Archive for 2011

Holiday Hints

Thursday, December 15, 2011 by:David Zahn
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This time of the year presents some interesting decisions for businesses to make in terms of what to acknowledge, say, leverage, or ignore.  With so many different constituencies to consider (employees, customers, suppliers, and even competitors), the holidays are fraught with opportunities to stumble. 

This is the time of the year filled with anxieties along with joy

Employees

Employees often come to expect that they will be recognized during the holidays with some combination of the following:

  • time off from work – it is not uncommon in some manufacturing companies to take the week between Christmas and New Year’s off as vacation without charging that time against the employees’ vacation time.  Establishing expectations upfront so that there are no surprises is of paramount importance.
  • Bonuses or additional pay – through the years it has become expected that employees will receive some additional compensation out of the largesse and spirit of the holidays.  Except, that when the “gift” is not given – the employer is then cast into the role of being a Scrooge.
  • Parties – Many employees come to expect that there will be some get-together or holiday celebration.  Depending on the culture of the organization, it may be a more formal occasion where people get dressed formally, invitations are sent, significant others are included; or it may be a simple afternoon meeting in the conference room or an employee’s home where people bring their own home-baked goods or  create a potluck meal. The obvious issue for many is the use of alcohol at these functions and what it may lead to in a social situation occurring at work.
  • Grab bags – a tradition of exchanging gifts among or between employees.  However, the cost, obligation, and tastefulness of gifts often leads to conflict in many companies if the “rules” are not clear upfront.

Customers

Customers often expect some sales, promotions, or discounts at this time of the year.  The hysteria around Black Friday being the most visible of this expectation.  However, there is another issue that businesses have to determine in communicating with their customers at the holiday time.  How should the holiday be acknowledged?

  • Should it be ignored and not referenced for fear of offending someone?
  • Should the neutral “Happy Holidays” reference be used?
  • Should a specific reference to a holiday be used (Merry Christmas/Happpy Hannukah/Kwanzaa)?

Unfortunately, the chance to offend some segment of the customer population exists no matter what choice is taken (those that will be offended that nothing is said, that something is said, that the wrong thing is said).  However, that possibility exists throughout the year as well.  The important thing is to align with YOUR customers and not try to please EVERYONE.  Only market to those you wish to retain as customers or hope to solicit as future customers.

Suppliers

Suppliers often have an expectation that is more of an end of the year expectation than a true holiday expectation.  In order to make quotas or sales projections, some suppliers will expect their customers to make a large order.  Incentives (promotions, discounts, modifications to delivery or payment, etc.) will be offered to try to induce the customer into making a purchase.  The holiday will be invoked as a pressure to “get in the spirit of giving” or to act in a way consistent with the intention of the holiday.  The subtlity is often removed as suppliers attempt to “load” their customers up with inventory to “make the year.”

Competitors

Competition will often keep an eye on what others are doing to either mirror it or to differentiate from it to the market.  Be aware that in the current age of social media – there is even less that can be kept secret about plans.  While there is little that can be done to eliminate it entirely – be aware of the possibilities and plan for it.

You

Finally, act in a way that is consistent with the company’s (and often, that means your) values.  If the holiday holds a significant religious or spiritual meaning to you and that is part of the company’s “DNA” – then wave that flag.  If the holiday is a chance to leverage or harness business building opportunities – then do the things that allow you to do that successfully. Should the holidays be a time when the company shows appreciation for their good fortune by doing charitable deeds or making donations – then do that.

Finally, no matter what – may your company know only success and may you personally have happiness and pleasure this holiday and into the New Year.

RFPs are an Invitation to Failure

Wednesday, November 30, 2011 by:David Zahn
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It is no surprise to any B-toB (business to business) professional that the business is becoming more competitive and that opportunities are harder to come by with each passing year. So, it is understandable that when the mail brings a solicitation to respond to an RFP (Request for Proposal), that many pounce at the chance to share their creativity, business sense, and vision. Unfortunately, if the receiver was not involved in establishing the request in the first place, the chances of a successful outcome that leads to the job are rather dismal.

Chances of an RFP response being successful is very low.


