Tvad says:
"Teaching, or demonstrating value takes longer than paying at the checkout stand, and many buyers simply don't have the patience to take the time to understand what they may gain by utilizing a dealer who provides them with extra service and perks...the elusive value."
You really nailed it. Why, in our ADHD society do we fail to 'take the time' to understand that by gaining a partner (read really good dealer) do we chase the price and not the product. Are we audio nuts all dillitantes or are the sales people that inept?
Someone, Jeff (forget his last name) recanted a story here on A'gon about the best sales experience he had ever had, talking about how he paid 'full retail' and was glad to do it, because of the sales experience.
Really, if it took an extraordinary experience for him to feel that paying full retail was something special, I guess that shows that very few of the sales people out there are doing an adequate job of defining and extending the lines between price and value. That was the nature of my soliloqy on the diamond in my last post.
People buy intangibles, but usually need tangible reasons to do so. One tangible in the buyers mind, would be the 'value received' either in the form of the product or the service rendered by the dealer. When he or she gets both, the 'perceived value' escallates exponentially--therefore talk of pricing would usually evaporate quickly.
I remember right here on audiogon, people paying full retail and waiting for MONTHS and MONTHS to buy preamps and amps from Mick, in Australia. I personally don't recall anyone (they may have) talking about a discount or a special inducement from him to purchase. It was all about their perceived value of the product. That whole scenario seems to be at odds with the discussion here, or does it actually confirm some of the comments?
People felt that they were getting the best price, because Mick was selling 'direct', no middle man, therefore they could perceive a value greater than those run through distribution. So the question now becomes, how many of those people who purchased, actually heard the product personally? How many realized a demo? Would they have paid restocking or a higher price to confirm the sonic qualities of the product?
Levelling the playing field with factory direct and distributed products has always been a knotty question. If it were simple to factory direct, why wouldn't everyone do it? Ford Motor...eliminate the dealer, just call 1-800-MUSTANG and get one?
The nature of audio is such that the vast majority must have a demo, they must experience the magic.
Many years ago in Nashville, TN. I demonstrated the Pipedreams Loudspeakers to a man who actually owned several auto dealerships, and was by any standards very wealthy. He only came in to the store because he was friends with the owner of the Pipedreams (Nearfield Acoustics) Company. After an hour of playing music, (Prayer with Andre and Celine or Brightman and Josh, he left the store with tears in his eyes, REALLY, saying that I had made him 'uncomfortable'. Well...I was stunned...I didn't get it.
A week later he came in with his wife and bought the speakers, for $30K full price. His wife called me aside and thanked me. I blinked, "For what, maam." (again confused).
"You changed my husband..., he was this, macho dude afraid of his emotions, and his experience led us to countless hours of talks he and I, Thanks."
I was really moved by that. I still to this day, shake my head.
"Music hath charm."
So, Grant, given the experience that most of us have had in audio stores, I don't blame ANYONE for being focused on price, because it's not very often that sales people out there do the job well enough to mitigate the price objection.
Least you think I am making a blanket, 'know it all' statement, I will tell you that, I made a living 'shopping and training audio sales people all over the country.' I know how elitist and condescending many in the audio stores act, therefore, chase the customers to price rather than value.
The answer to this whole thread is: what, people?
Larry
PS Good one Grant!
