Bob Phibbs, the Retail Doctor® blog at Retaildoc.com

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Are you a fraud? Are you asking customers to purchase something you yourself wouldn’t because it is “too expensive?” I was.

While I was finishing college,  I applied for a job at a western wear store. It was actually a growing trend back when Dallas and Dynasty were just beginning their meteoric rise.

I aced the job interview but when they asked if I wore western wear I confided I never had. They had a program where you could buy a pair of defective Tony Lama or Justin boots for $50. It was seen as a good way to get employees into wearing the better merchandise the store sold without breaking the bank. I got a pair of plain brown Justins. They felt good but something was off in the heel so after awhile, my feet actually hurt; working my 9-9 days were murder.

I’d do my best to tell people all the features and benefits of Justin, how they were a hand-pegged 3/4 welt which meant it was stitched 3/4 around but 1/4 had an extra amount of leather removed under the arch, around the shank of the boot with lemon-wood pegs to hold the boot together. Those pegs allowed a better fit and lemon wood swelled and shrank with the moisture in the leather soles so they didn’t fall out.

3/4 hand-pegged welt

I tried my best to get people to buy them for $189 but inside I knew I hadn’t believed in them enough to buy a good pair myself; I settled.  This led to me not pushing through to justify the product but fold my tent and suggest something cheaper or for them to wait until they went on sale.

Could that be you? Are you a window coverings store only able to sell the honeycomb shade because that’s all you’ve put in your own house – at manufacturers cost.  Do you sell Tag Heur watches only to wear a Swatch yourself?  Do you sell Cadillacs and drive a Ford? Do you silently believe your own product is too much? Maybe you feel like a fraud.

One day I realized the market for exotic boots was hot; the more I sold the quicker I’d make my store sales goal so I purchased a pair of Tony Lama pieced ostrich boots. They were not a full skin but for $399, they were still a huge step up.  Since my personal sales went up, I purchased a pair of custom Tony Lama El Rey full quill ostrich with inlays.  When a customer said they “couldn’t afford it,” I could easily sell how much enjoyment I got out of paying more and getting more.

El Rey Tony Lama Ostrich Boots

When a customer can’t decide on whether to take their big old pile of cash in the bank or credit on their card and make the premium or luxury choice, you need to know what it took for them to purchase.  That comes from owning the product yourself.

Then you can empathize with your customer that it seemed like a lot of money to pay but you found x, y, and z once you owned it.  Without that first hand experience, you’re like a priest telling a newlywed couple what the wedding night would be like.

Buy one of your premium products this week, experience the reservations that a customer would, know the joy of breaking through those reservations and enjoying the product – do that and you’ll find you’ll be able to speak from the truth rather than trying to give a snowjob when selling your premium merch.

If you’re ready to sell your merch better, take a look at the opening five minutes of Sales RX at http://www.youtube.com/bobphibbs#p/a/u/0/tEAaExPRlKQ

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