AndrewD
[HoMe Moderator]
12829
Different approaches
Not quite the latest sales 'tactics', Patrick. This handbook was published in 1982, but I guess human psychology doesn't change too much. 
I agree that customers don't always follow their own 'handbooks', and different approaches work better on different customers. We certainly see that on our day-to-day interactions with people as well. But I also think that readers of PuristS and other horology sites are quite a self selected customer type and respond to somewhat different approaches - generally we want access to product, information, and an understanding salesman. But reading the various suggestions in this Handbook, I can see some of the strategies that I have encountered walking into dealers. And no, I don't believe they have ever worked on me.
Regards
Andrew
Book review: The Art and Psychology of Selling Brand Name Watches
Know thine enemy … The Art and Psychology of Selling Brand Name Watches [A training handbook for successful salespersons, sales supervisors and instructors.] By Jurgen Uhle. Publisher: Scriptar SA, Lausanne, Switzerland, 1982 When I saw the title of this ...
I've had a few remarkable encounters . . .
. . . with watch salespeople, but it was an experience with a high-end audio salesman that comes to mind. "Which other audio pheel salons have you patronized, sir?" Ugh . . .
I am a little surprised that ...
... American English hasn't changed the spelling to audiofile for clarity. Poor salesman! I hope you were gentle. Andrew
"Audiophile" is pronounced . . .
. . . with a hard ' i' Stateside, but this guy was trying to come off as a sophisticate. Failed miserably, I might add . . .
"The Art..." is correct...
"The Art of War" by Sun Tzu, along with "The Prince" and "The Art of War" by Machiavelli, are universal in sales, strategy, and business environments. The problem with all of these self-help books is that customers always behave distractedly, differently,...
Different approaches
Not quite the latest sales 'tactics', Patrick. This handbook was published in 1982, but I guess human psychology doesn't change too much. I agree that customers don't always follow their own 'handbooks', and different approaches work better on different c...
The Magical Number Seven
en.m.wikipedia.org ,_Plus_or_Minus_Two This message has been edited by marcelo on 2012-06-04 10:53:21
It is really about technique in selling...
...and these techniques are quite effective. It's more about how convincing the sales person is using them, and how well he or she bonds with the potential customer during the process. The science behind effective car sales and time shares is even more da...
I must buy a copy! It's not that I wish to sell...but to know how I bought.
I am a guy that has a weakness..I can't say no.
You might like this additional quote:
This is my favourite quote from the book, Bernard, but perhaps it cuts a little close to the bone. “Give the customer arguments that he needs to justify his choice to himself ... and to justify his choice to others.”
almost everything in there is redundant and does not work on me
neither does smooth talk and sweet sales ladies. my top 3 sales persons are all either underweight or overweight unattractive middle age men. since this book was written, there have been three big trends - 1) rise of internet sourced information on the 3P...
The playing field ...
... has definitely changed, Horo. Once the Authorised Dealers were the only source for these pieces. And we were at the mercy of the salesman. And it is also true that we have 'educated' and 'collected' our way out of the typical customer mould. But the p...
Very Interesting
A bit Machiavellian in the sense that the end justifys the means for the salesperson in getting you to buy the watch
That's true but ...
... the best salespeople try to understand your needs and tastes and guide you to watches you didn't even consider. That has opened my eyes a couple of times. But it's rare. And what I have appreciated from salesman is a balanced discussion of the watches...
selling dreams
Here's a link to a video presentation by IWC's CEO, George Kerns, who illustrated the art of selling luxury watches. www.youtube.com Best regards, Jack Freedman
But isn't it rare when the seller knows more
than you about a selected piece? Don't you give them the look? The look that says "save your BS for the next customer thank you". I like to go in informed with very few targets. Having said that, as soon as Brand X manufactures a timepiece that makes me s...
Smarter, taller and better looking?
I thought that was why we bought these things?! Like you I usually visit dealers with a specific agenda and I have done my 'homework', but there are also times that I just want to see what's new and interesting. So I am happy to learn and be 'guided' by t...
Like any product, art or machine
I think we buy because they invoke emotions. Maybe it's just me. Value is a factor but a relatively absurd term for the hobby or luxury goods in general. Today, with so much literature at our disposal on every model conceivable rarely do we learn of somet...
Interesting Andrew
I think most of that hasn't been applied to me before. (not knowingly anyway) I find the most interesting visits to watch shops usually end up with long conversations about the technology behind manufacturing today. Some of the best conversations have bee...