It's your first visit to Israel and you decide to take a stroll around town. You are hoping to buy some nice souvenirs for family and friends. Lucky for you the nice tourist shop in the hotel has decided to give you a 50% discount because you are such a brave tourist. Additionally the beautiful Judaica shop on Ben Yehuda is giving you a 60% discount as long as you pay over $2,000 on items in the store. These shops are giving you these "great" discounts because its their "Grand Opening Sale". What a wonderful day!
But you know what they say… if it’s too good to be true, it probably isn't.
Here are some sales terms that in America mean true savings, but regretfully here in Israel mean true headache.
List price: Disregard this number. There is no connection between this number and the actual price. There is no MSRP in Israel. A manufacturer would never have the chutzpah to "suggest" a retail price to a wholesale company. Each store makes up a list price that fits in well with their "huge" discounts.
Large order sale: Now we're talking extreme savings - or so you would think. Many times I have been told, "The price for one is 30 shekels, but I will make you a deal. I want to sell all of the pieces I have left in stock, if you buy all 90 I will sell them to you for 28 shekels.” Sounds like a good deal right? But what am I going to do with 90 wine glasses?
Factory outlet: Rumor has it that Naot has a factory store up north. I still have not witnessed this first hand, and cannot therefore attest that it is not some sort of sales scheme. As a default, I would be wary of any Israeli telling you, " This price is better than anywhere else, there is no need to do price comparison. We are the factory outlet".
Seconds: Merchandise that is more extensively or apparently flawed than irregulars and imperfects and should be more deeply discounted; it sounds like a good deal right? Between you and me, if it looks broken, it probably is…
Comparable value: What the retailer considers the merchandise to be worth. This does not mean the item ever did, or ever will, sell at that price. All in all, this is a comparatively unscientific term and shouldn't bedazzle you. Disregard it, similar to "list price".
Liquidation sale: This is generally held by a store going out of business in order to completely unload stock. Discounts often start at about 30 percent and go up to 80 percent and more, as the store counts down to its final days. Note: Be extremely wary! There are stores in Geula and Meah Shearim that have been going out of business for 20 years now. I have to admit it’s an interesting sales tactic though…
Close-out sale: Another potential for major savings. In this case, the retailer gets a deal from the manufacturer on discontinued items, and passes some of the savings on to the consumers. As if! What’s really going on is that the store is having problems selling the merchandise. To make matters worse, the store has in addition realized that the items they did manage to sell had defects. The store has now decided to move the product at a faster rate, in order to get it off their shelves.
Grand opening sale: This sales strategy normally is used to increase market share and shop awareness amongst potential customers. Unfortunately, this commonly abused sales tactic works only on tourists. After seeing stores that have had grand opening sales for the span of a decade, you start to wonder if this tactic ever gets old… I figure, if they are still having the sale, there must still be people out there being fooled.
Balloon sale: Common sale found in the United States. To be honest I have no idea how it got its name. I have no idea how a balloon can attract customers unless they are looking to sell items to children aged 2 -4. Finding customers in that age bracket who have credit cards would be challenging unless your store is located in Manhattan.
Buy 1 get 3 free: This sales tactic was made famous by Optica Halperin. After tens of years of customers purchasing only what they needed, Optica Halperins sales and marketing team got a bit greedy. In an effort to lure potential customers they quadrupled their prices and offered a “buy one get 3 free sale". Sounds great right? But who needs 4 pairs of glasses? Note: Optica Halperin did not realize that prescription glasses are not really an impulse buy.
Moadon: Many Israeli stores have picked up on this sales tactic from the United States sales giants ( Best Buy - Walgreens- Giant Food) . Unfortunately, they did not calculate the discount to Moadon purchase price properly. “ No sir, I am not willing to pay 500 Nis right now so I can save 2% on all sock purchases I will be making at your store all year”. Do not be fooled by the potential savings - rarely does it make sense to buy into a Moadon. If It did they wouldn’t only ask you about signing up once you had taken your wallet out in preparation to pay. (my mother in law thinks some Moadonim are worth it…)
All in all, I love Israel. Even though the price points in the United States are better, I am happy I live here. As you can tell by this and also previous posts, I did not move to Israel for the sales. I moved here because that’s what an observant Jew has got to do! (also because my in-laws are great!)
