Now, what do I mean by "Special"?
I don't make this stuff up. In "General" you get one type of service at Walmart, and another at Nordstrom's. It's different between Best Buy, and The Apple Store. Black Angus and Gordon Ramsey Steak House. I can go on and on, but I think you get where I'm going with this...
First, a short story. A few Christmas's ago, my wife completed one of those video DVD workout programs (OK, Power 90), and lost a bunch of weight. That Christmas I wanted to get her a pair of expensive jeans to celebrate her accomplishment. She would never buy them for herself, so it was the ideal gift.
I had ZERO idea were to go, and I was pretty sure Walmart wouldn't be the place, so I started at one of the larger department stores. I wandered the isles for 30 minutes, looking straight at the price tag. I figured if they were SUPER expensive, I was on the right track.
I found a pair over $200.00, and it was now time to get some help. Even with all my face gestures, no one helped, and when I asked, the young lady wasn't a whole lot of help. She knew a little about all the jeans, but couldn't tell me all the fine details. When I asked, "which brand has a reputation of being the best?", she couldn't really give me an answer. "Well, they're ALL good."
She simply wanted to make a sale. That's her job. I got a smile, and she seemed nice enough. It was the lack practical information that drove me nuts..! I wasn't asking about what type of cotton was used, where they were made, or how they were built. Simply, were they the most prestigious brand on the market. Would my wife recognize the brand? I'm sure plenty of men walk into that store, want a fast conclusion, and bought the first item placed infront of them. I just couldn't do that knowing I was about to drop $200.00 + on a pair of jeans. They had to be the "right" jeans.
I left and called my daughter. Her advise? Visit a store (30 miles away) that did nothing but designer jeans. I made the drive, walked in, and was greeted right away by a classy looking middle aged women. She was also WEARING SOME AWESOME JEANS. Kim happened to be about the size as my wife. Fitting was now going to be a breeze. Kim asked meaningful questions about my wife's taste, answered all my questions, modeled the jeans, and assured me that if I made a mistake, they would correct the problem. Most importantly, she assured me my wife would know the Brand as PREMIUM and EXPENSIVE.
I spent $350.00, of my hard earned money, on cotton in the shape of jeans, and LOVED it. I knew my wife would "GET" the magnitude of the gift making it all worth the expense. I also knew that if she didn't like them, Kim would make it right. I was a happy guy, even if I paid full retail.
While my wife protested at first (she knew how much these jeans cost, which was the exact point I was trying to make...lol), she never once asked to return them. By the way, they fit awesome. Kim had nailed it with the styling, an amazing feat.
Both places sold high-end jeans. One got my cash.
I'm not saying that customer service is directly related to the price of the products sold. At one time I sold a ton of helmets under $100.00, and hope that everyone felt special. But lets face it, many times this isn't the norm. By the way, I've been treated like crap in fancy designer shops as well. It happens. What I'm asking is "where" is awesome service most likely to happen? In a mass product store, or a speciality store?
I say a Speciality Store.
Knowing your product is EASIER when there are only 50. Yes, there are a few people who've been around since the meteor wiped out the dinosaurs. By simply being around so long, they know pretty much everything there is to know on 100 products.
Thought I would say 10,000...lol. Nope, the average human must SPECIALIZE in order to have great knowledge, and we have our limits.
If you walk into a store, and you see a HUGE selection, hope for the best. Yes, there's always the possibility that you'll find the guy, on his own, decided to specialize. He picked a few (typically big ticket, or hot sellers) and went to work studying. Smart! Nothing wrong with this approach, but I've found it to be rare.
Personally, if I'm going to spend over $100.00 I want the guy helping me to know what they're selling. Over $250.00; they better impress me with above average insight. North of $500.00? Wow, the sales guy better earn my trust from the handshake. Now we're talking about some serious cash.
Why do we interrogate poor teenager at Best Buy about $30.00 headphones, but demand much less from the guy selling us a $700.00 TV? The truth is, we can do hours of research, but we all crave a sales guy who has the answers. We ask, "is the TV going to look better in my room, than it does on your wall?" If get a simple, "yes" we're happy.