The Process

The RFP process is designed to level the playing field for all respondents by providing the same information to all those being solicited. In so doing, none of the respondents is afforded an advantage or insider knowledge, unfair access to decision-makers, or insight into the process that is not available to any other supplier or vendor. By keeping all of those in receipt of the request; the belief is that the submitted responses can be evaluated and judged on a more objective standard.
Within the company seeking the responses, the process is supposed to be so above-board and fair, that it can withstand challenges of providing one vendor with different treatment than all others. The same standards are shared with all respondents and the same metrics for evaluating the responses are provided for all to see. There are no surprises as to what is expected by way of a response or how it will be judged.

The Peek Inside
If the truth be known, in many instances (not ALL), the entire process is partially or even completely rigged to slant in the direction of a particular vendor company. An objective review of the situation would uncover:

  • This is a situation where the prospective client has identified their “issue” or “problem” that they wish to have resolved or addressed. While they may be quite correct in their assessment, because they rarely allow further questions or access to the person or persons who made that determination, this is quite similar to a patient self-diagnosing herself.
  • Further, the client often then dictates what the appropriate solution to their self-diagnosed issue should be to resolve their predicament. So, not only has the “patient” self-diagnosed; but is now also prescribing what they need. How many competent physicians would cheerfully go along with that approach without benefit of conducting an examination of the patient?
  • Then, while the RFP will often have some clause about pricing not being the most important consideration in evaluating responses (wording may refer to cost-effective being valued over cheapest); there is a pressure to sharpen pencils and deliver the lowest price possible because there are numerous others responding to the same competitive bid.

The Reality

What is a more likely outcome here is that the prospective client has either pre-determined what they need to have done and which vendor is to provide that service (often with the help of that vendor in crafting the RFP so that the “what counts factors” are heavily favoring that particular vendor’s capabilities, ability to meet tight timeframes, or unique offerings), or the RFP is being sent out by members of the prospective client organization that are hoping to get some free education and insight for a project that doesn’t currently exist, is not budgeted for, and is not a priority for the company. However, at the expense of suppliers that are eager to pitch their thoughts and approaches to a prospect that appears to have a “live” project, the internal employees will gladly take meetings and arrange for “reviews” of proposals. All the while, taking copious notes to further refine their understanding, possibly steal ideas for use on other projects, or to gain a better sense of possibilities. Is it “dirty?” You bet. But, it happens.
So, What to Do?

If one of those happy envelopes should arrive in your mailbox congratulating you on being chosen as one of the select few vendors approved to submit a proposal to a company, consider doing the following:

  1. Ask the contract administrator listed on the document how they got your name and why you were selected. Have you worked with them before? Do you know any of the people at that client organization? Do you specialize in the work being requested? If you did not know of this opportunity before, it is likely that you are being asked to submit a response so that the client organization can claim under the veneer of impartiality to have chosen fairly (and not your company!).
  2. Request a meeting with the appropriate senior executives to discuss their needs and expectations (often, this will be prohibited within the rigor of the RFP protocol). If refused, consider the likelihood of success. If they will not allow you to confirm your understanding nor give you access to people within the firm to correctly diagnose and prescribe – what is the potential that you are going to have a successful bid?
  3. Call a senior executive at the company anyway and attempt to discuss the RFP. In a few instances, you may get them to talk with you. They may or may not have been a part of the construction of the original RFP (even if they are aware of it, it may have been delegated to a lower level employee). See if you can “re-diagnose” and “re-prescribe” based on a different set of criteria than the original RFP stated. This is a low percentage opportunity, but it is also one that is better than responding to a “blind” RFP that you were not a part of creating.

While RFPs may cause you to be giddy when they arrive because you are being solicited and did not have to chase the business, the reality of it is often that it is a path to a lot of work with very small chance of a return.

So You Are A CEO – Now What?

Wednesday, November 16, 2011 by:David Zahn
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Corporate employees making the transition to being self-employed due to layoffs, following their passions or dreams, starting a new business in their spare time to supplement their income, or for any other reason will often take great pride in referring to themselves as the “CEO” of a business. With visions of grandeur dancing in their heads, the new business owner will see themselves as taking their rightful place alongside luminaries like, Richard Branson, Michael Dell, Donald Trump, and others.

What is the role?

While the thought of having minions doing their bidding for them and being able to direct staffs to immediately react to any new opportunities is tantalizing, the reality of the role is very different.  The chief executive officer role is less monarch and more of a cheerleader having to often perform flips and gymnastics to solve problems, keep people focused and motivated, and creating a vision for both customers and employees.

