If you accept the contention that the highest value asset owned by a specialty retailer is a long-term, profitable relationship with the consumer, read on.
It is most important to take complete responsibility for the care and custody of your consumer during his education, buying decision and purchase execution process. Allow me to relate a recent experience… Somebody tried to break into our warehouse. I felt it was important to upgrade our security. Naturally I went to our current service provider. “We’ll call you back”. Next I went to the Internet and began making calls to perspective suppliers. After talking with at least five morons I lucked into a conversation with a decent salesman, #6. He knew to qualify me in order to make a proper assessment of my level of security system knowledge, motivations, wants, needs and resources. When we got down to the product nitty-gritty it began to fall apart for #6. The guy responded to my “will it… and how does it…” questions with, “I don’t know. We are not trained on those details”. Next #6 lost it altogether. He said, “you should go to the product website, maybe that will help you”. So I did. The first thing I found on that web site was the exact product I was prepared to buy from #6, priced about $100 lower. (A Sears kind of Shopatron site?) The “download manual” tab answered my questions. Then, of course, I became the common rat bastard tongue in cheek consumer and began to search for other brand products and services that would augment my limited but growing knowledge. I did indeed learn about other brands of products and service providers, other features and services I was previously unaware of and the benefits of having these features and services and who were the experts. Increased education = increased demand.
The point of this narrative… Of course I was no longer the consumer of sales guy #6. That because #6 chose to release care and custody of me (at one time, his consumer) to somebody who did not have #6’s best interest at heart. I expanded my education about products, services, prices, places and most important to me, I learned who was an expert worth talking to from whom I would be able to learn even more cool stuff. Needless to say I purchased (not from #6) a security product and service that was more appropriate for my needs which therefore represented a superior value. The very next thing I did was visit my neighbor businesses and explain that we’d experienced a break-in attempt. Then I began to “sell” them the idea that they should be concerned about a similar experience and what to buy and where to buy it in order to avoid such a break-in. As a rat bastard tongue in cheek consumer I performed my word of mouth responsibilities faithfully. I shared my experience with other rat bastard tongue in cheek consumers. In so doing I “confirmed the intelligence of my decision” to buy and from whom I purchased. Confirmed because one of my business neighbors went to the supplier (not #6) and began a discussion about a similar purchase.
If only #6 would have responded to my, “will it… and how does it…” questions with, “Hold two seconds and I’ll get that information for you. After all, we are the experts. We will provide you with everything you need to know in order to make an informed and intelligent decision to buy the right stuff; from us.”
Take complete responsibility for the care and custody of your consumer and he’ll be more likely to remain yours.
At your service,
Ray Windsor Facebook: GermanMAESTRO Germany
President Twitter: raywindsorlsc
