I think anyone looking at how to increase sales would behoove
themselves to look at what Apple is doing out there in today’s
marketplace. Through a reinvention of their marketing campaign and
their products they have seen sales soar for almost all of their
products, despite the fact that they are consistently far more
expensive than similar product offerings. Anyone been in an Apple
store lately? They are consistently mobbed with customers. (I was in
a huge mall in Stamford CT recently on a Sunday and the ONLY store in
the entire mall with any quantity of customers was Apple. And this
isn’t the only one that is like that.) Did you know that you can now
schedule ahead for a one hour session with one of their sales staff
who will focus on no one else besides you for that one hour? Or that
you can schedule ahead for their service help at a specific time?
They also have equipped all of their sales staff (or most of them at
any rate) with small computers that act as cash registers. You can
have them swipe your credit card anywhere on the floor AND they will
email you the receipt if you don’t want to have a hard copy of it
handed to you. They are always well staffed with helpful, courteous
and knowledgeable people. I think we could all learn a few lessons by
looking at what they have done. Market and present your product in an
appealing manner. Give good service. Offer something new. Advertise
like crazy. Get some buzz going (even if it’s just local buzz).
My UPS driver was telling me how on last Friday, the day the newest
version of the iphone came out, the people (individuals not stores)
he was delivering them to were all actually waiting by the door for
him to come, and immediately ran out when he showed up. How many of
us can say our product gets this kind of reaction?
Daniel R. Spirer, G.G.
Daniel R. Spirer Jewelers, LLC