Go Beyond Selling:

Companies try differentiating in service, product, and price to have an edge over their competitors, to gain market share. Even with product, price differentiation, companies are struggling to increase profit and market share.
In a fine morning, I went with my sister to buy fishes from nearby fish market. As she went to buy fishes, I was observing morning business.
Here are my quick observation and reflection of that market. There were nearly seven fish stall; each had their display one after another. Almost everybody had similar kind of fishes not much of product differentiation. All had a good display set up, were looking visible and attractive but the customers were attracted to only one stall, where my sister also bought.
I was musing why not other stalls instead of this X woman stall? There were no absolute product, price, position differentiation. As I was observing, this X woman was addressing each and every customer as well known to her, at one time she called her regular customer walking by the road side and enquired about her family, kid and health. She maintained friendly relations with her customer which others failed to do.

She didn’t spend much of her time on negotiation, her price were reasonable and agreed for good price from the customer. Free cutting and cleaning service was provided to well known customer like my sister is another added value to her sale.

My sister came up to me and said come on I will introduce you to X fisher woman so you will get good fishes for cheaper price. When my sister introduced me to her, fisher woman said that she has seen me before and also promise to provide good service. Indeed, this is my third visit to that fish market but she said she has seen me has surprised me.

Acknowledging me and my sister request is another quality of her which made me to feel I am not a stranger to her. This woman had gone beyond selling to sell her product, I mean her personal relationship and respect for her customer were the secret for her success in the midst of heavy competition.

This is much related to retail sales and marketing. Retail company should go beyond selling to gain customer patronize. Go Beyond Selling is additional service, making customer comfortable, friendly, offering alternative, spending time, acknowledging , rendering help etc. Spending extra five or ten minutes with your customer will fetch you new businesses and customers.

Ezee business advices to GO BEYOND SELLING

Master in Business with out MBA

Profile
Business: Pavement Entrepreneur.
Industry: Decoration Industry (Flower pot and Terra kotta)
Nature of business: Open retailing and manufacturing
Location: All pavements
Ownership: Full family
Financial status: Profitable without balance sheet and auditing.
Region: Through out India if no problem given by police and rowdies.


I used to amaze at the way the people (entrepreneurs) of the road side shops, in particular, the flower pot and terra kotta sellers. These people have rightly mixed the all the Ps of marketing with out any prior knowledge and market research.

Let’s talk about their business in relationship with market mix. There are 7 Ps on market mix lets talk one after the other. First P is Product; the products they have selected are used in most of the house for decorative purpose for which people wish to pay more. These are rare products in the high street but made available to the customer. So the selection of their product is well appreciated which fills the need gap in the market.

Second P is place: they market their product in place where people of all marketing segment have easy access that is pavement on the roadways. They have never done any advertisement in news paper or TV but there had always been customers visiting their shop. Their advertisement strategy has been display of their product in along the road side in an attractive way.

Third P is Price; the cost of the product varies from customers and situations. They have good pricing strategy that is different price for different segment customer. On the look of the people and their transport vehicle decides the price of the product. For example, price for person comes in bike is different because they are economical low segment customer from economically high customer who comes in an expensive car. More time is spent on negotiation and finally closes the sale with customer satisfaction and profitability of the organisation.

Fourth P is Positioning; their brand is positioned in competition with high street brands. Indeed, these pavement entrepreneurs never faced any threat from their high street counter part. Pavement seller is branded as cheap, good design, customize, quick and ready service and delivery. So never had a problem of brand image, universally they maintain similar service. Have very good market share. Maintain their cost and brand differentiation.

Fifth P is point of sale: this is place where customer and seller meet. They are providing out standing customer satisfaction and service. All customers are respected and treated genuinely with loving relationship. Female customers are addressed as Amma (mother), Akka (sister) and madam, and male customer Iyya (father), Anna (Elder brother) and sir. This is another secret of their success. Customer is directed from the entry till the exit with their helping hand and loving addresses with a mind to close the sale profitable. Because they live in street along with their product, 24/7 selling and service is provided.

Another two Ps to go but these entrepreneurs with out knowing any of the above Ps have had handle their business successfully. Interesting to note is their change of product line according to the seasons, which is well appreciated and welcomed by their customer. Other product lines are Sofa suit, Mud pot with taps, decorative lights etc.

Hats off to the entire road side entrepreneurs, for their exciting knowledge and success in business without academic knowledge. Many studied too business course but still haven’t success in their business is also an interesting point to note.
Business is Ezee if we look at them in a simpler way with understanding.