A discussion about sales, sales tips and advice, and about those who land the deal

On this edition of the Seth Godin Post-Game Show: Lines.  Big lines.  At the airport, specifically...in Las Vegas.  I fly in and out of there on connections quite frequently, so I'm familiar with the lines of which Seth speaks in his post today.

Seth basically asks why someone at the airport doesn't make things more convenient and streamlined, offering shorter waits and shorter lines in the process.

I have the answer to that question The Great One poses...

...because, dear reader, they don't have to.  You'll still stand in line no matter what.

Why spend money, manpower, and the like to improve something that isn't going to affect their bottom line?  When you make a reservation online, you're not going to think, "Boy, I'm going to connect through Vegas this time - even if it does cost $50 more than connecting through Phoenix - because that line at the Cinnebon has really been streamlined!" 

You're at an airport because you have to be there, not because you want to be there.  And, what's more, you can't leave to buy Cinnebons down the street.  You HAVE to buy them there if you want one.  You have no choice.

A captive audience.  There's lots of money in it, and not much incentive to change if you're the one collecting the money.  I was a manager for a company that enjoyed a 94% market share in its product category...it wasn't that hard to charge outrageous prices and high-profit leasing rates.  The fact that I didn't feel that great about doing it aside, the customers kept buying...and we kept selling.

What does this have to do with sales and selling?  It goes back to knowing your market.  What can you sell, and what can you sell it for? 

That depends: Do you have a captive audiences that have to take off their clothes to get away from your exclusive marketing and selling outlets? (Like the lone Cinnebon kiosk in the passenger-only section of the airport.)  Or, do you market cell phones? (One cell phone store every 300 yards on every major street in every town in America.)  Your answer will tell you what you can sell your product for, and the profit margin that you can get for it.

KNOW YOUR MARKET, KNOW YOUR BUYERS!