Tired of being Pitch Slapped?
I had to check this place out, it was revered as the Mecca of retail. The Mt Olympus of family owned stores. I even read the book the owner wrote, Hug Your Customers, detailing how the family has spent years developing a culture of care for the clients, no matter how small. This place would show me how selling was done!
I made the hour long drive to Westport, CT, it felt like every other car in the parking lot was a Porsche. I walked in to what was clearly an old building, held on for nostalgic reasons, I kinda liked that. As I entered the doors, the floors were beautiful and I looked out on a sea of racks. It was a bit more department store like than I had pictured but it was an old building, I’m sure it evolved over time. I saw the most premier brands in the industry, Kiton, Tom Ford, Hermes, just on the rack! Someone was going to walk in, pick up a $7,295 blazer, and walk out. This was heaven! I had to experience the sale.
Walking over to the mens section, I knew I had to look like I had some money, so I dressed the part of young tycoon. Not to flashing, but clearly knew what I was doing, a bold sport coat, solid shirt with contrast details, and well tailored pants, the shoes were freshly polished and made a sound when I walked. I didn’t want too look too good because I am somewhat weak willed when it comes to selling, and this was going to take everything in my reserves not to give in to this sale!….whenever it was going to happen.
The racks were a bit snug on the opening price point items, they clearly knew how to merchandise the store, the high ticket items were mounted on the walls like the trophy heads of big game. I heard a voice, “finally”, I thought, “the masterclass I was waiting for”. I spun around, “Excuse me?”, I looked way too eager, calm down Matt. “That’s a beautiful piece, you’ll love it.” The stocky man wore charcoal pinstripe pants, a slate grey shirt with a tonal grey/blue tie and suspenders, as if he had gotten into the habit of removing his jacket as soon as he got to work. The confidence on his face was remarkable, he knew he had hit a homer on his first pitch. I…had no idea what he was talking about and the confused look signaled that to him. The dance began, but only one of us could hear the music, and it wasn’t me.
He walked around, and grabbed the jacket off the rack that I had my hand on when he had made contact. I was only touching it because, well because of proximity. As he asked for my jacket so he could put on this “beautiful piece that I would love”, which I didn’t even know what it looked like. He continued, to reassure me. Thank god, because we got off to a rocky start. “This jacket is gorgeous, It’s a super 150’s blend with silk.” As he slid the jacket up my arms it slowed down, because it was about two sizes two small. Red Flag #1. “Ah, let me see here…well we are headed into spring (realizing he didn’t have or know my size, he switched to a new item with plenty of sizes) so this other jacket, it’s so you. This is one of our premier lines, we built an empire with this brand”. Red flag #2. I told him, I didn’t wear pastels that often and thought, “its so me? You haven’t even introduced who you are”. I began to wander off, and he stuck near me. I looked at the Tom Ford suits, I browsed the sweaters, I picked up a shoe, every time he was there to tell me, “that’s a beautiful piece, you’ll love it.”
Tired of waiting for him to make the first move, after 13 minutes, Red Flag #4, I turned and asked, like a human being, “So how long have you been working here?” He lit up, “25 proud years apart of the family! I have seen this company go through changes and they are all for the good, that is what Brought you this wonderful selection this season,” mental sigh, “Yeah I’ve heard how beautiful everything is”, continuing to pontificate, “yes it’s pretty wonderful, we sales people don’t fight over customers. My wife doesn’t work and I’m putting two kids through school, oh and this is my ooonly job.” This sentence was game set and match on the interaction. He just bragged about how the sales team divvy up people walking through the door, and that he is so wonderful at this he can provide all this for his family. Yet……He never asked for my name, my size, what I did for a living, what brought me in today, am I local, who the person standing next too me was, or actually, anything for that matter. This man had wound up and Pitch Slapped me across my soul.
This interaction was, “don’t meet your hero 101”. Maybe you’re thinking, “Matt it was just one crappy sales person.” We went to the women’s section and the same pompous attitude. We then took a drive to their sister store, and there we didn’t even get looked at. This was a glorified department store, that possibly had a Hug your Customers attitude, but now barely pretended to Hug you just to they could grab your wallet.
This was a moment had elevated and validated what I had felt in my soul. As a sales person, I am always looking for ways too improve. I have firmly believed, a good sales person can’t sell anything. Someone who can sell anything is a con man. You have to believe in what you’re selling. I did not want to be that sales pitchy clerk of those stores, nor did I want to be a ‘stacker’ the way the department stores had coached me, I didn’t even want to sell ready to wear clothing in a boutique store. I wanted to get to know someone. To meet someone in a place of opportunity and build a piece(s) from the ground up. I wanted to be a apart of something bigger, and take clients along for the ride. This interaction was 4 years ago, and in many ways, it was the green light I needed to start Bards Clothing.
For more on my sales process click here
Have you been pitch slapped by a retail associate, and are you tired of it?
If you haven’t already, please take a moment to vote for Bards Clothing, nominated in the category of Retail, under Mens Clothing
