The perils of selling a product instead of a result.

Here's a worldwide tale....

When I was living in northern Germany last fall, the often-rainy weather meant that my sneakers just weren't going to cut it anymore.

So finally, I did the inevitable: I bought a pair of winter boots.  They're waterproofed leather with a rubber sole and fleece lining, so they're perfect for Minnesota as well.  They're not too pretty, but I usually stop caring about that when my toes are freezing.

When I was just about to pay, however, the saleswoman trotted out the dreaded question: "Do you want to buy a protection spray to keep your boots in tip-top shape?"

This question always raises red flags for me because it pulls at my deepest fears.  Obviously, I'm worried about destroying my shoes.  I just bought a nice pair that I want to use for years to come--and I'm an expert at finding mud puddles, scuffing toes, and walking on sharp things.

Then there's also the horrid moment of thinking "Haven't I heard this question before?"

And then I need to sit there, wracking my brain to see if I bought shoe protection last time, if I still have it, if there's any left, and (of course) if I'll be able to find it.

In the end, I say "Just the shoes, please."

Then I go home and spend the next hour looking through my basement, and calling friends to see if anyone has a bottle.  They're sure they do, of course--but no one really knows where it is.

A week after this original excursion, I went shopping with a friend to help him find a nice new pair of leather shoes.  We talk about the shoe protection spray and decide to buy a bottle to share. 

Except... don't his parents have some?  Probably... right?

Again, we walk away without buying the shoe protection.  Even though both of us wanted it.

Anyone else do that too?

So, here's a thought?  What if shoe stores stopped selling the product, and started selling the protection?

Think about it.  You've just bought a brand new pair of shoes and at the register, the salesperson asks "Would you like me to weatherproof your shoes for $3 more?  It will help keep the leather in good shape and you'll be able to brush dirt right off.  I can do it right now and your shoes will be ready to wear in two minutes."

Doesn't that sound nice?   Instead of a whole bottle-buying production (paying $10 btw for a bottle you'll probably lose) and the necessity of doing it yourself, you get instant gratification and shoes that are ready to hit the streets right away.

And this is a great deal for the store too.  Shoe protection sprays are a big money-maker, but they're not too expensive for the store to buy.  Since a bottle probably can protect at least 6 pairs of shoes, the store would "sell" each bottle for about $18 instead of $10.

Plus, the store could even buy bigger bottles and get an even-better price.

But the most important thing is that customers won't have to face that big moment of doubt and forgetfulness.

I didn't buy the bottle of protecting spray for my shoes.

On the other hand, I would happily have paid for my shoes to be protected from the elements.

It was the focus on buying the product that lost the sale.  If they had sold the result, I'd be a customer.

Comments

[Roy Jacobsen]

Here's an idea: If the shoes need "protection," why don't the shoe manufacturers put it on in the factory, and then make _that_ a selling point.

"You know how you always have to buy some spray on crap to protect your shoes? We've already done it!"

(I have bought shoes and then the clerk has said "Let me take these in the back and spray on some protection for you.")

[DrTorch]

Uh, sorry to be so negative the very first time I've been to your site. But this is a pretty dumb idea.

First of all, I know where my shoe spray is. "A place for every thing, and every thing in it's place." It's a good habit.

But, I'm not that organized so really consider:

Shoe spray isn't that expensive. I thought it was about $3/can. $3 for one pair of shoes seems kind of high.

Shoe spray wears out. You need to spray about once/year. So, better to buy that bottle and use it more than once.

Do you really want to be in line and have the store clerk stop and change tasks to spraying shoes? No, so they'll probably pass them to someone else...

Which means you the shoe buyer has to wait in a second line for another employee to become available to spray shoes.

What about the fumes? Spraying 1 pair of shoes every year is fine. Being an employee who has to spray dozens each day means special regs and equipment to handle the fumes.

Again, sorry to be such a wet blanket, but this is a bad idea for many reasons.

[Silentnight]

DrTorch is right. I work retail selling athletic and casual shoes. You actually have to spray your shoes more often if you use them in the elements a lot.

The smell of the spray, if I had to smell it all day would drive me friggen nuts.

It takes about 2-3 hours for the waterproofer to really set into the material of the shoe. If you walk right out into the rain after they have been sprayed consider you spray toast.

And lastly, stores don't make that much money off of a pair of shoes, even the really expensive ones. So, I would suggest if you have a favorite shoe store, just buy a can of the protection. It helps out the store and saves you a few bucks in the long run since you won't blast through those nice $150 hiking boots so quickly.