I had to go to Walmart today to pick up two storage bins for my wife.
As I, along with hundreds upon hundreds of other shoppers, roamed around looking for a parking space, walking 200 yards to the entrance, and then fighting the crowds at the checkout line, I asked myself this important sales question:
What would Walmart have to do to stop me from shopping there?
We go there because of the prices and the selection. Period. It doesn't matter to us that their associates aren't helpful, it's always crowded, and there is no convenience when it comes to parking or the actual shopping experience.
And yet we continue to shop there. And we will keep doing so.
Why? Because Walmart has successfully drilled it into our heads that they are "the low price leader" and they back it up by actually following-through with low prices. That's why we shop there, plain and simple.
So, back to my original question: What could Walmart do to screw-up my (and millions of other shoppers') devotion to shopping at their store? They would have to break their promise. They'd have to raise prices.
Shopping at Walmart is totally price driven. Why is that important to those of us in sales? Because you have to understand what your company's "promise" is...you have to understand why your customers are "devoted" to you...and you have to understand your role in all of that.
Being in sales means more than just shucking and jiving your way to a big commission check. It means that you're on the front lines of your company's efforts to make a promise, and keep it, with your customers. If you do, customers will stick with you NO MATTER WHAT...like we do when it comes to shopping at Walmart.
Think about it as you get ready to sell this week.
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