Great sales personnel (and lousy ones)

I love great sales personnel.

As much as I loathe lousy ones.

We were looking for track lighting at the local lighting store, from whom we had bought in the past. Those who've shopped for lighting know this takes some time and, often, in home consultations. After all, it is neither a small purchase, nor one you can easily replace.

Listening

We'd heard about a nice local deli, and stopped in to see the offerings.

Greeted with a smile, we asked about their prepared dishes, particularly vegetarian ones which, unfortunately, were on the sparse side. Because the store came with high recommendations, we persisted in our questioning.

Until the clerk offered us a sampling of the store's meatballs, something they were well known for.

Huh?

Movie theaters

Movie theaters should be dead.

Yet, the latest statistics from the MPAA show international box office receipts are up 35% over five years ago and even US receipts are up 6% over the same period. This despite the fact that a ticket costs more than a monthly subscription to NetFlix, which many can watch on home systems exceeding the sound and video quality of the theater.

And yet the movie theaters are packed. Why?

What's a smile worth? Redux

In the local supermarket today, two young women offered wine tasting samples. Good location, right at the front of the store.

I walked right by.

Not because of the wine.

Planning to fail

I love gelato.

So I've watched closely the relative success of the two gelato stores within walking distance. One is living on borrowed time, despite similar, if not higher, quality, selection and service, and competitive prices. 

What's a smile worth?

I stopped at the local Fresh Market for a piece of fish for dinner.

While the prices are a little higher than the competing local supermarket, I go there often, for a variety of reasons, including the quality of the fresh produce, meats and seafood, the selection and the deli.

Landing that job

In light of Friday's anemic jobs report, it's clear that competition for open jobs is not going to get any easier.

So how do you get an edge?

Everyone lives by selling something...

...said Robert Louis Stevenson, author of Treasure Island and the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Sales reps, of course, sell products and services to customers.

CEOs sell their vision to their boards and employees.

CIOs sell their plans and budgets to the management team.

CFOs sell the company's investment plans to Wall Street.

CHROs sell the benefits of working in an organization to prospective employees.

Inventors sell their ideas to investors.

And CMOs must help sell all of these.

All require an in-depth understanding of both the offering and the buyer.

What are you selling?

And have you done the hard work to develop the insight required?

Experience matters.

Know your limits

Late last Saturday afternoon, my wife decided to try the new organic juice (imagine apple, cucumber, romaine, celery, kale and chard...all mixed together!) place that just opened.

No go. Closed.

Sunday afternoon, closed again.

Why I'll go back

Despite arriving on time for our reservation, we were told we had to wait. A bit annoying, since we could see a couple of open tables. The host then directed us to the bar, where the bartender, of course, asked if we wanted a cocktail, which we declined. Within the space of a minute, our anticipated pleasant evening was going downhill - I'm thinking typical restaurant trick, trying to eke out an extra couple of dollars from a patron. But then my attitude changed.