Tom Asacker

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Zig Ziglar on sales obstacles

"Every sale has five basic obstacles: no need, no money, no hurry, no desire, no trust."

Sales obstacles. Marketing obstacles. Whatever. Let's rewrite Zig's obstacles from the first person protagonist point of view: "I don't need it. I can't afford it. I don't need it now. I don't want it. I don't trust it (you)." Funny thing is, I don't see "I don't like you" anywhere. So what's with this whole likeability thing?

Last Friday I read a post on the Fast Company blog that made me shake my head (again). Here it is:

Interesting story in today's New York Times about how U.S. consumers don't trust big businesses. Yet, in the case of at least one company, Wal-Mart, that trust may have little or nothing to do with loss of business.

According to Wal-Mart vice chairman John Menzer, in an interview on CNN.com, the company has seen higher sales this November than the same time last year. Wal-Mart officials also expect December sales to be just as good. And yet, Wal-Mart is among the most negatively-covered big businesses out there -- there's a critical documentary in theaters now ("The High Cost of Low Price"); harsh books ("How Wal-Mart is Destroying America," "The United States of Wal-Mart"); and skeptical articles. You might think the retail giant would be impacted by consumers turned off by its business practices. Yet, holiday sales are meeting expectations.

So what does this say? Are American consumers just slavish devotees to a good, everyday-low price? Or is all the hype just that -- and a lack of trust irrelevant when it comes to doing business.

What? What's trust have to do with it? As I've blogged before, all of the negative press detailing how WalMart keeps its everyday low prices low helps increase consumer trust in the brand (said brand being Everyday Low Prices). The press is providing evidence that supports their brand. The last line of the post should probably read: "Or is all the hype just that -- and a lack of likeableness irrelevant when it comes to doing business." So let me try to answer that question?

First, I don't think it's all hype. But even if it is, it's irrelevant with regards to WalMart . . . today. IMO likeableness is irrelevant unless likeableness is what people are paying for. And I'm not talking about "liking" the product or service. I'm talking about liking the company behind the product. Do most consumers even have a clue about the companies behind their purchases? I don't think so.

How 'bout you? Have you recently checked out the working conditions, wages and benefits of the employees of your local pizzaria? Hair salon? Hardware store? Watering hole? C'mon. Have you ever met the Netflix crew? The Amazon.com people? The Google guys? Did people stop buying Martha the convicted felon's stuff? Do you think New Yorkers like George Steinbrenner's ruthless business tactics?

"But," you may insist. "If employees are treated poorly, they'll most likely treat customers poorly. And then customers will simply go somewhere else."  And I agree. If they can, they will. Because no one enjoys being made to feel insignificant, unimportant. Especially when they're exchanging their hard-earned money for that feeling. So where do you think those customers are most likely to go? They'll go to where the prices are lower. Think about it.

Posted December 14, 2005
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