It's time we all start asking hard questions. I expect it of you, the second you walk into my store.
Monday, July 30, 2012
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Made in CHINA?
Let me establish a baseline before I go on further...lol.
I'm a HUGE believer that quality comes with HERITAGE. Consistency breeds quality. To me it's simple. If you work in a company that has a history of building quality products, and the factory is in your backyard, there's a great chance the quality will be amazing. If a worker has a "personal" connection, company pride, that will reflect in a products quality.
Now the other side of the coin; if you're simply showing up, under paid, and your primary motivator is NOT being replaced by the thousands standing outside the front factory gate, quality could suffer.
I'm the proud owner of an iPad. LOVE IT. The other night I saw a documentary showing how the iPad was manufactured in China. Huge companies, 10's of thousands of workers, and working on a line stuffing parts into an iPad case. Much of the work didn't appear super technical. Each worker had a well defined task such as, "insert the battery into the case."
Steve Jobs admitted that Apple manufactures their products overseas because, as a company, they can't afford to manufacture it here is the USA. Too expensive. Too much regulation. Does this go for helmet manufactures too?
Lets take a product like Bell. I'm using Bell simply because it's the poster child for subject matter of this blog. A US born company, who has moved many of their operations overseas. While I'm sure the Chinese workers are happy to be working, producing Bell products, they have ZERO connection to where the Bell brand was created. It's a paycheck.
Bell manufacturers most of it's motorcycle helmets outside of the USA. While they might have an inspection station or two here, almost everything is build outside of the US. China, primarily. Bell also manufacturers a motorcycle helmet, built in China, which sells North of $550.00.
My question is, can a $550.00 helmet stack up against a $550.00 helmet manufactured in Japan, or Europe? I guess it's how you look at it...
I'm a small business owner, and I'm a STRONG supporter of the Capitalist System. Profit is GOOD, and without it, companies don't exist. Like me, EVERY company figures out where they want to go, and how THEY want to get there. I'm also aware that you can't please everyone. So be it, they can shop somewhere else if they're not a good match with the companies values. Such is life.
Also, I could careless if my sandals, belt, iPad, iPhone, or any other product is manufactured in the China. Lets face it, it allows companies to make huge money, because overhead is much lower. However, many of the premium helmet products are HANDMADE. Not simply loading a battery, but a skilled craft that takes YEARS to master.
Now lets use Arai as an example; At the Arai factory, it takes years before an employee "earns" the privilege of various tasks. Years of "proving" themselves skilled to handle the more critical stages of construction. It's more of an "Art" than a cog in the wheel, grinding out a helmet. They also have a personal connection with the company, and the Arai family, who still own (and runs) the company. Those that work in the Arai factories are not simply Numbers, but rather respected artisans.
It's more of a "Family" than a company.
It's a HUGE leap for me to think a chinese worker could show such care. That's just me...
This is more about what I "Personally" associate with "Premium". Granted, VERY few products are 100% made, anywhere. In a global economy, that simply doesn't make sense in many cases. However, Bell is an American brand, and when a brand so "American" is made primarily outside the US, it gives me a twinge in my gut.
It would be like the Ford Motor Company closing down EVERY USA factory, opening a Chinese factory, employing chinese workers, and claiming nothing had changed. Even if the quality was the same (or better) it would NOT be the same in my eyes. Oh, and yes I know many parts on a Ford are made outside the US, but I can still point at a Ford factory here in the USA.
Brands like Bell are great examples of what happens when a company looses it's identity. Could Bell make their motorcycle helmets in the US? Yes, they could, but like ANY company, profit can take center stage.
When do we, as consumers, push companies back to our shores?
Granted, we shop @ Walmart for the deals, and Bell isn't the only US born company manufacturing their products elsewhere. I just feel that if these companies moved home, trimmed the fat, made awesome products, and put "MADE IN AMERICA" front and center on their product labels, they could be even more successful.
- This post is FOCUSED on "Premium" helmet models because, well, that's what I sell. I'm not talking about the $100-$300 helmets, from manufacturers that most of have never heard of. I'm talking about companies that "State" they are premium labels.
- China has the "ability" to make good products. Machines can be programmed to do just about anything these days. Those with jobs in China are thankful.
