Many people don't understand that marketing and public relations are essentially the same thing. It's all about finding a message that resonates with the targeted market. Whether it's an advertisement (expensive) or an article (less expensive), it's a waste of resources unless the message strikes a chord with the audience.
A recent Wall Street Journal article by Christina Binkley, details how high-end salespeople are now being trained to add a very emotional message to the sales pitch. My analysis below references the article: How to Sell a $35,000 Watch in a Recession, Christina Binkley, WSJ, Page D6, July 23, 2009.
Luxury goods in the U.S. are not exempt from the recent economic downturn. This includes luxury watchmakers. This past May sales fell 42%, from the same time last year, according to the Watch Federation. And few are feeling the pinch as hard as IWC Schaffhausen.
After years of double-digit sales growth, the IWC Schaffhausen store in Beverly Hills has decided to increase sales, and is now re-training its employees in the skills of marketing and sales. And to do this, they’re brought in sales consultant Jean-Marie Brucker.
Mr. Brucker has been a salesperson for quite a while, and over time, has moved up from selling Xerox copiers to become a chief executive of Pole Luxe; a Paris-based luxury consulting group. He is now teaching the salespersons how to sell when times are tight.
One of the first things he did was to change the vocabulary of the sales force. “Price” has been replaced by “value.” And when giving the value of the product, the salesperson is now supposed to sandwich the value between emotional characteristics. For example, instead of saying “This fine timepiece is $10,000, would you like to try it?” the salesperson is supposed to say, “This timepiece comes from our finest workshop and it has a value of $10,000. If you buy it, your children will enjoy it for generations to come.”
Salespeople are also appealing to emotion by suggesting a “Sorry gift.” This is when a customer is encouraged to buy another timepiece, this time for their spouse, so that they won’t be in as much trouble for spending several thousand dollars on a luxury item.
In addition, Brucker has insisted that an additional salesperson distract an accompanying wife, so that the initial salesperson can spend as much time as possible to close the sale with the husband. This is a marketing technique used by casinos in the 1950’s. In an effort to keep the male players at the tables, casinos invested in slot machines, so that the wives would stay occupied and wouldn’t encourage their husbands to leave.[1]
The last way Brucker is assisting in sales is by comparing the new product, to the customer’s current watch. When a customer enters and wants to see a watch, the salesperson will take the customer’s current watch, and place it between two brand-new sparking watches. The current watch will typically appear dingy, dark, and less shiny than the new ones; thereby encouraging the customer to buy a new one. It’s subtle, but it apparently works.
As Brucker puts it, “You’re selling pure emotion.” This certainly has its advantages in a down economy, as it’s hard to put a monetary value on emotion. However, these sales techniques are not just relevant for those who sell watches, or even just luxury items. By appealing to emotion, and making the customer feel welcome, all salespeople and marketers can learn from Bruckner’s techniques.
[1] History of Slot Machines, SLOTS.cd, http://www.slots.cd/history-of-slot-machines.html, 24 July 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
PR 101: Lesson 8: Make sure your TV shot backs-up your message
Below is a video I ran across after Thanksgiving 2008. It shows then Alaska Governor Sarah Palin giving a television interview. That's good.
She's giving the interview to a local station after she did the ceremonial pardoning of a turkey before Thanksgiving. That's good.
While the interview is being conducted, turkeys are being culled directly in the line-of-sight of the camer. That's NOT good.
I've always taken pride in the camera shots I line up for my Principals. Whether it's a seated interview with a bookshelf in the background which has a well-placed logo, or an inpromptu on-camera interview for a gubernatorial candidate, I ALWAYS make sure the shot isn't distracting, and is complimentary to the interviewee and the topic.
Heck, even as a volunteer when I organized a press conference for Mecklenburg County Commissioner Karen Bently -- I didn't let it begin until the appropriate flags arrived AND I arranged them properly in the camera shot.
It's just basic image management -- and is essential in this day of "Viral Videos" when a bad shot can last indefinitely.
As a communications professional, I am offended that somebody was getting paid to do her PR. The sad thing is that all they needed to do was move 10 feet to the left, and closer to the pen, and they would've had a shot with happy living turkeys, and NO slaughtering. Quick and easy.
She's giving the interview to a local station after she did the ceremonial pardoning of a turkey before Thanksgiving. That's good.
While the interview is being conducted, turkeys are being culled directly in the line-of-sight of the camer. That's NOT good.
I've always taken pride in the camera shots I line up for my Principals. Whether it's a seated interview with a bookshelf in the background which has a well-placed logo, or an inpromptu on-camera interview for a gubernatorial candidate, I ALWAYS make sure the shot isn't distracting, and is complimentary to the interviewee and the topic.
Heck, even as a volunteer when I organized a press conference for Mecklenburg County Commissioner Karen Bently -- I didn't let it begin until the appropriate flags arrived AND I arranged them properly in the camera shot.
It's just basic image management -- and is essential in this day of "Viral Videos" when a bad shot can last indefinitely.
As a communications professional, I am offended that somebody was getting paid to do her PR. The sad thing is that all they needed to do was move 10 feet to the left, and closer to the pen, and they would've had a shot with happy living turkeys, and NO slaughtering. Quick and easy.
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