Once every decade. That’s how often a customer walking through your door shops for a mattress.
This is your one chance to transform that person’s life by putting them on a path to better sleep.
It’s a huge responsibility. And the pressure is on you.
So, what sleep tips should you always communicate to each customer?
Let’s face it, we live in a noisy, over-communicated world that’s filled with sleep pseudoscience and mushy logic. That means you need to give that customer some simple keys to effective sleep.
You need to give them ideas they can remember and implement, and that’s why we came up with AC/DC—an easy way to remember the sleep tips you need to pass along to every person that walks through your door.
You ready to rock?
A Bedtime
When you read books about sleep you’ll notice a few themes, the most common and agreed-upon being: go to bed at the same time every night. A host of magical happenings unfold when your body sticks with a routine. You fall asleep easier because your body knows what it’s supposed to do at that time. All the hormones you’re supposed to release for muscle growth run on time like German trains.
Caffeine Curfew
The other day an eight-year-old girl told me she drinks coffee. I told her kids shouldn’t drink coffee at all. And adults should stop consuming any caffeine before 2 p.m. Give yourself a Caffeine Curfew because it can take your body up to 9.5 hours to eliminate and clean out that stimulating substance you so love in the morning. Caffeine keeps you up. It’s that simple.
Devices Down
Phones and other screens emit daytime spectrum light. It’s the same type of light produced by the sunshine that tells your body, “It’s time to wake up.” So, do the hard thing and put down your phone at least an hour before bed.
Plus, you won’t get worked up about that Facebook post that literally will have no impact on your life, but has a weird way of making you angry. If you would have never looked at that post, you’d be drifting off to dreamland. Instead, you’re staring at a pocket-sized hate-creator that spews mostly bad stuff into your brain. Break the habit. Put down the adult pacifier. Get some sleep.
Create Cues
Your body and brain work well when you can create cues that tell you how to act. When you walk into a church, you start acting differently. Same thing when you put on a baseball uniform and step onto a field.
Develop a bedtime routine that’s rich with signals connected to sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. Turn off your overhead lights and switch on a lamp to create campfire light. Buy a noisemaker that emits a low hum that conditions the air from loud clicks, cracks, and barking dogs. Rub lavender oil on your pillow or behind your ears and along your neck to create a calming scent that’s connected to sleep. And brush your teeth before bedtime. That Colgate taste tells your body and brain it’s time to hit the hay.
When a customer steps foot in your store, it’s your one chance every 10 years to charge them up with AC/DC and leave them with powerful, life-changing tips. It’s a huge responsibility, but you’re not just a salesperson: you’re a rockin’ sleep consultant!
