Jeffrey Gitomer sums up a lot of important stuff when he says “People don’t like to be sold but they love to buy.”
Do you make it easy for them to buy?
Are the things you sell displayed to make it easy for your customers to buy?
After the untimely and tragic death of our old TV, I had the “luxury” of shopping for a replacement. My youngest son and I caroused around town to the usual suspects (minus one that was closed) to find a new box.
The brands and models were pretty much the same from store to store.
But something was different
What differed substantially? Presentation.
Two examples:
Store A
- Had units scattered about in no particular order. It’s possible they were grouped very roughly by price.
- Their display was helpful for a standing customer (no seats) because half of the sets were more or less just below eye level. The rest were slightly off the floor, which didn’t show off those models well.
- Their pricey 3D sets were presented well, in a manufacturer-provided display with goggles.
- Their sets displayed the same picture on most sets so you could compare. It was a mix of sports and scenic shots and “regular” stuff.
Store B
- Had sets jammed so close together and displayed at differing angles above, at and well below eye level (again, no seats), like clothing stores with racks packed so tightly that you can’t walk between them. Sets weren’t displayed in a manner that was designed to encourage you to take the time to browse, evaluate and buy. If you knew what you wanted and they had that item in stock, fine.
- Had models scattered all over the store with no rhyme or reason. Not grouped by size, price, features, manufacturer or any other sensible criteria; making it almost impossible to compare two closely priced or sized models.
- 3D sets were like the rest. It would’ve been impossible to evaluate them properly as displayed.
- The most expensive (and amazing) set was a non-3D set whose picture and specs were easily the best we saw all day. Yet it was presented in the middle of a row of stacked up stuff with cardboard boxes across from it in a narrow aisle where your face was less than two feet from the massive screen. If I was the Sony rep for this store, Id be taking the manager out for a long chat.
- A smorgasbord of content from screen to screen made it almost impossible to compare like models.
Where’s the recliner?
Some audio stores figured this out long ago: Build a room that presents your gear in its best light.
If I’m selling TVs, I want a small number of my very best selling TVs a normally lit room (like people’s homes) with a recliner, coffee table, couch, etc sitting around. I want them paired in good, better, best pairs with the bestselling, best quality units I have in those three price ranges. I want them to sit down and visualize that sucker in their own home. Sold!
Other models (if I must have them) can be presented grouped by size within price range and paired so buyers can compare like models. Remember, you want to create an environment that makes it easy for the customer to make the best choice for their needs and budget. You don’t want them walking out frustrated.
The reason to make a sale is to get a customer, not the other way around. Your business is about customers, not TVs or Kitchen Aid mixers or snowblowers.
Wally???
Yes, I know the mass merchandiser in you is going crazy. Well guess what? The best TV display for the buyer’s needs was…Wal-Mart’s.
Despite crazy-bright fluorescent lighting, strollers two aisles over, video games beeping 20 feet away and a blue light special (whatever) announcement over the loudspeaker every 13 seconds.
The layout was optimized to make it easy to choose a TV, not to make it easy to get all of them out of the box and on a shelf so we could say they did so.
Interesting that Wal-Mart would win in that department and not have the best price.
Your job, no matter what you sell, is to make it easy to decide, and thus easy to buy.
Want to learn more about Mark or ask him to write about a business, operations or marketing problem? See Mark’s site or contact him via email at mriffey at flatheadbeacon.com.