Episode Thirty Eight: Know Thy Customer

This actually happened to my fiance and I when we were looking for apartments.  Apparently tanning booths are one of the amenities some apartment complexes are now offering.  I did feel bad, the girl showing us the complex was really friendly and enthusiastic but I had to make a silly comment when she started pushing the tanning as a benefit.  I looked back to my pinoy-American fiance and said "Now you can get all the tanning you want honey!"

Humor aside, it is a problem when sales pitches aren't amended when a certain feature clearly has no appeal to the customer.  Sales is difficult- you can't always know if people will like an on site laundry facility- or if they're more interested in free internet (I know, blasphemy right?  Free net should always triumph!)  However, it is important to listen and pick up on the big details.

I have seen many "great" sales people who have become over confident in their pitch- they honestly believe they can sell their product or service to anyone.  Not only does this antiquated notion of sales lead to sleazy salespeople- it is also inefficient.  Since graduating I've interviewed with various marketing firms- the majority of which were only a few months older than my degree.  Many of these firms believed in the flashy sales pitch with an almost religious zeal- each touting to have the best method.  At the end of the day they operated from an inefficient direct sales approach with a poorly guided customer base- in lay man's terms, they approached strangers to buy their products  In contrast, I have also interviewed with established firms.  The firms which had decades of history and led the way in their industries were better organized.  They tailored their products to the customers and focused on Businesses instead of individuals.  The end result?  They have the shiny nice office buildings, the recognition of peers, and won't be filing for bankruptcy a year from now.

The moral of the story: President Obama probably doesn't want any coupons for free tanning.