Zune Power at Wal-Mart
Aximsite/Mobilitysite reader Sue sent me a funny story of how her 1st Zune purchase went. I love the power of marketing! Sue sold several Zunes for Wal-Mart in the process!
I had to go to Wal-mart to get some Christmas decorations (I over-do the decorating …have 7-9 …6+ft trees). Anyway, I head back to electronics and I see 3-4 sales people talking with a “suit” in front of the i-pod display (which is right next to the Zune display) both behind glass….. I have to stand for a few minutes by the register before anyone notices I am there….but that’s okay….they made me wait….so I am going to “mess” with them all. Finally one turns and asks “Can I help you?” To which I answer…. “I have been thinking about a media player. I’d like to see the i-pod video and the zune”. Well, the “suit” got a grin like a Cheshire cat and he headed my way. The 4 employees mumbled to each other as they tried to decide who had the keys (and then another couple minutes figuring out which one opened both doors). By now, I have my best poker face on….I am ready….for what I call the “used car salesman pitch to a female” (I hate that some decide all women know nothing…but today, I used it to my advantage) Mr Suit asks “Have you ever had a media player?” To which I answered “No” (I don’t consider my Dell a media player, so I wasn’t lying). I can see he thinks he has a “i-pod-sale-in-the-bag” as he starts in on his pitch on how wonderful i-pod is and how i-tunes is user friendly to a newcomer. I listen and do a lot of nodding. One of the salespeople finally arrives with the box containing the i-pod 30 GB and the Zune. I pick up the zune…and he frowns and he quickly picks up the i-pod box. By now, we have Mr Suit, me, 4 sales people, and 3 customers watching……. He hasn’t stopped his sales pitch. I start to open the Zune box (after I asked if it was ok). The sales guy said he’d like to see one (because he hadn’t). So, here Mr Suit is opening the i-pod box (which I am sure he has done many many times)….and here I am, admittedly new to media players, opening the zune. I basically re-enacted your video. I wish someone had been video-taping the scene. It was hysterical. I had the box opened, the zune out…the earplugs and cable out……before Mr Suit had his box open!! He talked faster as he saw my face light up when I held the Zune for the first time. He began to go over the generic “bad” reviews of the Zune…and how user-unfriendly it was…. Meanwhile, I have turned it on….browsed through all the settings (like you did in the video…I probably repeated some of what you said). By now, we have 7 employees and 8-10 customers standing by ME….looking on….checking out the Zune…and Mr Suit is still getting the i-pod out of the box!!! By the time he gets it out …I turn to an employee and say “I’ll take this one” Poor Mr Suit….. none of the other customers wanted to see the i-pod….so he put it back in the box. He headed back to the i-pod display case with one employee…… and one employee rang up my sale…and THREE others helped customers look at the Zune!!! (I got the black…and mentioned it came in white and brown so they were getting out all three) Too too funny. I lingered around long enough to see Mr Suit sulk away…… and two customers purchase 2 Zunes…..and another customer on a cell phone sweet-talking his wife telling her he had found what he wanted for Christmas……..
I left the store with a smile on my face……and a zune in my bag…… and I had a great time telling the story to my kids and DH at the dinner table.
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Rahul