I'm a HUGE believer that quality comes with HERITAGE. Consistency breeds quality. To me it's simple. If you work in a company that has a history of building quality products, and the factory is in your backyard, there's a great chance the quality will be amazing. If a worker has a "personal" connection, company pride, that will reflect in a products quality.
Now the other side of the coin; if you're simply showing up, under paid, and your primary motivator is NOT being replaced by the thousands standing outside the front factory gate, quality could suffer.
I'm the proud owner of an iPad. LOVE IT. The other night I saw a documentary showing how the iPad was manufactured in China. Huge companies, 10's of thousands of workers, and working on a line stuffing parts into an iPad case. Much of the work didn't appear super technical. Each worker had a well defined task such as, "insert the battery into the case."
Steve Jobs admitted that Apple manufactures their products overseas because, as a company, they can't afford to manufacture it here is the USA. Too expensive. Too much regulation. Does this go for helmet manufactures too?
Lets take a product like Bell. I'm using Bell simply because it's the poster child for subject matter of this blog. A US born company, who has moved many of their operations overseas. While I'm sure the Chinese workers are happy to be working, producing Bell products, they have ZERO connection to where the Bell brand was created. It's a paycheck.
Bell manufacturers most of it's motorcycle helmets outside of the USA. While they might have an inspection station or two here, almost everything is build outside of the US. China, primarily. Bell also manufacturers a motorcycle helmet, built in China, which sells North of $550.00.
My question is, can a $550.00 helmet stack up against a $550.00 helmet manufactured in Japan, or Europe? I guess it's how you look at it...
- You could argue that since building stuff in China is VERY cheap, this Bell helmet is actually a $850.00 helmet if built somewhere else. Like, say, in the USA...
- Or, Bell makes their helmets in China to MAKE THE MOST MONEY POSSIBLE. If they trimmed their profits to that of other manufacturing companies, they could keep the price @ $550.00 and build it ANYWHERE.
I'm a small business owner, and I'm a STRONG supporter of the Capitalist System. Profit is GOOD, and without it, companies don't exist. Like me, EVERY company figures out where they want to go, and how THEY want to get there. I'm also aware that you can't please everyone. So be it, they can shop somewhere else if they're not a good match with the companies values. Such is life.
Also, I could careless if my sandals, belt, iPad, iPhone, or any other product is manufactured in the China. Lets face it, it allows companies to make huge money, because overhead is much lower. However, many of the premium helmet products are HANDMADE. Not simply loading a battery, but a skilled craft that takes YEARS to master.
Now lets use Arai as an example; At the Arai factory, it takes years before an employee "earns" the privilege of various tasks. Years of "proving" themselves skilled to handle the more critical stages of construction. It's more of an "Art" than a cog in the wheel, grinding out a helmet. They also have a personal connection with the company, and the Arai family, who still own (and runs) the company. Those that work in the Arai factories are not simply Numbers, but rather respected artisans.
It's more of a "Family" than a company.
It's a HUGE leap for me to think a chinese worker could show such care. That's just me...
This is more about what I "Personally" associate with "Premium". Granted, VERY few products are 100% made, anywhere. In a global economy, that simply doesn't make sense in many cases. However, Bell is an American brand, and when a brand so "American" is made primarily outside the US, it gives me a twinge in my gut.
It would be like the Ford Motor Company closing down EVERY USA factory, opening a Chinese factory, employing chinese workers, and claiming nothing had changed. Even if the quality was the same (or better) it would NOT be the same in my eyes. Oh, and yes I know many parts on a Ford are made outside the US, but I can still point at a Ford factory here in the USA.
Brands like Bell are great examples of what happens when a company looses it's identity. Could Bell make their motorcycle helmets in the US? Yes, they could, but like ANY company, profit can take center stage.
When do we, as consumers, push companies back to our shores?
Granted, we shop @ Walmart for the deals, and Bell isn't the only US born company manufacturing their products elsewhere. I just feel that if these companies moved home, trimmed the fat, made awesome products, and put "MADE IN AMERICA" front and center on their product labels, they could be even more successful.
Friday, July 13, 2012
Are you ready for premium?