The CEO role is more of a cheerleader to customers and staff.

 A recent article that appeared on the blog “On Startups” covered the topic well.  The chief executive officer should consider him or herself to be the Chief Experience Officer.  The role is to transfer the passion and vision that they have for the company, products, and services to those that are customers, suppliers, and employees.  The goal is to strive tocreate an experience that is superlative in all of the following facets of the company:

  1. Product – What is it the customer experiences when they use the product?  How does it add value to the tasks it is designed to address?  What pleases the user about how the product functions or completes the role it is designed to meet?  Are there things about the product that are frustrating or are seen as “just the way it is” when compared to other products available in the market?
  2. Purchase – How easy is the company to business with?  How intuitive is it to identify the right product needed for a customer’s “job” or reason for choosing the product?  Was it apparent what was needed to get the product to work (supplemental purchases, other ingredients, parallel needs, etc.)?  Did the pricing reflect an intuitive understanding of value and benefits derived from the product?
  3. Brand – Does the brand align with the buyer’s lifestyle, image, interests, etc.?  Is there a connection with the brand that is differentiated from other products within the market?  Or, is it seen as a commodity that is easily interchangeable with other products available?
  4. Post-sale support – After the sale, what is the feeling a customer has with the product, brand, company?  Is it difficult to contact the company?  Hard to figure out what department or person to speak with to resolve an issue?  Are customers treated as complainers and problems or are they seen as valued and cherished?  How quickly and correctly are problems addressed and resolved?
  5. Exit – What is the customer’s experience when they cease to do business with the company?  When they choose to leave and use a competitor, cancel a subscription or maintenance agreement, etc., are they communicated with to understand why or are they merely removed from the database?  What efforts are undertaken to continue the dialogue with former customers?
  6. Employee – How are employees treated? Is it consistent across all levels (or regions, or functions) of the organization, or are some treated better/differently than others?  When prospective employees are being recruited or solicited, what is their impression of the company?  Does it change over time?  How are people separated from the company (are they treated fairly or harshly)?  Expecting an employee who feels as if she is treated poorly to provide a positive customer experience is not a realistic goal.

While being the CEO of a company may initially be thought of as the land of private jets, limos, fine dining, and hobnobbing with celebrities and the rich and famous; the truth is that there is an awful lot of work that has to happen in the trenches.  Being able to constantly improve upon the experience received by customers and employees is a necessity if a company is to thrive.  In this tough economy, it may be essential to even survive. 

As a CEO, your role needs to be about the aspects of your company that others experience and not about building your own experiences of being a bigshot and dictating to others.  The job is just too important to be that hands-off.

Three Ms

Monday, November 7, 2011 by:David Zahn
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This past week has been rather difficult for many residents of the state of Connecticut.  There was a rare snowstorm that came through dropping many inches of snow on trees and branches that had not yet lost their leaves.  The weight of the leaves and branches led to many downed trees and power outages.  As jarring as that has been for many citizens of the state, the “drama” played out by the Governor and the CEO of CL&P in addressing the unusual occurrence has taken a back seat for me in a loss that is very personal.  However, there is a strong link between the two events.

The Worth of a Man

This past weekend a family lost their patriarch. A business lost their founder.  Many charities and social/civic organizations lost their chief organizer.  And, I lost a best friend.  However, my experience is no different than many other people’s.  People die daily and they leave behind loved ones, colleagues, co-workers, etc.  Yet, this time it is different.  And, it may be coincidence; but the power outage situation frames what he did best.  Mel Cooper was a planner.  He was a Certified Financial Planner by vocation, but he was so much more than that.  Mel Cooper was a person who saw his role as educator, nurturer, encourager, and most importantly; family man.

And, for those that paid attention to him, he was an excellent resource and provider of insight.  The Buddhist say, “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear” was never more true than when talking with Mel.  He was so filled with wisdom, experience, and guidance – that one needed to plan double the time they had initially planeed to speak with him in order to get the full benefit of what he had to offer.

