RETAILOBSERVER.COM OCTOBER 2022
6
Moe Lastfogel
moe@retailobserver.com
Moe's Musings Views
Happy Cooking,
L
et's face it, most of you are involved in the appliance industry as a
retailer, distributor, designer, contractor or manufacturer, or some
other way. What's the common factor that these groups share? It's
FOOD! You're selling, specifying, servicing or installing cooking and/or
cleaning products, and that's why your customers call you.
What's your level of culinary education? Can you boil water? Do you
know how a microwave works beyond the 30-second or popcorn buttons?
When is it the right time to change the temperature in the oven when
you're using convection, and is the timing a factor? At which temperature
should red, white, or sparkling wines be held? How does scraping or not
scraping plates affect their cleanliness from the dishwasher? At what
temperature does ketchup come out of wool in the laundry? If you don't
know these basic answers, I suggest getting some help from your peers.
When I was showroom manager at McPhails and Ferguson, we ran
food classes at the store. We would set up the events with our
manufacturers and distributors to help educate our clients, and to help to
fund the classes. Not only did it help the sales process; it helped us show
our culinary knowledge and demonstrate that we weren't just salespeople.
Let's face it, you wouldn't invest in a stock portfolio from a lemonade
stand or buy lemonade from a stockbroker, would you? So, who wants to
buy appliances from someone who's only read a spec sheet and has no
concept of why or how the products work? People relate to food, because
without it – well, you know...
Anyway, your culinary know-how beyond the take-out menu is a must.
Ask your manufacturers and distributors if they have programs that will
help you build your knowledge. Download some cooking shows, or take
some classes at your local community center. "Why?" you ask. Because
if your customer asks you why they should purchase the $6,000 wine
cabinet instead of the $500 model, you'll want to be able to respond with
something more than, "Because it looks so much more impressive."
FOOD
FOR THOUGHT
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