Do you like the way I've challenged you're NEED for a premium helmet right in the title..? (lol).
First things first, ALL HELMETS ARE SAFE as long as they have a DOT sticker. I've said it a thousand times, and it still holds true today. By the way, that's a DOT sticker ONLY helmet.
Arguing about safety standards is honestly a waste of breath. Simply, they're all good, and yes, there's always room for improvement. DONE.
Premium helmets like Arai are in a league all by themselves. Handmade, human tested (4 times in the case of Arai) and only the finest materials are used. Workable if budget isn't your only concern.
Explaining the difference between an entry level helmet, and one these beauties can be a challenge. Overcoming the cost difference is never a walk in the park. Plus, comfort is unique to everyone. Combine this with the lack of Dealers with a honest grasp of the basics, many feel lost.
Then comes the fitting process...
Have you ever put on something; a pair of shoes, jacket, and thought it was tailored to you, ALONE.
I like to use the custom golf club story. Lets say you play golf every weekend, and LOVE it. It's your passion. You're not bad; shooting in the low 90's. One day you show up at the course, and your buddy, who you typically beat, pounds you into the grass by 8 strokes. On the 19th hole you find out that he spent $500 having his clubs professional fitted by the ex-PGA guy, at the swanky club you can't bring yourself to play because of the high green fee's...
That $500 knocked 10 strokes off his game.
If you're a golfer, shooting a lower score is the ultimate, frustrating, goal of golf. Less strokes (lost balls) equals more fun. Those green fees start to look more and more affordable the lower your score drops...lol
How much more fun would you have on that 40 minute commute to work, multiday ride, or the annual cross country ride, if your helmet fit amazing? No more stops to "give your head a break". No more sick feeling when it comes time to put your helmet back on.
I've been there, and speak from experience.
Once you pull the trigger and buy a premium helmet, it (properly fitted) becomes part of the ride, in a positive way. You wear it because you WANT it on your head. Your thoughts are focused of how the helmet will save you from a bug strike, not how your head is going to ache in 30 minutes.
True comfort... for which many believe is as elusive as the lower golf score, is centered on shape. If you find a helmet is the correct shape, comfort will follow.
Comfort has more to do with SHAPE than size. A square head, in a round helmet will never be comfortable. Much like fitting a set of clubs involves more than adjusting the length of the shaft. The fitting pro will watch your swing, and adjust several angles to match. Like your head, your golf swing in unique.
Matching the shape of the helmet, directly to the shape of your head, dictates what SIZE you will wear. If your head is longer oval, and you stuff it into a bowling ball round helmet, your tendency is to go larger with the helmet to compensate for the shape mismatch. This is the WRONG approach, but unfortunately the norm.
Arai has always understood this, which is why they're the ONLY manufacturer who makes multiple shaped shells. Everyone else, one.
I've fit customers, who've insisted they were a size large, into small Arai's. How? I was able match their head shape perfectly with the Arai helmet, and in turn, fit them in a smaller helmet. Smaller helmets also equal less weight. Less weight, equals more comfort. Less helmet, less surface area. Less drag, less neck strain. Oh and if you combine these, it equals greater safety if you were to crash. Every additional ounce rolling in one directing is going to be tougher to stop.
Are Arai helmets for everyone? Lets face it, not everyone can afford an Arai helmet. Most of the customers I come into contact with have purchased other products in the past, and eventually found their way to my store. The number one reason? They're simply tired of being uncomfortable. Years of wearing entry level helmets effectively pushed them to opening their wallets a bit wider.
Personally, I think it's important to take this step. How else will you know how great you have it in an Arai, unless you go through those growing pains? Of course, there are those that want to start right at the top... A word of warning. Once you wear something thats comfortable, everything else will never live up...lol.
You're forever ruined and subjected to only premium stuff..
First things first, ALL HELMETS ARE SAFE as long as they have a DOT sticker. I've said it a thousand times, and it still holds true today. By the way, that's a DOT sticker ONLY helmet.
Arguing about safety standards is honestly a waste of breath. Simply, they're all good, and yes, there's always room for improvement. DONE.
