Thursday, June 24, 2010

Deal with it

We still have an unstable, unpredictable economy. Manufacturers and dealers want to sell more products. Yet they're leaving extraordinary amounts of money on the table every single day. Too many customers are going elsewhere (to ebay, the Internet or to the competitor down the street) or are simply not buying at all (even though they have the money).

The best manufacturers and dealers understand this and are working together to make sure the customer gets a focused message at the right time for the right product. That requires coordination, it requires trust, and it requires an understanding that nothing is perfect, sometimes someone will innocently screw-up.

If the manufacturer and dealer do not play together well, they will lose. There are too many viable options out there for customers to give their money and relationships to.

It's a black and white situation: play well together or deal with it.



Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond
www.labov.com
LaBov Sales Channel
PB&J Newsletter

3 comments:

  1. Certainly agree, we see it in our business every day with wine sales. We believe the customer experience and the relationship allows us the opportunity to overcome the challenge of not selling them a bottle of wine or an experience. We become a "resource" they can believe in.

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  2. David, your model can create an experience and loyalty. The wine store down the street left money and the client relationship "on the table" and you're stepping up. You win as well as do both the winery and customer.

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  3. Couldn't agree with you more. Once you've started to gain the trust and the respect, you truly build a long term relationship.

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