Among the things that are uppermost in my mind that I have taken from my conversations with him that are worth sharing:

  • Life’s pursuits often come down to the three “M’s” – money, material, memories.  One can chase the accumulation of money, but that will not lead to happiness.  Money has no value until it is spent.  Material possessions often become a way of “keeping score” for many people.  Yet, real joy and love is not found in purchases.  Even expensive ones.  The third M – memories is what Mel Cooper would strive to provide.  Time after time, he would remind people that were so focused on gaining additional returns from their investments that they would be far happier if they used the money they had to share or provide experiences for themselves or loved ones.
  • His own business practiced what he referred to as the “path with a heart” – he led his own decision-making and those of his family members in the business with that uppermost in all of their minds. 
  • You can’t take it with you.  Mel was adamant that life was to be lived in the here and now.  While he was a planner and spent lots of his energy in discussing how to save, providing insurances for unlikely events (and being prepared for the unexpected), and anticipating market futures, etc., he never lost sight of the importance of enjoying the beauty of the day of the here and now.  Whether it was a walk in the park, a sunset at the beach, a song being sung, or the growth of a flower – Mel lived in the moment.

Malloy and Butler

This all comes full circle when the week’s events played out in front of all of us. Whereas Mel was a leader of others and provided them with a vision of the future; Jeffrey Butler of CL&P comes off as nothing of a leader and based on the current power outages, he is not even a competent manager.  Malloy comes off better, but both of them had reason to anticipate the issues being confronted and hiding behind what they are doing (but not what they are accomplishing) just points out even more strongly how much they could use men like Mel Cooper to advise them.  Rather than make excuses, offer results.  Instead of doing what has been done before, be visionary and do something better.  Briefings and self-congratulatory messages may bolster their egos, but do very little to change the complexion of the outcomes.

My Three Ms

The state of Connecticut has awakened to new challenges, but I am missing my own version of three Ms.  I am longing for Mel, my mentor, and a real “mensch.”

Mel Cooper, Mentor, and a Mensch.

 

Mel Cooper – Rest in peace my friend.  You are loved and you will be missed.

Slow Down to Go Fast

Monday, October 31, 2011 by:David Zahn
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Customers attending any industry conference, trade show, networking event or even a sales presentation are often wise to arrive in battle armor. Sales people seem to have become increasingly aggressive about their approaches. It is as if the collateral damage they leave in their wake is inconsequential because they have been told that sales is a “numbers game.” Call on enough people, talk to sufficient numbers, attempt to close enough sales and the business will take care of itself.

Salespeople listen closely – nothing can be further from the truth. Doing things incorrectly and faster just means you fail more spectacularly and quicker.

The Problem

What often happens is that a person tasked with selling a product forgets that for them to succeed, another person has to decide to make a purchase or buy.  Sales Managers and business owners refer to a “sales cycle.”  The assumption is that the selling organization can somehow control the timing and progress of the decisions being made by the buyer.

The reality is that the buyer makes the decisions, ALL of them. The selling organization’s representative can only aid and try to provide the buyer with the information, demonstrations, testimonials, etc. required to bridge the gap between a buyer’s current situation and a future situation that includes the selling organization’s products and/or services.

However, the seller will try to arm-twist, cajole, or persuade a buyer that they really need the product they are hoping to sell and will launch into a detailed discussion about the features, technical specifications, and warranties that their product offers that are improvements over their competitors.  However, missing in the discussion is the Buyer and his/her needs, how they make decisions, what their requirements are for making purchases from vendors or suppliers.  Instead, the seller engages in a dance designed to limit choices, reduce decision-making to forced options, and narrow down criteria for the purchase to their own preferences.  And, in so doing that – they actually CREATE problems for themselves and grind the forward progress of the process to a halt. 

Now, objections are raised, complaints are formulated, and doubts emerge.  Conflict that would not otherwise be raised becomes a part of the process BECAUSE the seller neglected to understand how buyers move through the process of making a purchase.

The BUYING Process

A good summary of the process buyers use to make decisions to purchase is covered in the recent book authored by Kevin Davis,  ”Slow Down, Sell Faster!: Understand Your Customer’s Buying Process and Maximize Your Sales” (Amacom; January 2011).  Some of the highlights of the process are captured in an article that appeared in the website, Eyes on Sales (www.eyesonsales.com).

