JA On Plan A Testing

On Mar 17, 2011, at 11:18 AM, JA wrote:

Hi John,

I’m about to try to implement step number 4 and I have a question about it:

If we approach stores as a Customer, how do we ask to talk to the stores’ owner or buyer?  It seems very likely that we’ll walk into a store and be assisted by an employee, who isn’t part of the decision-making.  Based on what I learned from your book (and the few lesson transcripts I’ve read), I have to get answers to the following questions:

1.       Do they sell the product I have in mind?

2.       If they don’t sell the product I have in mind, I have to determine why:

o   Is it because it doesn’t exist?

o   …or perhaps it exists but the buyer doesn’t think it is worth selling.

I will most likely get an answer to the first question by simply talking to any employee, but to get a reliable answer to the 2ndquestion, it seems like I would need to talk to the store’s owner or buyer.  If I approach a store as a Customer, wouldn’t it sound weird for me to ask to speak to the owner/buyer?  …especially for a store like Nordstrom?

JA

Exactly... you first contact is a clerk...  who says "may I help you?"  To which you reply, "Yes, I am looking for..."

Your persistence leads to the hapless clerk calling on a manager to help you, which in turn, perhaps even over several visits, gets you  somehow communicating with a buyer.  Recall the whole process is experienced with you as a customer for the store for the product you are describing...

So no, you do not ask to speak to a buyer/owner, because you will get told no.  You just keep pushing for a resolution to your problem.  Eventually there is management intervention.  There is where you get the feedback that matters...  

John

On Mar 17, 2011, at 11:44 AM, JAwrote:

Thanks for the super quick response John!  J

Okay.  So, I’m trying to imagine the conversation I’ll have with the clerk:

·         Clerk: May I help you?

·         Me: Yes, do you have a product that does [this]?

·         Clerk: Sorry, but we don’t.

[so far so good, but I have to keep the conversation going, right?]

·         Me: Really???  …but I would think that a lot of people would like something like this, don’t you?

·         Clerk: Yeah, I would think so too, but it isn’t available.

[Here, is where I’m not sure what to say.  As an ordinary customer, I would simply walk out and try to find the product I’m looking for somewhere else.  …but I need to keep the conversation going.  If you were me, what would you say?]

JA

ehhh...

your follow up sounds like sales...

·         Me: Really???  …but I would think that a lot of people would like something like this, don’t you?

·         Clerk: Yeah, I would think so too, but it isn’t available.

maybe something more along the lines of 

I really need this...  maybe in other stores...?  have you ever heard of anything like this...

stick with lines of questions that get to existence of the item, as well as if it is good...

John

On Mar 17, 2011, at 1:36 PM, JA wrote:

LOL!  I’m so glad I emailed you before going to a store :-P

I have a pretty good idea of what to say now.

Thanks so much John!

JA

Right... be intense about getting the item...  major feedback... "it does not exist..."  minor feedback... "it is a good idea..."

John

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