Premium helmets like Arai are in a league all by themselves. Handmade, human tested (4 times in the case of Arai) and only the finest materials are used. Workable if budget isn't your only concern.
Explaining the difference between an entry level helmet, and one these beauties can be a challenge. Overcoming the cost difference is never a walk in the park. Plus, comfort is unique to everyone. Combine this with the lack of Dealers with a honest grasp of the basics, many feel lost.
Then comes the fitting process...
Have you ever put on something; a pair of shoes, jacket, and thought it was tailored to you, ALONE.
I like to use the custom golf club story. Lets say you play golf every weekend, and LOVE it. It's your passion. You're not bad; shooting in the low 90's. One day you show up at the course, and your buddy, who you typically beat, pounds you into the grass by 8 strokes. On the 19th hole you find out that he spent $500 having his clubs professional fitted by the ex-PGA guy, at the swanky club you can't bring yourself to play because of the high green fee's...
That $500 knocked 10 strokes off his game.
If you're a golfer, shooting a lower score is the ultimate, frustrating, goal of golf. Less strokes (lost balls) equals more fun. Those green fees start to look more and more affordable the lower your score drops...lol
How much more fun would you have on that 40 minute commute to work, multiday ride, or the annual cross country ride, if your helmet fit amazing? No more stops to "give your head a break". No more sick feeling when it comes time to put your helmet back on.
I've been there, and speak from experience.
Once you pull the trigger and buy a premium helmet, it (properly fitted) becomes part of the ride, in a positive way. You wear it because you WANT it on your head. Your thoughts are focused of how the helmet will save you from a bug strike, not how your head is going to ache in 30 minutes.
True comfort... for which many believe is as elusive as the lower golf score, is centered on shape. If you find a helmet is the correct shape, comfort will follow.
Comfort has more to do with SHAPE than size. A square head, in a round helmet will never be comfortable. Much like fitting a set of clubs involves more than adjusting the length of the shaft. The fitting pro will watch your swing, and adjust several angles to match. Like your head, your golf swing in unique.
Matching the shape of the helmet, directly to the shape of your head, dictates what SIZE you will wear. If your head is longer oval, and you stuff it into a bowling ball round helmet, your tendency is to go larger with the helmet to compensate for the shape mismatch. This is the WRONG approach, but unfortunately the norm.
Arai has always understood this, which is why they're the ONLY manufacturer who makes multiple shaped shells. Everyone else, one.
I've fit customers, who've insisted they were a size large, into small Arai's. How? I was able match their head shape perfectly with the Arai helmet, and in turn, fit them in a smaller helmet. Smaller helmets also equal less weight. Less weight, equals more comfort. Less helmet, less surface area. Less drag, less neck strain. Oh and if you combine these, it equals greater safety if you were to crash. Every additional ounce rolling in one directing is going to be tougher to stop.
Are Arai helmets for everyone? Lets face it, not everyone can afford an Arai helmet. Most of the customers I come into contact with have purchased other products in the past, and eventually found their way to my store. The number one reason? They're simply tired of being uncomfortable. Years of wearing entry level helmets effectively pushed them to opening their wallets a bit wider.
Personally, I think it's important to take this step. How else will you know how great you have it in an Arai, unless you go through those growing pains? Of course, there are those that want to start right at the top... A word of warning. Once you wear something thats comfortable, everything else will never live up...lol.
You're forever ruined and subjected to only premium stuff..
Friday, July 6, 2012
The RESET Button, 2012
Before diving into the last 12 months, I think the only way to start is from the beginning...
In 1999 I quit my job as a Chandler police officer (10+ years) and opened The Helmet Harbor, LLC. First, from the safety of my living room, but soon out of a 600sf office I shared with another new company.
As my NAME spells out all too clear, my vision was to specialize in MOTORCYCLE HELMETS. Mainly online, but soon my local presents grew. After 6 months my wife left her job to help, after 12 months I was in a larger building and hiring my first employee.
As my company grew, so did the products I offered...
It only makes sense, right? I had super happy customers buying helmets, but they also needed jackets, pants, gloves, and luggage. I saw an opportunity to expand, and I took it. Soon The Helmet Harbor, LLC didn't match it's name when it came to the products I offered.