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
The Loss Leader
I had the wonderful opportunity of spending a short but relaxing vacation with my wife ( no kids - they stayed by her family) at the Dead Sea this week. I was highly impressed with the hotel, and even more so by it’s keen understanding of the concept of having a “Loss Leader”
Let me explain.
We stayed at the Golden Tulip Club located on a private beach on the Dead Sea. The Golden Tulip, like all other 5 star hotels offers all sorts of gimmicks in order to increase their “market share” of the tourists and Israeli vacationers who wish to spend some idle time by the world’s lowest point below sea level. While every hotel has its uniqueness, the Golden Tulip found its way into my wallet the traditional Jewish way, By feeding me.
Some hotels offer free upgrades, some free massage, but only the Golden Tulip offered me all inclusive full board. Let me explain what that means ( upon arrival, I did not even properly understand myself) Not only did we have 3 full meals included in the very reasonable price, we also had free alcoholic drinks on tap, along with 7 different choices of soda. Snacks ( cakes and pancakes) were being serve at all hours of the night, just in case someone did not stuff themselves properly during the scrumptious meals. The open bar was open 24 hours a day and trust me, the alchohal was flowing.
Throughout my entire stay I did not understand how the hotel could be profitable. They had a very advanced free game room equipped with play stations, Nintendo wii’s, foosball, internet, and all sorts of other entertaining programs and games for no entrance fee. There were enough games to keep 20-30 people busy. There were over 5 pools ( not including Yam Hamelach) They even had a casino party ( which we won of course) where prizes were given out to the person with the most money at the end of the allotted time ( I won some nice dead sea mud and salts)
Being as I always look for deals, I had purchased our hotel stay at an excellent rate. Only when I went to the hotel’s spa did I fully understand how the hotel could offer such lavish amenities. The hotel was equipped with 40 “health rooms” to be used by masseuses and beauticians. When my wife went to schedule an appointment, she was told that everything was booked up and was given a time in the future ( later that day) that she could set up an appointment.
I quickly did the math ( they are charging 180 for a 30 min massage and 270 for a one hour) I figured they could easily be clearing close to 10,000 nis per hour on the spa alone! I am sure their costs are not that significant (the dead sea mud is located about 30 feet from the hotel) The spa is open for at least 12 hours a day ( 10,000 x 12 = 120,000 NIS)
Now that’s a smart business model. If you build it, and offer free food, THEY WILL COME!!
Let me explain.
We stayed at the Golden Tulip Club located on a private beach on the Dead Sea. The Golden Tulip, like all other 5 star hotels offers all sorts of gimmicks in order to increase their “market share” of the tourists and Israeli vacationers who wish to spend some idle time by the world’s lowest point below sea level. While every hotel has its uniqueness, the Golden Tulip found its way into my wallet the traditional Jewish way, By feeding me.
Some hotels offer free upgrades, some free massage, but only the Golden Tulip offered me all inclusive full board. Let me explain what that means ( upon arrival, I did not even properly understand myself) Not only did we have 3 full meals included in the very reasonable price, we also had free alcoholic drinks on tap, along with 7 different choices of soda. Snacks ( cakes and pancakes) were being serve at all hours of the night, just in case someone did not stuff themselves properly during the scrumptious meals. The open bar was open 24 hours a day and trust me, the alchohal was flowing.
Throughout my entire stay I did not understand how the hotel could be profitable. They had a very advanced free game room equipped with play stations, Nintendo wii’s, foosball, internet, and all sorts of other entertaining programs and games for no entrance fee. There were enough games to keep 20-30 people busy. There were over 5 pools ( not including Yam Hamelach) They even had a casino party ( which we won of course) where prizes were given out to the person with the most money at the end of the allotted time ( I won some nice dead sea mud and salts)
Being as I always look for deals, I had purchased our hotel stay at an excellent rate. Only when I went to the hotel’s spa did I fully understand how the hotel could offer such lavish amenities. The hotel was equipped with 40 “health rooms” to be used by masseuses and beauticians. When my wife went to schedule an appointment, she was told that everything was booked up and was given a time in the future ( later that day) that she could set up an appointment.
