I had an enlightening lunch yesterday with Michelle Fernandez and Eliott Peck from Canon, and in our discussion Eliott brought up what I usually refer to as an “ah ha” moment.
We were talking about the advantages that photo specialty dealers offer in selling cameras, and Eliott mentioned that Apple’s concept of the Genius Bar is a brilliant way for that company to bring people into their stores and sell their products. His notion was that the “Genius” concept already exists in photo specialty stores, but in many cases it just isn’t marketed that way.
Great notion, and one I’d like to expand upon.
I’ve always been a big fan of Apple, and I have written about them incessantly in previous columns. They know how to market, and they know how to sell. And their concept of the Genius Bar is, well, genius.
For those of you who have never visited an Apple store, the Genius Bar is a section of the store that’s hosted by hip, enthusiastic Apple employees who have the confidence and know-how to fix almost any Apple problem. Whether it’s a physical issue with an Apple product or just a question or two about how to do something, the “genius” either has the answer or finds someone who does.
It’s become such a popular concept that in most stores you have to make an appointment to see one (which is easily accomplished from your home computer, with 20-minute-interval appointment options). The result, among other things, is multiple visits back into the Apple store, where the eye candy is so alluring that you can’t help but add to your Apple collection while you wait.
Sound familiar?
What the photo specialty channel has over all other channels that sell imaging products is knowledge—and a whole lot of it. There are probably five geniuses in your store already (who would be thrilled to be labeled as such) who can offer so much in the way of advice: whether it’s what to buy or how to use what your customer already has or how to store or print images.
You don’t just have salespeople in your midst. You have geniuses. The dictionary defines a genius as “a person who is exceptionally intelligent or creative, either generally or in some particular respect.” Does this sound familiar?
Look at your competition. There is fleeting knowledge abounding in many mass-market stores and on many websites. But are they even close to the geniuses in your store when it comes to photography? Can they stand toe-to-toe with the seasoned photo enthusiast and have an intelligent conversation? Can they even have a conversation?
Yes, you already have a Genius Bar in your store. In fact, you probably have enough geniuses to hold a veritable Mensa photo convention. Now it’s time to get the word out.
With so much confusion in the imaging world today, people are looking for answers. They’re looking for people to hold their hands. And they’re looking to do it on their own terms.
What I find interesting about the “appointment” strategy used by Apple is that it makes it more important—more exclusive. “Our Geniuses don’t just sit around waiting for customers; there’s a waiting list to pick their brains.” And when you finally arrive, you have one all to yourself, who stays with you until the problem is solved.
So, thanks to Eliott’s thought, here is my advice. Create the aura of the Genius Bar in your store. You can’t call it that (or you might have Apple lawyers breathing down your neck), but you can certainly establish a beachhead of brilliance in your store.
Here are some thoughts:
1. Set up specific hours for availability—it makes it seem more exclusive—and offering appointment schedules on the web makes it more convenient for your customer.
2. Brand your “geniuses.” Apple does a great job of making everyone wear the same shirts; it adds an air of professionalism. Set up an area in your store from which the geniuses can operate. Make it exclusive.
3. Market your geniuses; make it a consistent part of your advertising and marketing campaigns.
4. Invite noncustomers into your store to talk to your geniuses; they may have bought from Amazon, but your genius relationship can make them a new, enduring customer.
I’m sure some of you are already doing this in some form and would love to hear from those who have found success in the genius concept. It’s just one more thing that the photo specialty channel can use as a distinctive capability in today’s competitive retail environment.
