Saville Row Touch

Well, actually Jermyn St, but a similar gig.  Albeit not as well established for bespoke as the world famous tailoring mecca Saville Row, the other side of Piccadilly in London’s West End, Jermyn St has become a fella’s smart-casual paradise.

I’m lovin’ as always Mary Portas‘s BBC-broadcast turnarounds of ailing boutiques, and last night on iplayer I watched her most recent rescue.  To help a bloke clearly clueless about how to deal with browsers, she thrust upon him a masterclass from Jermyn St veteran ‘Roly’.  He ouzed manners and the ability to serve.  Although in a retail environment, a couple of his pointers I realised apply to the business to business solution sales arena where a tangible item is in the mix.

Respect: 

Firstly, he treated his product with the utmost respect.  It was never dropped or flopped onto the counter, but rather lovingly presented in a flowing way in front of the shopper.  He introduced wares in such a way that they commanded attention, presented as if on a shiny platter.  What a contrast to how often I’ve seen people take for granted their products, even making jokes at their expense.

Touch:

A more obvious one perhaps, but when showing a shirt, he ensured he eased it from its plastic wrappings to allow the client to touch it and ‘feel the quality’.  How often do you recognise that the best presentations are where the prospect actually starts using, touching, interacting with, your offering?