Mark Kinsley, sat down with guest Darren Sparks, president of BedTech, to discuss the bedding industry and keys to success in retail mattress sales.

Darren spoke about the importance of customer service, providing value to the customer, and properly training sales staff. He emphasized being energetic, friendly, and solution-oriented when interacting with customers to create a memorable experience. Darren also talked about hiring top talent, treating employees well, understanding their motivations, and speaking their “love language” to get the best performance.

Three key takeaways from Darren:

1) Focus on speedy customer service. Jump on issues immediately and have a sense of urgency.

2) Offer high quality products at reasonable prices. Customers want to feel they are getting good value.

3) Invest in sales training. Employees won’t sell what they don’t understand. Make sure they are knowledgeable about products.

Darren highlighted the benefits of split head adjustable bases, a growing product category that allows couples to customize their sleep experience. He encouraged creativity, focusing on solving customers’ problems, and daring to be different to stand out in a competitive market.