, Hey, I’ve got a new new product over here. But you’ve you created some other interest. And it’s one of the reasons I brought in the guys from life limb on like, we have great new products, we have this massive new collection Englander Oh, and by the way, we have the world’s first FDA cleared sheets, let’s put some more hooks in the water for people that might be interested in different things. And then cross pollinate once they’re inside.
Mark Quinn
It’s a hook. And it just is. So for the people listening to this, the good news is the fam can help you right, so you can contact us and we can help share your story, through our platform through our email blast through web banners are many, many different things. So we’re talking about you on a podcast as an example. But more than that, pick up the book, come back to bed that you can read and apply the same principles that Kinsley was talking to you about just a second ago. But whatever you do, don’t do nothing. Because you most companies, the line item on their marketing budget, a showroom, you bring people in, you fly him in for the event, you put them up on hotels, you’re eating expensive dinners, you’re entertaining people, but yet, you’re not going to invest in telling your story and putting something out there where you can kind of cast that net and pull the fish in. You got to do it. You’ve made the investment already to have a showroom. That’s step one. But you can’t just depend on the traffic to happen into your space. You got to tell your story and you got to create that hook. And I think you doing that flytefoam is a great example of that actually. Now everyone’s TempurPedic not everyone’s certain summons. You know, you don’t have that traffic just kind of dropping into your show. You got to build it. You gotta create interest. So I think it’s very important
Mark Kinsley
in certain traffic this go round.
Mark Quinn
Okay, good points. It was not there. So that’s good. That’s okay, fair enough. No one was in their showroom. It
Mark Kinsley
was weird. yazar does reveal I don’t know sort of pulled out of market what Yeah, yeah. Two and a half years ago, something like that.
Mark Quinn
I tried. I tried to include him and I failed. I was trying to be nice and gluten but anyway, okay, so you’re ready for the story. All right, give me the story. Okay, so we have a mutual friend who we will not use their name to protect the innocent, right? We’ll call him Bill. Good enough. Okay,
Mark Kinsley
gotcha bill.
Mark Quinn
So Bill had never eaten edibles. So we’re in Vegas and pots everywhere and you know, edibles and their CBD and people talking about CBD infusion into the pillows and the sheets and there’s but anyway, in Vegas, you know, you walk down the street with pots recreational so you can smell it everywhere. So we were talking to these guys were like laughing and he’s like, Well, I tried edibles once I didn’t like him. And we’re like, Well, what happened, you know, and he’s like, Well, you know, I was there and I took one and then it didn’t hit me. And that’s the danger and eating edibles because
Mark Kinsley
he’s having a hard time sleeping.
Mark Quinn
He’s having hard time sleeping, right. And so he screw this story up, just bear with me, we’ll make it through. So he has a hard time sleeping. So he takes one and it didn’t do anything. And then he takes another one, and that didn’t do anything. So then he takes two more. By the time he gets done. He’s got like four of these edibles in him. Now he’s starting to feel a little bit but he kind of goes to sleep. But he remembers that one of his friends said that he heard a story about someone who had eaten too many edibles. And they killed this. They he killed his entire family, like within and
Mark Kinsley
blamed it on the edibles that he acts murdered his whole family. And he
Mark Quinn
blamed that on the animals. So now in his mind, as he falls asleep, he’s like, don’t kill your family. Don’t kill your family. Don’t kill your families. Like he’s repeat. He’s like, Oh my god. So then he falls asleep and then go ahead and take it from there. No. So
Mark Kinsley
I think I think the way it went was he just took too many and then he falls asleep. Right? And that’s what I just said, Well, hold on. But you you started talking about the the fam the family thing a little little too early? Well, I
Mark Quinn
thought he I thought he was thinking about that. But no. So okay, so
Mark Kinsley
you’re right. He was thinking about, I heard about a guy that acts murdered his family after taking time right edibles. So he falls asleep after taking too many items, being in the middle of the night, wakes up because he hadn’t felt anything and all of a sudden, he is on another planet. He’s High as a kite, and freaking out. So he’s in his underwear. And a flashback keeps going through his mind, like you said, about the axe murdering guy who blamed it on the edibles. And so to protect his family, he leaves his home and he lives on several acres. So he leaves his home. And he walks outside in his underwear. And he goes down a long driveway to the very end of the driveway. Yeah, and he decides that he’s going to hang on to a post near his front gate. And after hours and hours and hours, the Sun begins coming up. And he hears himself saying over and over again. Don’t murder your family. Don’t murder your family. Don’t murder your family in his underwear. Hugging a post with socks on.
Mark Quinn
I’m sorry, man. But that, you know, he was smart enough that he was he felt like his fam his family’s life was in jeopardy. So he walks out of his house down the road in grabs that pose and thinks in his head that that’s enough to secure me.
Mark Kinsley
You know, get my family safe. And if I just repeat this over and over again. Everybody’s gonna be fine. People talk about the edible stories. You hear it in Vegas all the time and they’re like, all the time. Always. Always a story about I took too many.
Mark Quinn
Oh, isn’t that pension? They don’t? Yeah, they’re not patient. They don’t wait. So anyway, beloved, those families fine. We just want you to know that. So if you’re listening to this and you do go to a Vegas market and you’re going to get edibles, that’s fine. Just be responsible. Start with five I’m told
Mark Kinsley
five for five edible
Mark Quinn
No, no five milligrammes? No we don’t want you in your underwear. Like, Bill, congratulate five
Mark Kinsley
it sounded like
Mark Quinn
so be careful. Let that stuff think and you don’t want to like you know, kill your family. So anyway, we’ll leave you with that. Kinsley Okay, well,
Mark Kinsley
I’ll leave. I’ll leave you with one that was maybe in a similar vein, but also hilarious. So I missed madman’s Elvis themed birthday party in Vegas. Hi, my. So the gang Sweet Dreams and beyond and I won’t name this person but some of you in industry might know who this person is. as the night goes on, they’re sending me videos and they’re progressively getting more tanked and somebody said sends a video they’re like we miss you. And they’re like yeah, we miss you. This guy goes Yeah, I miss you have fun eating applesauce bitch
Mark Quinn
because you were sick because
Mark Kinsley
sicko like except that I would have said yeah funny
Mark Quinn
that’s not that’s not nice that’s a nice
I thought it was hilarious
Mark Quinn
yeah I know all right well everyone listening to this Hey send us your edible stories we want to hear him we’ll be sharing our show to help other people protect themselves but most importantly we want you to please go
Mark Kinsley
it say hey, by the way podcast it’s almost like the guy on on love actually said he said Yeah, kids uncle Billy’s got a message for you. Don’t do drugs. Become a popsicle. Wait, he says no. He says I screwed it up already. He says kids come on man. Don’t buy drugs become a pop star and they give them to you for free.
Mark Quinn
Okay, don’t pay Don’t listen to him. audience that is not good Kinsley no anyway back to it. Listen Go wherever you listen to the dose Marcos podcast. Rate us if you wouldn’t mind and most importantly share we want to bring as many people to the show and to the fam dot news website as we can. It is a campfire. You are part of it. We love you guys. Thanks so much for listening. And that whatever you do, tune in for the next one because we have more great stories coming your way