According to Davis, the seller needs to align their presentation with the buyer’s needs.  For example:

  • Don’t focus on what the seller wants to accomplish, but what the buyer’s needs are, how their business can be improved, or issues that can be addressed that require a change.
  • Mirror the presentaton of material to align to the stage or step of the sales process (selling features when the buyer is still seeking to clarify their issues and identify the potential solutions).  Features become relevant ONCE the buyer is in a comparison mode between options.  Introducing them sooner without discussing the business issue to be addressed become confusing and lead to objections.
  • In fact, by using features too early, it serves to REDUCE the need to talk with you (the buyer has the information they need and has formed an opinion of what your company can do – often incorrectly, because the seller has not fully demonstrated the breadth and depth of the company’s ability to help prospect’s scope their needs.
  • Have a chance to fully understand the business issues (from the buyer’s perspective, not your own), identify other departments, functions, etc. impacted, and what has been tried previously to address it (if anything).
  • Quantify the value of the business issue being solved (NOT the cost of the product or service) through the use of a solution provided by the selling organization.

In the final analysis, Davis suggests, “”Focus on differentiating how you sell, build more trust by slowing down your sales process. When you do that, you can speed up your customer’s buying process. And that’s why when you sell slower your customer buys faster!”

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Are the Daily Deal Discount Sites Worth it?

Monday, October 24, 2011 by:David Zahn
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During the recession, many of us discovered and began to use services that offered large discounts for restaurants, retailers, service providers, etc through website offers. In some instances, the discounts were limited to only the first “x” users who consented to pay upfront through the website offering. The frequently mentioned sites are; GroupOn, LivingSocial, and Dealster.

For the Consumer

The excitement of gaining a huge discount for a product or service one ordinarily uses makes terrific sense for the consumer.  Whether it is a meal at a favorite restaurant, a reduced cost for a movie theater’s showings, or getting a year’s gym membership for the cost of six months; the idea of saving money on something that was already in the shopping intent of the consumer often provides that last bit of incentive to make the purchase and not put it off.

Additionally, the risk of trying something new is greatly reduced through participation in these website daily deal offers.  For instance, paying $50 for a meal at a new restaurant may be harder to justify than spending an equal amount or less at a place one is familiar with from previous experiences.  However, if the cost of a meal at the new restaurant is reduced to $25, the “downside” to having a bad meal is not nearly as likely to dissuade someone from trying it.  Especially when the new restaurant may in fact provide a wonderful experience, the possibility of having a terrific meal at a greatly reduced price is attractive and compelling enough to generate interest.

A list of some of the common daily discount sites can be found at http://tomuse.com/group-buying-sites-coupon-deals-discount-savings/

For the Business

The business looks upon the daily discount as a potential way to generate new business.  First, the business does secure the initial purchase (albeit at a greatly reduced profit margin, however, when the business is not currently operating at full capacity, the “loss” may not be at a loss at all, but rather an instance of “half a pie is better than no pie”).  Second, the power of advertising through the discount websites may “remind” other customers of the business that choose not to participate in the daily deal, but may choose to purchase at a later date at full margin.  Third, the hope from the business’ perspective is that the consumer who participates in the discount may return for a subsequent visit and remain a loyal customer.  Even at the full margin.  The benefit of “trial and repeat” serves both the customer (they include a new restaurant in their repertoire of choices) and the business (they get the initial sale and all future sales.

Of course, there is a “flipside” to this offering of discounts.  The business is at risk that the people who will choose to take advantage of the deal or offer may be the existing and loyal customers to begin with.  So the business is offering half-off discounts to customers that were previously paying full margin and had every intention of continuing to do so – only now are only being asked to pay less for the service or product.  The business loses half of their profit on existing customers who participated, and may have the jeopardy of not attracting more (or enough) new customers to make it worthwhile for the business.  In essence, the business has only subsidized existing sales without adding an incremental business.

Results

A recent website posting (http://www.retailcustomerexperience.com/article/185303/What-Whole-Foods-gained-from-its-LivingSocial-deal?utm_source=NetWorld%20Alliance&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=emna_rce_10102011) examined the results of a recent Whole Foods attempt at using a daily discount.  Their results as quoted on the website are impressive:

  • Customers could purchase $20 for $10.
  • Coupons sold on the site at 115,000 per hour accoding to company spokesman, Andrew Weinstein.