I quickly did the math ( they are charging 180 for a 30 min massage and 270 for a one hour) I figured they could easily be clearing close to 10,000 nis per hour on the spa alone! I am sure their costs are not that significant (the dead sea mud is located about 30 feet from the hotel) The spa is open for at least 12 hours a day ( 10,000 x 12 = 120,000 NIS)
Now that’s a smart business model. If you build it, and offer free food, THEY WILL COME!!
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Customer Retention
While watching The Office (TV Show) I recalled a sales tactic I had previously blogged about. This sales term when translated from English to Hebrew somehow gets lost in translation. The sales term is customer retention…
Let me explain.
In the TV show The Office ( shown on NBC) Ryan ( the temp working in a sales office) was quizzing Michael Scott ( the boss) on commonly known business terms and tactics. He asked Michael “which is more cost effective to sign up a new client, or to retain a current one.” To which Michael Scott answers, “ um, neither - it a trick question.”
Ryan responds “ To keep an existing client is 10 times more cost effective than signing up a new one.”
A few weeks ago I broke away from Israel’s greatest telecommunications tyrant. I discontinued my services with Orange (Partner communications). Even though I still have 2 years left on my contract with them, I decided to cut my losses and I notified them that I would not be using their services. Orange told me that there would be all sorts of insane penalties for “breaking their contract”. Even after being made aware of the penalties I still wanted to cancel. Simply put, I was tired of being taken advantage of. After hours of fighting, they told me to hold off canceling for a bit. They would have someone from customer retention speak with me to see if they could keep me as a customer.
Being a telesales professional, I have to admit that I was a bit excited to speak with this sales magician. In my personal case, where someone is willing to pay insane amounts of money in order to leave Orange telecommunications death grip there is little you can do. What could Orange possibly have up their sleeve? What could this retention agent possibly do to morph me back into a satisfied customer?
I asked Orange how long it would be until I receive a call from this customer retention magician. She replied, “It will take between 24 - 48 hours until they will contact you.” Now that threw me off a bit, are there that many people looking to cancel their accounts that Orange needs to wait two full days? I forgot about this concerning matter with hopes that this “agent” would have some special potion that would make things all better.
I doubted anything could be done as Orange had already done the despicable. Orange decided to increase my bill 18.75% without notifying me. I was routinely checking over my bill and noticed that the bill had been significantly higher then any previous bills. I called them up to complain, but was met with a simple, “ True we changed your fee rate, but the plan you had was too cheap - we had no choice”. After fighting with them for days it was clear to me that I would not be getting my old plan back and this new more expensive plan was my only option.
That’s how I got myself into this whole migela. Of all the people in the world to take advantage of, Zev Hecht is not one of them. Getting back to the story at hand, I am sitting - waiting - holding my breath for Orange to get back to me…
Meanwhile, I contact Cellcom to find out what kind of a plan they can offer. After 96 hours of waiting Orange responds with their “counter offer” in order to keep me as a client. They offer me a plan that is actually more expensive than my current plan. But that’s not all, in order for me to take this more expensive plan, I would actually have to sign a new 3 year contract with Orange. After explaining to their retention department that the current plan I had was actually cheaper than their “ special plan” they seemed downright stumped. They ridiculed the other providers, explain to me that only they could give me proper service. They even threatened me.
I switched to Cellcom a week ago and have been happy since.
Apparently in Israel - signing on a new customer and keeping an old one, well who cares. Lets just eat some shwarma…
Let me explain.
In the TV show The Office ( shown on NBC) Ryan ( the temp working in a sales office) was quizzing Michael Scott ( the boss) on commonly known business terms and tactics. He asked Michael “which is more cost effective to sign up a new client, or to retain a current one.” To which Michael Scott answers, “ um, neither - it a trick question.”
Ryan responds “ To keep an existing client is 10 times more cost effective than signing up a new one.”
