Five Serious Problems In The Retail World

I happen to be a big fan of Seth Godin – author of such books as All Marketers Are Liars and nine other bestsellers in the area of Marketing. I read Seth’s Blog religiously as it gives quite a great take on how we are exposed to marketing messages daily and how marketers are finding new and unique ways to cut through the marketing clutter to reach us and convince us to buy their products and services. It helps me to better understand why we are, as consumers becoming increasingly frustrated when it comes time to make a purchase and how the marketers seem to be becoming complacent with product selection and how most seem to be competing in the same price arena.

Because of the tweaking of my marketing mindset, I notice and pay attention to businesses more and how they conduct business. I have come to notice five things that are becoming quite disturbing.

1. For the most part, you will find the same products in virtually every store - all relatively close in price. That means that the selection of brand names is fairly limited in an effort to not keep a competitive edge in the market but instead be only as good as the competition. Business seems to be spending more time focusing on their competitors (and keeping the same stock and price) and not focusing on the customer and offering something superior.
2. By keeping price-point as a key component of being in business, the cheapest price usually wins. Unfortunately, cheapest price almost always means cheapest quality. You’ll be back looking for a replacement before long.
3. Although you may find the item you’re looking for a store by visiting their web site, there is no guarantee that the item is in stock. Don’t trust the “Check Store Stock” option on a web site. Inventory tracking isn’t working the way it is supposed to. You may think there’s one in stock, but when you get there it isn’t, so most people end up buying something else in its place. (Always make the phone call first, get them to physically check to see if it’s there, offer a credit card number to hold the item and then go get it right away.)
4. High-priced quality products don’t sell well in a Wal-Mart priced world. If it’s quality you want, you’ll need to find it on-line from specialty stores and have it shipped to you. Otherwise, it’s a frustrating experience.
5. Businesses only seem to stock what they think you should buy, not what you want to buy. You only get to choose from a series of inferior products.

Try Googling “reviews on breadmakers” and you’ll find Zojirushi makes the best one. You can’t buy them in stores. You have to order them from one of only two on-line stores in Canada. But almost every department store carries Black & Decker or Sunbeam bread makers – terrible quality items that reviewers warn people to stay away from. There’s a reason why they are one quarter of the price of a Zojirushi.

Air-O-Swiss are the world’s best humidifiers. Again, you can’t buy them in stores. They’re expensive and the highest quality and people apparently don’t want quality. Go online and get Air-O-Swiss shipped from California.

ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT: Are you in business or are you just giving us the illusion of being in business? We, as consumers have more access to more information, and we are educating on-line before we go shopping in-store. By the time we get to your location, we need a cashier – not a salesperson.

Are you offering your customers the exact same product or service as your competitors? Are you willing to stand out, be different, offer service over and above and offer a superior product? Do you make a customer for life or for just a few minutes? Is your product or service just good enough or is it head-and-shoulders above everyone else?

Service is an Attitude. Customer Service is a department. You should be tired of accepting sub-par service and products. Give your business to those who offer quality and who demonstrably show the “Service Attitude.” You can spot these marketers a mile away. They are the one’s who carry what you WANT to buy – not what they TELL you you’re going to buy.

Be Smarter Than The Smart Phone

My friend Brian is a brilliant mind. Every time that I get to visit with him (not as often as I would like), I come away with a few new ideas, a few new opinions and a few new article subjects. I know that Brian is reading this right now so thank you Brian for the contribution to make to my life and the lives of others.

Last week when I was sitting in Brian’s office, he had said something that sparked a great idea (or so I thought at the time). I could take this idea and I would find myself being more efficient and successful. Just as I was beginning to process the thought, my Blackberry went off – an incoming email as well as an appointment reminder. Although I didn’t look at the Blackberry, it chimed away three times for each of the notices.

Although I didn’t look at the smart phone, there was a little piece in the back of my mind that was just curious as to what reminder I was being given. It distracted me. My normal practice for meeting with people is to shut the Blackberry off completely – but this time I forgot. Not only did I forget to turn off the phone, I forgot the great idea that was sparked in my mind from my conversation with Brian.

ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT: There’s a reason that the MC of the conference you attended recently reminds you to shut off your cell phone while you’re in session. It’s so you don’t forget the great ideas that come to you when people who have something brilliant to say speak to you. I learned my lesson.

So how about you take the learning from me on this one and shut the phone off completely when you’re having a meeting with someone or just want to give someone your undivided attention so you don’t miss something important – like I did. Be smarter than your smartphone.

Listen Up

“If you think the person behind the counter is dumber than you, you’ll go out of your way to prove it. But what if he’s not? Can you see a very frustrating day coming for you? But if you believe the person behind the counter may offer you an amusing story to tell, you’ll go looking for that. In over twelve years, since I started doing this, I’ve yet to find a day where I didn’t have an amusing story to tell at the end of it.”

That’s a direct quote from my Attitude Adjustment keynote presentation. I go looking for the amusing stories and I usually find them. This was not one of those days.

I was searching for a shirt. I don’t like ties. I don’t understand ties. In fact, I think a tie is just a fancy noose (perhaps I need to change my attitude on that one but perhaps not). So, instead of “expressing my individuality” through a tie, I wear an open-collared shirt – usually something that makes a statement and is normally one-of-a-kind. I have consulted with some very good clothiers and found a look that feels comfortable for me and yet is not what everyone else is wearing.

I entered the men's wear store where I encountered Earl, the sales clerk. Earl wore the requisite sport jacket, dress pants, patterned dress shirt and a tie. I told him I was looking for a shirt that was unique, one-of-a-kind, not boring, not white nor any shade of red or purple (I look very pink wearing reds and purples) … oh, and I don’t wear a tie.

He became indignant and began to challenge me on not looking like everyone else. He chastised me by explaining that a tie expresses my individuality.

“Not if everyone else is wearing one,” I added.

He argued with me, in a sort of polite way. In essence, he was telling me that he knew better than me what I should be wearing. His condescending attitude was beginning to become irritating.

He pulled down a pure white shirt, a purple shirt and a couple of shirts with red running through them and asked if this is what I was looking for. In my mind, I couldn’t help but think that he didn’t hear a word I said, so I reiterated my “non-negotiables.”

Shirt after shirt came out, each looking just like the last with small variations. They all began to look the same. The colors were boring. The styles were boring and honestly, this experience was becoming boring. So I left.

ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT: Do you attempt to push your personal tastes on your clients or do you consult with them? If you’re a manager, do you already know more than your people or is there an opportunity for them to teach you something? How often do you actually just sit and listen to your customers’ wants, your co-workers ideas or your spouse’s dreams?

The art of listening isn’t really all that complicated. It simply requires you to clear your head of all of your pre-supposed fixes, opinions and beliefs that you know better than they. Better that you come off as compassionate more than arrogant.

Every single person you come in contact with can teach you something so long as you trash the belief that you already know everything. You don’t know everything. I don’t know everything. I especially don’t know everything about selling clothes but I do know what I like to wear. Maybe cut me some slack that I have a handle on dressing myself and keep the opinions to yourself. Maybe you’ll be more successful if you listen to what I want before you tell me what I need. Listen. Did you hear me?