Making my queen bed, I was struck by how many ways there are to accessorize a mattress. Usually, our mothers teach us their method, and their mothers before them show the proper way, and it sticks for life. If you enter the military, you learn a more disciplined method, and those corners are crisp forever. Years ago when I made a bed with my mom, she insisted the pretty side of the sheet had to be underneath so you could sleep between the two patterns.
Then, there’s the matter of the bed spread, comforter with duvet, and how far down to fold these top layers. Finally, how many pillows are included on your bed? Any extra for reading? Any shams, bolsters or other decorative accents? Thread count?
Imagine making a bed with your client. Oy. Here’s how it may pan out:
** The first several times there’s tentative balance as you attempt to find common ground. There are probably a few laughs, too.
** Then, there may be a discussion about how your client learned to make the bed and why that way may be faster.
** Perhaps you need to stand back and watch a demonstration on how to make military corners because your client was in boot camp and insists on crispness.
** For sure, there’s tug and pull when you realize your client has pulled the entire blanket to his side. You have nothing to work with; not even a flap. How do you politely ask for some input blanket?
** Finally, the coverlet goes on, and the client wants to fold it down half way so 10 pillows in varying sizes, colors, and fabrics can be piled near the headboard to make the final product totally ridiculous — it’s no longer a bed. And, you just stand back with arms crossed and head nodding while muttering, “Do not pick this battle; he’s footing the bill.”
At the end of the day, making a bed with someone new is all about finding common ground, striking a balance, learning, and compromise.
Before you head into that bed-making experience with an unknown client, here are a few reminders to keep in mind during fact finding to ascertain what’s hot:
- Tell me about your experience making a bed.
- Get all the stories you can to create a rich history and bring that client to life.
- Find out the rules, the etiquette, the boundaries, and how the corners are folded; keep those in mind throughout the relationship.
- What milestones helped create the best- looking, award-winning bed ever?
- What technique contributed to efficiencies in process, economies of scale, and cost savings?
- What best practice was developed along the way to contribute to the bottom line?
Here’s one final thought…when answers become overwhelming and all you can do is make nonsense soup from too many ingredients, that’s the sign it’s time to move along to the next bed with a new partner.
Resonate? (Not expecting too many comments on this one; I was trying to find a gentle way to say … I think you’re smart enough to figure it out!)