I lost sight of what was important. Not only to my company, but to myself.
Now don't get me wrong. In the last 12 years we've had 10's of thousands of HAPPY customers. It wasn't like our customer service went into the toilet because I brought on more products. What slipped was our UNIQUENESS...
I had grown my company into something that looked just like EVERYONE else. Sure, I had a semi-unique way of presenting product, but nothing stays unique long in ANY industry. Soon, it blends into the normal. No longer unique at all.
Where does a company, with 10's of thousands of products go once everyone starts nibbling at your heals? Well, first comes PRICE WARS.
PRICE WARS are really a sign that you've run out of other ways to sell VALUE. If it didn't register, VALUE. When uniqueness slips away, VALUE starts to take on the simplest forms. Slashing price is the easiest. Even the most brilliant minds crumple under the simple logic. "If I sell something CHEAPER than the other guys, I win."
Granted EVERYONE wants a fair price. Some (actually the minority in my view) want a STEAL. As a business owner, by nature you're competitive. If you loose one sale to someone with a lower price, it's a HUGE defeat.
The going rage right now is VIDEO. I'm proud to say that I was one of the first motorcycle companies online to embrace video, and YouTube. I published my first video on YouTube in July 2007. It had launched less than two years earlier. We all know what it is today... I started putting video on my site in early 2005.
TODAY you typically get one guy, who's comfortable in front of the camera, talking about EVERYTHING. It's obviously his main job.
HERE'S THE ISSUE TODAY. Yes, you know a great deal about the product, but what if you have a question beyond the video? Can you depend on speaking with THAT guy?
No longer is it someone who KNOWS the product. COME ON. This point can't be argued. How can you convince anyone that you honestly know a product when you're doing videos on 1000's of vastly different merchandise?
If you're looking to buy a $250,000 sports car, you going to head to a lot full of 1000's of different vehicles? Trucks $10,000 starter cars, dump trucks, hybrids, luxury sedans?
I can't speak for you, but if I'm going to spend THAT much money on something that specific, I'm going to seek out someone WHO ONLY SELLS SPORTS CARS. Better yet, ONLY SELLS the manufacturer I'm thinking at buying.
To be GREAT at something, you MUST focus on that ONE THING.
That's just me.
I mentioned PRICE WAR before. Now we have a INFORMATION WAR. A products features are rattled off into a camera, and now you, the educated consumer, are better prepared to make a purchase.
Makes sense, right? Information is power. Information allows you to hit that "Buy Now" button and spend your hard earned money.
GETTING BACK ON SUBJECT.
I had grown my company to a point where I had lost the personal connection with my customers. Yes, I did my best, but there was no way I could be everything, to everyone.
In April on 2011 I made the decision to drastically change how I did business. I had actually started in early 2010 by thinning down my product lines, but there just wasn't a way to make it work. At the core, my company was setup to be a larger company. Changes beyond simply cutting product needed to be done.
Thus The Helmet Harbor, LLC going into a mild hibernation. Plans were set into motion, and implemented slowly over the following 12 months. I took some time to not only reorganize, but also broaden my base.
I was honored to have been invited on a gold dredging operation in the out-back of Washington State.
I took a little savings and bought an investment property, taking advantage of the Arizona real estate market.
All along moving forward with hitting the PLAY button on The Helmet Harbor, LLC.
I now specialize in Arai helmets, having ALL the models on the sales room floor. If someone walks in looking for an Arai Corsair-V, or an RX-Q, I'll have it in their size.
IN CLOSING, I simply want to GREAT at one thing, not simply OK at many. That's my "not so simple" goal. Not everyone will understand. Some will prefer to go somewhere else. THIS IS PERFECTLY FINE. I prefer it this way. Those that choose The Helmet Harbor, LLC will be very like minded. Ideal for long term growth.
In 1999 I quit my job as a Chandler police officer (10+ years) and opened The Helmet Harbor, LLC. First, from the safety of my living room, but soon out of a 600sf office I shared with another new company.
As my NAME spells out all too clear, my vision was to specialize in MOTORCYCLE HELMETS. Mainly online, but soon my local presents grew. After 6 months my wife left her job to help, after 12 months I was in a larger building and hiring my first employee.
