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I’m often asked,
“How can I create more interest and excitement...with customers and
prospects?” I believe you must
get them involved! I am
convinced that involvement is a principal reason for the success of
Sharper Image, the retail, catalog and online merchandiser of unique
electronic toys, gadgets and other cool stuff! Sharper Image
promotes involvement and participation.
You are encouraged to ride the exer-bike, lay down on the massage
table, jump on the pogo-stick or crank up the CD. I know, because I
have done all of these things at their stores!
Aside from having a great time pushing, pressing and playing, I
participated in a simple, yet most effective business-development
technique...involvement! And yep...then I bought stuff! And lots of it! An involved customer
is more likely to buy or invest. And,
the more customer senses you can activate, the greater the likelihood
that you satisfy a need, solve a problem, or help one realize a dream or
a goal. Involvement is a
simple and savvy sales strategy. Yet,
it is often ignored. For
example, once I was in a suburban Baltimore guitar store, where each
guitar displayed a sign warning. PLEASE DO NOT HANDLE.
IF YOU WISH TO BUY ME, CALL A SALESPERSON. Unfortunately, this
owner did not understand the psyche of his customer—the musician who
wants to make music! Oh sure, I know the owner is trying to deter the masses from
making musical mayhem, yet there were so many other ways the message
could have been conveyed. What if the sign on
the guitar said: “Together we'll make beautiful music - Please call a
salesperson so you can start to enjoy me!”
Or... “I’ll make you a star!
Please call a salesperson so I can hear your musical talent!”
Or... “My strings are lonely, please call a salesperson and
bring them to life!” I saw this great
sign, at Baer’s Furniture in Naples, Florida:
“This is not a museum. We
welcome you to touch. We
beg you to touch. To
inspect. To ask questions.
To be utterly and absolutely and positively nosy.
If it helps, sit and bounce.
Turn and squeeze. Pull
and push. Peek beneath the
surface. The better you
know us, the more you will like us.” One financial planner
I know, uses an involvement strategy that makes his client
results-sessions...memorable and profitable.
Rick's clients are wealthy, high-net worth individuals.
They are sophisticated decision-makers.
However, Rick admits that his approach is simplistic.
Yet it works. Big
time! Here is what Rick
does: He takes out a plush felt bag filled with pennies.
He gently hands the bag to his clients and tells them that the
bag represents their financial future.
He then encourages them to pour the pennies onto the conference
table. Somewhat
skeptically, they do. Rick then tells his
clients, (let’s call them Harry and Pam), that each penny represents
$10,000 and belongs to them. It
is their money. Rick suggests that they push, pull and slide the pennies
across the table to form different piles. Each pile or category
represents the couple’s goals. One
pile could be a retirement fund. Another
could be set aside for their children’s education.
While another represents a major purchase down the road or
significant contributions to various charities. Rick says that Harry
and Pam quickly forget that they are playing with pennies.
Instead, they strategically plan and calculate their financial
future. Obviously, Rick's
clients are involved! Confucius once said:
“If you tell me I will forget, If you show me, I will remember,
If you involve me, I will understand!” So the next time your
customer, client or prospect wants to touch, see, sniff, taste or
hear...let 'em! These statistics
reveal the full story and value of involvement: People remember: 20 percent of what they hear 30 percent of what they see 50 percent of what they see and hear 80 percent of what they see, hear and do |
