Labels versus Search Engines
Yesterday evening I was pondering about labels, how we put them on everyone. Well, more how we try to put the correct label on a person.
I like reading, from Sci-Fi to historical novels and lots of other categories in between. If I would wander into a bookshop what label should the proprietor put on me to help me choose the next book (if I tell him/her I don’t have the foggiest idea what to read next): would he/she guide me to the Sci-Fi isle, historical novel section or just direct me to the best-sellers table? If I choose for the Sci-Fi isle, which genre would he/she recommend: Star Trek – Star Wars – or the wide choice in Fantasy novels?
Same with music, I like country as well as some classic (not too heavy), Rock & Roll, Blues, Jazz and even Brass-band music. Genesis and The Proclaimers I like equal.
What ‘music-label’ do I have?
Other areas I’m very straightforward in: coffee over tea, beer over wine, water over mountain holidays.
All those various interests make me a unique person, hard to label.
All my customers/prospects also have various interests. They like a wooden floor covering, but their choice is infinite (well, at our shop it is, almost).
Should I have a ‘sales-script’ ready the moment they walk in, as – still – advised by some ‘leading’ sales – marketing – business consultants? And repeat the same script over and over again to any prospect that shows interest in wooden floor covering?
Or should I turn into the principle of a ‘search-engine’: ask for and listen to my customer’s unique circumstances, interior design style, budget and then wrap my message (by using my in-house knowledge of what’s available) and guide him to the best suitable product/service this particular customer wants/needs?
Which brings the 1-2-1 to the front: no ‘sales-script’ will ever do, there’s no average customer any more.
Only afterwards can this customer be added to that great pile of customer preferences data labels, not upfront. And only for that particular purchase this time, next time something else might suit him better.
No more labels, just interesting unique persons.
