Vacuum Cleaners Discussions

Today I fortuitously stopped at the local Oreck dealer. 

Mike, the owner of several Oreck franchises and a few multi-brand stores had brought his new Edge upright from home, as stock had not arrived yet.

It has a more powerful motor, with a true  floating head. LED lights, infinite speed control AND and on-board stretch hose with a permanently attached telescopic crevice tool that is automatically active when the handle is in the upright position.  It lacks the Pilot's pivot head and the Halo's germ killing light. A model incorporating all three features is under development.  It is still easy to push, although it weighs 10 lb and requires a bit more effort than previous models.

There is a commercial OBT upright made by Stein (Sebo) that is very nice at only 450.00.  Oreck WILL be offering a bagless upright, but dealer participation is optional.  The new canister is color matched to the Edge and designed to be leaned on as the user vacuums stairs. Odd looking bare floor/crevice tool, no swivel neck. The bristles fold in to form the crevice tool, and the wand is inserted into a neck that curves more than 60 and less than 90 degrees, much like the OLD bare floor tools made of wood with the metal neck screwed on. A turbo tool is included and a dusting brush.

A cute little bagless canister is available for 49.99  Oreck has increased market share and has 89% brand recognition as a vacuum cleaner. They have become #1in  air purifier sales. (Mike did not say if that was dollar volume, or units or both.

The price of the Edge and matching canister will be about 750.00

Oreck is still marketing, still developing product, and still building a loyal customer base.

Severus.

You did not ask me what brand I would sell, but I will respond anyway because my friend who manages a vac shop does quite well with the following, from lowest to highest.
D/D featherweight bagged, Hoover Tempo bagged. From there to the Sanitaire upright/Mighty Mite line which just overlaps the Miele uprights in price, and of course he has the Miele canisters.
THAT'S IT, yet he manages to close 75% or better of the people who stop to look. Not always on the first visit, mind you, but they come back to look again with remarkable consistency.and go home with a vacuum.
The store is about 600 square feet and has used vacss, a few carpet cleaners, and a few electric brooms and floor steamers.

I asked him once why he did not carry more of a selection. He said," People shop price or quality. They may say they shop both, but one inevitably wins out. The 40.00 and 90.00 price points I sell  are decent quality, I don't get many of them back, and I almost never get a Sanitaire or a Miele back.  More choices means more confusion for the customer, and a lower overall closing percentage. This is what works for me. I get a lot of those folks who left here, and looked elsewhere. They come back here because I make it simple.  Do you have 1) Carpets? 2)Pets?3) Allergies? If they are set on a bagless, I offer them a used one. Sanitaire is a good basic durable upright that cleans carpet well.  The lightest Sanitaire competes with Oreck and Miele crushes everyone in performance and filtration.  If they want a clean air upright with OBT, Miele starts at 549.00, I get them with a trade. I don't see any need to carry more skus and confuse my customers. "

Hard to argue with success.

Trebor

Severus wrote:

I was just making a point which BTW are not unique to just vacuums.  I do not have enough interest in vacuums to be in the business. 

I have sold some properties and a few other goods.  My son always says I am too honest to be in sales.  If there is a flaw in what I sell I always point it out regardless if it is not noticable. 

Trebor wrote:

Thanks Trebor for the insight.  How long has your friend been in the vacuum business and how would you characterize his personal and professional honesty?

Carmine D.

HARDSELL wrote:

Why do you need to be dishonest in sales?

Lucky1 wrote:

There is a subtle but important difference between saying (1) you're "too honest" to be in sales, and (2) you have to be DISHONEST to be in sales. 

Severus wrote:

Sometimes it is not what you say but what you do not say to make a sale that to me is dishonest.

I am not saying that all sales persons are dishonest but so many are.  Speaking out of ignorance to make a sale is borderline dishonest.  Simply keep quiet or say I do not know.

Carmine and all,

My friend has managed this store for 10 years. It is the middle one of the three in terms of size, and is the best located.  It consistently outperforms the other two in terms of sales.  He is very honest. He wears his 'repairman' shirt with his name embroidered on it. People perceive him as the repairman and let their guard down and trust him.  He does not run sales, unless Miele or Sanitaire is sponsoring them, so there is no' take it now or no deal' sort of pressure. He listens a lot. and says often that if you listen the customer will tell you how to sell them and have them think it is their idea to buy.  The shop looks full, but not overcrowded. The fact that he carries two major lines reassures the customer that he has already done a lot of the work for them.  He never worries about who will come back, but a huge percentage do, and they hear him say the same things to customers. He is consistent.  "If you want deep cleaning AND extreme filtration that does not come cheap"  When someone says "I want deep cleaning, light weight, and on-board tools" he says 'pick two'   Some of his customers sheepishly walk in with a BAGLESS less than 6 mo old to trade in on a Miele or Sanitaire. It is amusing to watch.

Trebor wrote:

Thanks Trebor.  10 years.  One decade.  Wonderful.  At the rate he's going with the brands and models he sells, and his business professionalism, he'll easily have many more years. If you satisfy the customers, they will keep coming back and recommend you to others.   Best way to build and grow the vacuum business.

Carmine D.

Venson wrote:

Hi Venson:

The seller knows his DC28 pitch is dishonest.  He claims that a DC28 deep cleans better than any vacuums including the entire array of dysons to date.  [read: Seller's way of saying that a DC28 is the "best" and worth the highest price on the shelves at $599.]  I base my conclusion that he knows he dishonest on 3 reasons:  First, when I asked if he performed the test with a DC28 as the first vacuum followed by another brand/model last, he said yes with certainty and no hesitation.  An honest sales person would have offered more details about the models/brands tested and even better offer to do the tests with a DC28 first.  Using the same zeal he demonstrated to show how well a DC28 would pick up the bin dirt I dumped on the rug.   Second, when I asked if I could go over the same area we just vacuumed with a DC28 with a DC14, his face dropped.  I saw all the energy leave his body.  The time between the two exchanges was probably about 15 or 20 minutes.  Finally, he knew at the moment the DC14 picked up more dirt he lost a sale.  He didn't and couldn't say anything more.  He could have saved himself by saying he never tried vacuuming with a DC14 last, if in fact he didn't and therefore wouldn't have known the outcome.  He didn't [save himself] because he knew the outcome of the test.  I uncovered his dishonest sales pitch.

Carmine D.

Severus wrote:

Hello SEVERUS:

Good point.  I'd like to make another distinction WRT marketing and product sales.  There is a line drawn by the courts and legal authorities between "sales puffing" and "dishonesty" when marketing and selling products.  "Never clogs, never loses suction" is a claim that an abitration authority [the ASA], vested with the purpose, ruled was not to be used in writing in product sales literature.  Is it dishonest?  I have to presume so and say yes it is.  If it were "sales puffing," it would be allowable.  While legal and quasi legal entities can regulate what is written by product makers, it can't dictate and police what is said for sales pitches.  As evidenced by the oldest dishonest sales pitch for vacuums in the industry.  Venson's point that an informed consumer is the best remedy for myths [and dishonesty] is right on the money. 

PS: I hope I'm not being "too honest" and offending some person's feelings and beliefs..

Carmine D.