Alex, the salesman who knocked me out
How many times out of ten have you been on a shopping visit having come to terms with what you want to buy before stepping out of the house and ended up buying something totally different from the research that you had done?. It happened to me very recently.
Give it a thought and answer my question; Why did you change from whatever you wanted to buy to what you now own? Who made the difference? Of course you can say that the dictator…I mean the director of your home influenced your decision but who influenced them? – I guess it has to be the smart Salesman or woman.
In my case, Alex made it a fantastic shopping experience. The only item I wanted to shop for myself when I was in Dubai recently was a pocket camera. I decided that I wasn’t going to burn a hole in my pocket. Besides my brother in law who is passionate about photography advised me that anything more than a 1000 Dhs for a pocket camera was not worth the investment. So, there you go with the budget fixed, my next step was to research and find the best camera with as many features that I wanted within the price. After speaking to a couple of friends, browsing the internet for 3-4 hours reading reviews, I shortlisted three: Canon Powershot SX120 IS (999 Dhs), Canon IXUS 300HS (impressive features but didn’t know the price) and Sony TX 5 Waterproof and Shockproof (1499 Dhs) which was well over my budget but the features were tempting knowing I could drop my camera and nothing would happen for a 1.5 metre fall.
When I got there, a bright young chap introduced himself as Alex and the usual question “How may I help you Sir?”. I asked for the Sony model knowing very well that this would leave a gaping hole in my pocket. As Alex ran through the first few features of the model letting me hold it, he was quick to catch my expression (I don’t know what he thought), paused and asked me why I wanted “that Camera – Sony TX5″. I replied that I had read the reviews and thought it a good idea to check it out, thats’ all. He then asked me if I was specifically looking at any features and what kind of photos would I normally shoot (That was the best question). My basic requirement I voiced out was a 10 Mega pixel and 10X optical zoom with HD Videos possibility.
His next comment was “Sony is great as a brand but they don’t really specialize in cameras. In this model they were using lenses by Carl Zeiss which are cool, however he thought I should really check out other brands like Nikon, Canon and Olympus”.The next model he pulled out was a Canon make for 1499 Dhs (same price as Sony and had features better than what I asked for). He let me feel it, shoot with it and yet there was some hesitation – u guys know what…
As my eyes searched through the display, I spotted Canon PS SX120 IS. That’s it, I told myself, ask this guy to take it out, experiment a bit, pay and leave. I really only wanted this as it was a 10 MP Camera with 10X optical zoom. Only that it had SD Video (not HD as I preferred) and would not fit my shirt pocket (Slightly larger). I had to make that compromise as the price was perfect. I think Alex was just too good to spot every single emotion on my face. Who on earth is totally happy with any buy where you have had to make the smallest of compromise?
Alex said: Sir, I know you like that camera and perhaps you want to buy one in that price range. If I were you, I would really go for this one as he introduced me to my new Olympus u-5010. He said for the kind of pictures that I had described I would shoot, this was the perfect camera with 14.1 MP and 5X optical zoom and HD videos. I liked his candid approach in admitting that as regards to the picture quality once it exceeds 10 MP it wont really make a difference unless I was printing large sized photos. He let me play with it (I felt like a kid with a new toy in hand and I bet thinking back now, he knew my feelings and enthusiasm) as he patiently explained every single feature with its benefit. For example: Panoramic shots with which I could capture images of landscapes, sceneries and stitch them. There you go Panorama is the feature and the fact that I could get one big image which usually would not fit in a singe shot is the benefit“.
At a point in time when I was nearly convinced he quoted, you only pay an additional 100 Dhs as compared to the Canon you looked earlier and you don’t make any compromise as it is slim to fit your pocket and supports HD videos (other than all the other benefits I described). I was so overwhelmed by this device having held it for 30-40 minutes that I wasn’t going to think more. This guy then walks out of his counter to the billing section, after I pay asks me if I need help fixing the Li battery and the 4 GB card, fits it in, shakes hands and says you’ve just made a wonderful investment and I wish you all the best for a colorful life. I walked out with a big smile as the proud owner of my new Olympus u-5010. I paid a total of 1141 Dhs (Additional 42 Dhs for a 4 GB card) and felt that was a real Win-Win Sale.
Above all the other rules of selling one thing is obvious here as Joe Girard (the world’s greatest salesman certified by Guinness book of world records for selling 13001 cars in his career spanning 15 years) writes in his book “How to sell anything to Anybody” – When you sell cars it is essential to get a prospect to take a demo ride, if are in the business of selling houses, the equivalent is get people into the model or putting the suit on to the customer, or even cooking them a meal if you are selling a new kitchen. A mattress salesman has got to get his customer to lie down. May be a life insurance salesman can’t get you to go to your own funeral but he will get you to talk about your wife and children and may be get you take out their pictures and leave them on the table while he is talking. This can be a helluva good reminder that you are not going to be around forever. Joe rightly says there is an equivalent for selling anything else.
In closing not to forget the guy who knocked me out, if you are in Dubai and want to buy a camera just get to the DG Sharaf at the Ibn Batuta Mall and ask for ALEX. This guy is sales personified, has a passion for cameras and knows his products well, very well.
