I was a lost opportunity X4 — can’t make this stuff up!
By Dan Shiels
Can’t believe it! I’m a 60-Plus who still visits retail stores. Like to see what I’m going to buy.
I had time on a Saturday morning to check out some things my wife and I talked about possibly getting. A new mattress, new bathroom cabinets and counter tops, and some tile or another type flooring for the bathrooms we may remodel.
Fact not fiction:
Mattress #1
Visited two large national company stores. I learned that mattresses now have so many types and features it is incredible. Store #1 a salesman greeted me, asked what my budget was and I replied, “depends what my wife likes!”. After checking out the horizontal positions on 6 types I focused on what turns out to be 10k, yep 10 thousand bucks. This baby does everything but massage my feet.
Mattress #2
I waltz around for 25 minutes, finally a sales lady asked if she could help. My response was the usual “just looking”. I spend another 15 minutes laying on the 10k unit putting it through it’s paces, everything but sideways. Since no one was with me I walked up to the counter and the two sales folks were in conversation. Since I am polite I didn’t interrupt. 14 minutes later i turn and walk away.
Flooring
I hit one of the biggest groups in towns stores. A few shoppers talking to one sales person, another sales person at the desk on the computer. Now I begin to think, ok somebody will approach me. About 20 minutes later a gent approaches me and inquires if he can help. My response was yes. I asked about the differences between engineered hardwood flooring and solid? He was knowledgeable and made sense. I mention putting 500 sq ft in my house. He gets called away for a minute…..15 minutes later I approached him at the desk. I asked if he could give me some prices and he responded yes. I asked about 4 different products, as he looked up the prices I asked if he had a piece of paper I could write these down. The lady behind the next desk hands me his business card. I scribble everything down. Then I ask about time frame to get the stock and install. I write down the answer. I stand up and say thanks, he shakes my hand and hands me his card. He is the Store Manager!
Lumber Yard for cabinets and counter tops.
To shorten this story up I’ll be brief. I was with our VP of Sales and we spent 20 minutes looking at cabinets and counter tops. One lady asked if she could help, as usual “just looking”. She walks away. We concentrated on all of the expensive brands and products. Hey, let’s look at the decking right over there. We cruise to decking and 15 minutes later pick up two samples of nice stuff, not cheap. Ok, no sales people near us, we go up to the main counter, asked for the prices on the two widths we had in our hand. He rattles off the prices, I ask if he has something I can write them down with, ”sure Dude”, he hands me a pen and piece of scratch paper. We thank him and leave.
With all the money spent on super charging marketing these days everybody forgets the experience on the floor.
Common theme here. No one asked for my name, phone number, email address, can we set up a measure, have a designer come out, how soon would you buy the mattress. oh need a deck…………
So, I’m a lost opportunity! With all the money spent on super charging marketing these days everybody forgets the experience on the floor. How many times a day, week, month does this happen? Average sale x lost opportunity = one helluva lot of $$$$$.
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Originally published at blog.theleadtool.com on June 27, 2017.
Dan is a co founder and CFO at The Lead Tool, a Cincinnati based CRM start up. Prior to that he owned and operated lumber distribution, millwork manufacturing & dry kiln facilities. He’s also a former NAWLA board member. You can connect with him directly on LinkedIn, and follow @theleadtool Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | SoundCloud | iTunes