As my company grew, so did the products I offered...
It only makes sense, right? I had super happy customers buying helmets, but they also needed jackets, pants, gloves, and luggage. I saw an opportunity to expand, and I took it. Soon The Helmet Harbor, LLC didn't match it's name when it came to the products I offered.
I lost sight of what was important. Not only to my company, but to myself.
Now don't get me wrong. In the last 12 years we've had 10's of thousands of HAPPY customers. It wasn't like our customer service went into the toilet because I brought on more products. What slipped was our UNIQUENESS...
I had grown my company into something that looked just like EVERYONE else. Sure, I had a semi-unique way of presenting product, but nothing stays unique long in ANY industry. Soon, it blends into the normal. No longer unique at all.
Where does a company, with 10's of thousands of products go once everyone starts nibbling at your heals? Well, first comes PRICE WARS.
PRICE WARS are really a sign that you've run out of other ways to sell VALUE. If it didn't register, VALUE. When uniqueness slips away, VALUE starts to take on the simplest forms. Slashing price is the easiest. Even the most brilliant minds crumple under the simple logic. "If I sell something CHEAPER than the other guys, I win."
Granted EVERYONE wants a fair price. Some (actually the minority in my view) want a STEAL. As a business owner, by nature you're competitive. If you loose one sale to someone with a lower price, it's a HUGE defeat.
The going rage right now is VIDEO. I'm proud to say that I was one of the first motorcycle companies online to embrace video, and YouTube. I published my first video on YouTube in July 2007. It had launched less than two years earlier. We all know what it is today... I started putting video on my site in early 2005.
TODAY you typically get one guy, who's comfortable in front of the camera, talking about EVERYTHING. It's obviously his main job.
HERE'S THE ISSUE TODAY. Yes, you know a great deal about the product, but what if you have a question beyond the video? Can you depend on speaking with THAT guy?
No longer is it someone who KNOWS the product. COME ON. This point can't be argued. How can you convince anyone that you honestly know a product when you're doing videos on 1000's of vastly different merchandise?
If you're looking to buy a $250,000 sports car, you going to head to a lot full of 1000's of different vehicles? Trucks $10,000 starter cars, dump trucks, hybrids, luxury sedans?
I can't speak for you, but if I'm going to spend THAT much money on something that specific, I'm going to seek out someone WHO ONLY SELLS SPORTS CARS. Better yet, ONLY SELLS the manufacturer I'm thinking at buying.
To be GREAT at something, you MUST focus on that ONE THING.
That's just me.
I mentioned PRICE WAR before. Now we have a INFORMATION WAR. A products features are rattled off into a camera, and now you, the educated consumer, are better prepared to make a purchase.
Makes sense, right? Information is power. Information allows you to hit that "Buy Now" button and spend your hard earned money.
GETTING BACK ON SUBJECT.
I had grown my company to a point where I had lost the personal connection with my customers. Yes, I did my best, but there was no way I could be everything, to everyone.
In April on 2011 I made the decision to drastically change how I did business. I had actually started in early 2010 by thinning down my product lines, but there just wasn't a way to make it work. At the core, my company was setup to be a larger company. Changes beyond simply cutting product needed to be done.
Thus The Helmet Harbor, LLC going into a mild hibernation. Plans were set into motion, and implemented slowly over the following 12 months. I took some time to not only reorganize, but also broaden my base.
I was honored to have been invited on a gold dredging operation in the out-back of Washington State.
I took a little savings and bought an investment property, taking advantage of the Arizona real estate market.
All along moving forward with hitting the PLAY button on The Helmet Harbor, LLC.
I now specialize in Arai helmets, having ALL the models on the sales room floor. If someone walks in looking for an Arai Corsair-V, or an RX-Q, I'll have it in their size.
IN CLOSING, I simply want to GREAT at one thing, not simply OK at many. That's my "not so simple" goal. Not everyone will understand. Some will prefer to go somewhere else. THIS IS PERFECTLY FINE. I prefer it this way. Those that choose The Helmet Harbor, LLC will be very like minded. Ideal for long term growth.
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