Shopping for a new camera might seem exciting at first, but is never an easy task.  Especially if, like me, you’ve decided to get serious with your photography and buy a semi-professional camera.  What should the pixel count be?  What is a good format size?  How well does the camera handle noise?

The list of considerations is endless …

And it’s a big decision.  Once you commit to a brand, you tend to stick with it for future cameras, so you can take advantage of the investments you make in the camera, such as lenses, which are rarely compatible across brands.

Recently, my search for a camera led me to the nearest Canon store.  To my surprise, it wasn’t really a store in the traditional sense, but rather, what Canon calls, an Experience Center. 

What distinguished it from a traditional store was that you couldn’t really purchase anything.  It was meant instead for you to experience the brand.  The staff was extremely knowledgeable, spending a generous amount of time with each visitor.  You could try your hand at all the Canon products, even the ones that you knew you couldn’t afford.

By the time I was done, I was convinced that Canon was the brand for me.  I realized just how successfully they had sold me the experience (and not just a product) and possibly made a customer for life. 

Though this was a B2C retail experience, there are a couple things we can learn here that apply to B2B sales: 

1. The focus was the customer.  This interaction was about what I wanted and needed, and not what the supplier had to offer.  The entire store was designed around facilitating my decision-making process.  Rather than being pushed to make a choice and hear about their products’ benefits, I was given ample space to find something that suits me.
2. The salesman taught me something new. He was knowledgeable, asked probing questions, and offered insights I hadn’t thought of earlier.  I came back knowing more than I had known before.  The conversation felt less like a sales pitch and more of an interaction between two enthusiasts.
3. The salesman tailored information to my specific situation. He took the time to find out my background in photography, what I was hoping to accomplish with my new camera, and what previous equipment I owned. Then, based on that information, he was able to better advise me on the right camera model for my specific needs.   

Is your own sales organization truly geared to provide customers this type of teaching “experience”?

SEC Members, learn more about creating sales interactions that teach your customers.

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