You Need a Friend in the Business
If there is one failing too many dive retailers share, it’s that we tend to isolate ourselves. To us, other dive stores represent “the competition” and are among the last people we want to share information with. Okay, it’s understandable why you may not want to give valuable info away to stores in your immediate area (although you might be surprised at what you get back if you do). That doesn’t mean there aren’t other retailers out there whom you should be talking to on a regular basis.
In previous issues of DiveRetailing.com, we’ve discussed the value of retail associations and making periodic visits to other dive stores. In this issue, we want to address yet another aspect of building beneficial relationships: Establishing a close, personal friendship with at least one other dive retailer.
It’s ironic that, when training beginning divers, we teach buddy awareness, communication and teamwork. Yet, when it comes to retailing, many of us are solo divers. You may not drown going it alone -- but lack of good ideas or information might one day cost you your business.
So what do you look for in a retail “buddy?”
- Understandably, you might be a little leery of sharing too much information with a store owner who is two miles away (then again, you might not be). A better candidate might be a store owner in the same general geographic region as you (i.e., similar customers, similar local diving activities) -- but far enough away so that, if this person copies everything you do (or vice versa), neither poses a competitive threat to the other.
- It may help if your “retail buddy” carries many of the same lines you do. This way, you can compare notes on your mutual sales reps, on what sales techniques work best, etc. On the other hand, if your retail buddy carries lines you don’t, it’s always interesting to compare how the other guy’s suppliers treat him, versus how your suppliers treat you.
- There may be value in having common training agency affiliations. This not only enables you to compare how you most effectively market various levels of training, if the other store does, say, more leadership-level training than you are able to, it may give you a place to which you can refer staff or customers for further training without losing business to immediate competitors.
- You want someone you can feel comfortable opening up to. Sometimes, you can share frustrations, thoughts and ideas with fellow retailers that you won’t feel comfortable sharing with even your most senior staff members. It’s nice not to feel as though you are alone.
Another benefit of such a relationship is that you may discover there are things you can do jointly that you can’t do as individuals, such as:
- Co-sponsor a group trip to an exotic destination that neither of you might been able to fill on your own.
- Go in together on bulk purchases that get you substantially better prices than you can individually.
- Organize joint promotional activities that help increase diving’s visibility in the public eye.
If you are tired of going it alone, if you suspect there are ideas or information out there that you are missing out on, perhaps it’s time to reach out and find a friend in the business.
::: TOP ::: SUBSCRIBE ::: CONTACT US ::: ABOUT US :::