Success. Failure. Struggle. In business. I’ve walked that walk! And built a worldwide business from broke.
Life Behind The Scenes With The Ironing Diva
The Fitz Like A Glove™ Ironing Board Cover And Other Goodies is the hook I hang my business hat on. This accidental, rural business, is a dream come true. One of the highlights of my life. This is my journey through the roller coaster world of business. And the choices I make in how to run my dream of a lifetime.
~Carol Jones, Ironing Diva❤
Business Is A Tough Gig. The Power Of The Buyer.
Back in the days of the ‘Snakeoil Salesman’, the power was in the hands of the salesman. He had knowledge about his products that wasn’t available to his buyer.
Think about the bad old days of buying a car.
The knowledge available to the buyer was limited.
A buyer’s sources of information was the price of cars advertised in the newspapers. And the knowledge gained by going from car lot. To car lot. Looking at cars. And talking to a salesman.
Knowledge of the Blue Book value of a car. New. Or old. Was limited to the car dealer. Or people in the car industry.
The ploys of these sharks was the same from lot. To lot.
They sat you down. Had a discussion about price. Then excused themselves to go into the back office to ‘talk to the boss’.
From this point on the conversation deteriorated at the expense of the buyer.
We’ve all been there. Done that.
Compare that to today.
If you’re looking for a car. New. Or Old. You know exactly what the prices are all over Australia for the type of car you want. That’s what the internet is there for.
You also know the Blue Book value. Because that’s on the internet as well.
Car dealers being the most competitive of sales people. You also know what special deals are being offered. Because they’re on the internet as well.
You also know how much you should get for your car just with a simple text.
That’s why very few car dealers today employ the ‘going into the bosses’ office’ to see if they can offer this deal. Because they know that you know just as much as they know. This sounds like Donald Rumsfeld. Doesn’t it?!
How many times have we heard of the buyer walking out? Because he/she knows they can get a better offer for their new. And current car. Elsewhere.
We’ve all seen shoppers in stores with their iPhones snapping photos of products and prices. So they can compare. Before they buy.
When selling ‘me too’ products, so much these days comes down to price. Because the seller expects the buyer to already know about the product they want. Assuming all of us have been shopping and comparing on the internet. Before we show up to buy.
The honourable art of salesmanship. Knowing everything there is to know about a product. And why ‘X’ is more suitable for you than ‘Y’, regardless of it being more expensive, is almost a thing of the past.
In 2015, my partner, Victor Pleshev, the architect who designed the Fitz Like A Glove™ Ironing Board Cover for his mother, went to buy a new DVD player. For our old CRT TV.
We haven’t watched television since the beginning of the 2013 Australian election campaign. Between Tony Abbott and Kevin Rudd. I couldn’t stand any more shouting and screaming. So we switched the TV off. And started watching DVD’s from the library.
Peter, the salesman, was a tech genius when it came to TV’s. And managed to move us away from buying a DVD player. To buying a new LED TV. With an inbuilt DVD player. Based purely on his knowledge. And his persuasion skills.
And we couldn’t be happier.
I’m fortunate that my product range, The Fitz Like A Glove™ Ironing Board Cover And Other Goodies, are not ‘me too’ products. The designs are patented. And the differences between them and other products are significant enough that price comparisons are hard to make.
We fill our website with meaningful information. So much so that I’ve been accused of having too much information! And ask pertinent questions when people ring to make an enquiry.
I know that every enquiry is competitive. So my questions are based on finding out what they already know about what else is available. And what they want my product to do for them.
Once I establish those two criteria, I can then adjust my information to suit their needs.
The availability of information on the internet has put buyers in the driver’s seat. They’re well informed. And cluey. And retailers know this.
Although the ‘Snakeoil Salesmen’ are still there. They’re knocking on your door. Or preying upon your impulse purchases at agricultural and home shows.
For them, it’s still Buyer Beware!
~Carol Jones, Ironing Diva❤
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Designers & makers in RURAL Australia of The Fitz Like A Glove™ Ironing Board Cover, Log Lugger, Roadworks Apron, Travel Bug Shoe Bag,
Mr Chin’s Laundry Bag, Sweet Shoo.
Every product is a joy to use.
