Sales

Pending Business: A Customer-centric Pitch

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
Presisdent

 

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Recently, I found myself in New York City for an extended period of time with no access to a gym. My only option was to walk, so I created a daily walking route: a two-mile hike through the streets of Manhattan. Walking always has been and with or without facemasks, walking still is very much a part of the lifestyle in Manhattan.

As I made the circuit, I couldn’t help but notice the countless number of dry cleaner-laundries serving my daily route. Locally owned and operated, it must get awfully competitive as location, convenience, reputation, and of course price all play into where to drop your clothes. Some try and lure new customers with 20%-30% discounts, while others limit the discounts to one item like sweaters. Some appeal to the convenience of pick-up and delivery, while others put the old-fashioned sewing machine in the front window pushing custom alterations. But I was drawn to one small storefront dry cleaner-laundry that posted a plain black-and-white window sign that proudly displayed the seven reasons “Why we do a better shirt.”

So here is one local merchant on a very busy street in arguably the media capital of the world, truly appealing to foot traffic by giving everyone who walks by the seven reasons “why” to give them your business. Here are just a few…..

  • Collars and cuffs are scrubbed before washing.
  • Buttons are automatically checked and replaced as needed.
  • Smaller washes, no bulk send out.
  • If not satisfied, no charge re-do.
  • Costs less than your favorite latte.

We can all learn a lesson in sales from this local merchant. Three of the reasons are unique service-based benefits; they scrub, they look out for and replace your broken buttons, and as we all know, smaller wash usually means better results. Two of the reasons go right to price and satisfaction.

The real lesson here is how elegantly simple this merchant crafted a customer-centric “pitch” that showed the difference and advantage of buying the service they offered versus the competitors down the block and across the street. None of the competitors had any creative response.

Our small local storefront dry cleaner-laundry answered the question, “W.I.F.M?” with more than just price and satisfaction.

How about your presentation, is it truly customer-focused and as simple to understand as the dry cleaner-laundry window sign?

Oh yes, the two additional reasons I intentionally left out. Just head down Second Ave. in Manhattan and look for the dry cleaner-laundry with the black and white sign in the window.

Steve Lapa is the president of Lapcom Communications Corp. based in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. Lapcom is a media sales, marketing, and development consultancy. Contact Steve Lapa via email at: Steve@Lapcomventures.com