What Whole Foods gained from its LivingSocial dealWhat remains to be seen is if there will be incremental sales that the offer generates in the coming months.  Some experts are doubtful that given the “niche” that Whole Foods maintains, that new customers can be incented to try their shopping for groceries in that store.  

Ben Sprecher, Founder and VP, marketing for Incentive Targeting, a company involved in tying daily deals to loyalty card programs had this to say on RetailWire.com about the issue:

“Whole Foods is, in essence, placing a $10 – $15 million bet (1 million deal cap times $10 discount each, plus LivingSocial commissions of up to 50 percent) that the publicity, new shopper acquisition, basket lift, and change in long-term shopper behavior driven by this program will outweigh the costs, the tragedy is that, at the end of the day, it will be impossible for Whole Foods to tell what the real ROI and impact was.

Will $10 off $20 entice new shoppers to the store? Will those new shoppers come back? Will existing shoppers buy more, or simply subsidize their current purchases? And are there even enough shoppers out there who haven’t heard of Whole Foods (or haven’t tried it), but who are subscribed to LivingSocial and who can be tipped over by a $10 discount?”

It Starts With the Customer

Tuesday, October 18, 2011 by:David Zahn
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The experience is one that gets replayed over and over in homes, offices, and anywhere your cell phone is turned on.  You are busy focused on one task or another and the ring of your phone interrupts your train of thought.  In fact, as I am writing this article, a series of calls came in from different people at a company I recognized from a previous exposure. I had met a representative of the company at an industry conference and had spent about 3 minutes waiting in line for coffee.  I vaguely recalled that the person represented either a mailing list of business executives or an internet search of social networks for business leaders; I am not completely sure whether it is one, the other, or both.  In any case, the idea of increasing my list of prospects and potential customers is always of interest.  So, while I was busy doing all the tasks that were on my “To-Do List,” I recognized that it would be worthwhile to at least check out the service/product before just dismissing it without a review.  So, while mildly annoyed at the interruption, the caller had accomplished what she was seeking – a person who was curious about what she was selling and someone who had a need for it.  However, the decision to proceed would be contingent on further investigation, discovery, and analysis.  I was going to require more than just this phone call to decide to purchase.

The Start of the Call(s)

The call began poorly.  As I started with the usual greeting I use for business calls, the other person on the line (an automated voice?) said, “please hold the line for our next sales person.”  I hung up.  I don’t see the need to wait for a person who called me to join the call.  Perhaps a minute later the phone rang again.  This time, there was a person who demanded to talk to the person responsible for sales.  Not asking for a particular person.  Not even suggesting that he had something that had helped others and that might be of interest to me to accomplish something (generate leads, target prospects, grow revenue, reduce sales cycle time, etc.).  So, I told him he had the wrong number and hung up.  When starting the phone call with “I need to talk to….” I immediately thought to myself that he didn’t NEED anything.  The customer is the one with the need.  I don’t owe him anything.  For me to pay attention, he has to offer something that I value.  If his start to the call was to demand to talk to someone and he hadn’t taken the time to even find out who that may be in the company, I didn’t see a need to continue the call.

Finally, the person I had met previously called and after introducing herself, she laughingly commented how hard it is to reach me.  I swallowed back what I wanted to say, and continued the conversation.  I exchanged pleasantries and we compared notes on the conference experience.

The Call

The customer is the reason for the call, stop frustrating them with your needs.

So, after the few moments of walking down memory lane with the woman I had met at the conference, she tried to transition the call to her purpose for calling.  She asked, “So, David – what can I help you with today?”  Now, remember, she called me.  So, I responded – “why don’t you tell me what you can do?”  I really didn’t know what she could provide for me and I certainly did not have any insight into how she might be able to assist me or my company.  In essence, she had called me and was saying, “You don’t know me, my product, or my experience – do you want to buy from me?”

Even when I tried to explore what she had to offer and tried to connect her offering to my business, she could only talk about products she sells – but not how it would help me accomplish my goals.  She had something in her pocket or briefcase and could not seem to give me a reason to buy from her OTHER than she wanted to make a sale.  Growing impatient with this approach that was not going anywhere; and wanting to return to the “To Do List” I had originally been working on when the phone rang, I asked the person to put some information in the mail and that I would review it and get back in touch if there was interest.

What I received back in response was an invitation to participate in a webinar the company conducts periodically.  So, what I now understood is that since she had a prospect who had an interest, but not a clear understanding of how to use the products, she would invite me to attend another SELLING EVENT – even though I was telling her I have interest and was ready to be sold right then and there.  Of course, she then warmly invited me to call her with any questions (to which I wondered, why would I do that given how this call had gone).

 The Autopsy

The salesperson failed.  Miserably.  Made me do all the heavy lifting and put up obstacles to allowing me to progress through the stages of buying (NOT the phases of selling).  While the conversation was reasonably pleasant, and we did share some memories of the conference we had mutually attended; the call ended without any progress toward my resolving my need, the sale occurring, or the seller securing a new customer.  All that was needed was to realign the focus of the call away from the seller and on to me, the customer. 

 

A Searing Pain

Monday, October 10, 2011 by:David Zahn
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Using the benefit of the Columbus Day holiday, I went in search of a vacuum in the hopes of finding a sale on home appliances at local retailers. I was in a buying mode, and really did not want to wait for a delivery to arrive with my vacuum in a few days after placing an order online. Rather, I wanted to touch the units to test the weight, walk out of the store with a box, and begin using the machine on my carpets immediately.

Starting at Best Buy

First step, go to local electronics and appliances store.

Walking into the store, the familiar blue golf shirts that denote who is an employee were few and far between.  However, the banners hanging from the roof marked where I could find the vacuums, so I headed in that direction.  I began to quickly see that the prices ranged from $75 to as high as $500 or more.  As I scanned the signage next to some of the products and read the box text, I could see why some of the products would be worth more than others, but still had some questions.

So, I went in search of a blue-shirted employee.  I waited over 5 minutes before I even saw one anywhere near the section I was in.  Unfortunately, that person was helping a customer.  But good fortune seemed to be smiling down on me as a tie-wearing person with a name tag walked toward  he section.  Intercepting the person’s path, I asked if I could ask a question.  I was told, “I don’t know anything about the appliances, you will have to wait for someone else.”  Now, I want to be clear here – I had not identified what my question was (it might have been, “can I pay cash for this?”  Or, “can someone help me carry 5 vacuums to the cash stand?”).  The “manager” did not offer any help, suggest that he would go secure someone for me to talk with, or do anything to recognize that I was prepared to spend hundreds of dollars.

With that response, I told the person (who had already breezed by me and likely did not hear me) that I would just walk across the street to Sears and shop their store instead.

From Bad to Worse

So, I managed to locate the vacuums on the second floor and was quickly greeted by a black-shirted woman who was in the middle of vacuuming up a rug that had been sprinkled with confetti.  Quickly sharing that I wanted a vacuum that was an upright, under $200, bagless, and preferably did not mandate changing filters, she quickly shared that she works for Dyson (a brand of vacuum) and then proceeded to try to talk me into a $350 machine that required changing bags.  My exasperation showed and she then turned to an actual Sears employee who went into a practiced speech that was haltingly delivered about Amps, Volts, and something he called Wind Amps.  I interrupted and asked what the difference was between the three. 

All I wanted to purchase - that took over 3 hours.

Now, I am not an expert in electrical matters, but I knew I was being duped when the answer I got was – basically, they are all the same.  I immediately thought to myself – Huh?  No they are not.  I then asked how I know what the wind amps are since it is not listed on the box anywhere.  His answer was that the manunfacturers don’t want you to know it.  But people go online and look it up and know.  He then claimed to point out the “better models.”  When I asked what made them the “better ones” – he answered, “that is what people buy and no one has complained.”

His answers of “generally” or “basically” and then answering with double-talk left me feeling a dull pain right between my eyes.  I left that store and actually called a friend on my cell phone who then looked online at Consumer Reports and directed me to the top 3 rated machines within my price range, type of vacuum, and brand preferences.  I went back to Best Buy, not because they deserved my order, but because they had done less to annoy me. 
As far as Sears goes – it is a shame that a retailer has fallen so far that they have no training, no management, no customer service, and even in the face of a customer that WANTED to buy – they could not close the sale.  It is no doubt that they have fallen on hard times because they have lost the immediacy of retailing and meeting customer needs.  Sending me to shop online for answers rather than having the insights themselves is feeding the enemy for many brick and mortar retailers.   

No wonder they are irrelevant!

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