A few weeks ago I broke away from Israel’s greatest telecommunications tyrant. I discontinued my services with Orange (Partner communications). Even though I still have 2 years left on my contract with them, I decided to cut my losses and I notified them that I would not be using their services. Orange told me that there would be all sorts of insane penalties for “breaking their contract”. Even after being made aware of the penalties I still wanted to cancel. Simply put, I was tired of being taken advantage of. After hours of fighting, they told me to hold off canceling for a bit. They would have someone from customer retention speak with me to see if they could keep me as a customer.
Being a telesales professional, I have to admit that I was a bit excited to speak with this sales magician. In my personal case, where someone is willing to pay insane amounts of money in order to leave Orange telecommunications death grip there is little you can do. What could Orange possibly have up their sleeve? What could this retention agent possibly do to morph me back into a satisfied customer?
I asked Orange how long it would be until I receive a call from this customer retention magician. She replied, “It will take between 24 - 48 hours until they will contact you.” Now that threw me off a bit, are there that many people looking to cancel their accounts that Orange needs to wait two full days? I forgot about this concerning matter with hopes that this “agent” would have some special potion that would make things all better.
I doubted anything could be done as Orange had already done the despicable. Orange decided to increase my bill 18.75% without notifying me. I was routinely checking over my bill and noticed that the bill had been significantly higher then any previous bills. I called them up to complain, but was met with a simple, “ True we changed your fee rate, but the plan you had was too cheap - we had no choice”. After fighting with them for days it was clear to me that I would not be getting my old plan back and this new more expensive plan was my only option.
That’s how I got myself into this whole migela. Of all the people in the world to take advantage of, Zev Hecht is not one of them. Getting back to the story at hand, I am sitting - waiting - holding my breath for Orange to get back to me…
Meanwhile, I contact Cellcom to find out what kind of a plan they can offer. After 96 hours of waiting Orange responds with their “counter offer” in order to keep me as a client. They offer me a plan that is actually more expensive than my current plan. But that’s not all, in order for me to take this more expensive plan, I would actually have to sign a new 3 year contract with Orange. After explaining to their retention department that the current plan I had was actually cheaper than their “ special plan” they seemed downright stumped. They ridiculed the other providers, explain to me that only they could give me proper service. They even threatened me.
I switched to Cellcom a week ago and have been happy since.
Apparently in Israel - signing on a new customer and keeping an old one, well who cares. Lets just eat some shwarma…
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Giving man the choice...
Any successful salesman knows that a prospective client must have the opportunity of choice in order for the salesmen to properly close a quick sale.
Let me explain...
By creating the option of choice, a prospective customer feels that he or she is actually making an educated decision based on mental calculations. The customer pushes aside any possible inkling of doubt and happily welcomes the prospect of buying a product that they don't actually need.
This false sense of choice is given to customers on a per minute basis. Choice has become such a lucrative business tactic that every possible product is now offered in different sizes, colors, shapes, and smells. When someone goes to the bathroom in Israel, they actually have the choice of the "big flush" or the "small flush". I personally find myself purchasing medium sized spice containers to be used for a recipe that I make approximately once every 20 years. Even as I am walking out of the store I am reassuring myself that the small was too small, and the large was simply too large. All the while this particular spice company has made another shekel on my purchase.
I recently added this common sales tactic into the everyday operation of one of my call center projects. Ever since the project was outsourced to IOC Israel we have been charging all sorts of different fees in order to "mask" the fact that the diverse programs we are offering are super expensive. Even though the program is VERY much worth it, the price alone deters the majority of possible customers. After months of sales I decided to implement the option of choice to our prospective clients. I now offer customers a "cheaper" program that in actuality is significantly cheaper than our original price. ( I make less should someone take this option) along the same plot line, I also added two other purchasing options. One that was even more ludicrously expensive, and the other that was just slightly more expensive than our original asking price.
Interestingly enough, having the option of paying less ( in order to convince people to pay more) worked! Not even one customer has taken the cheaper plan. Majority of our customers now take the middle plan which is just slightly more expensive and therefore more profitable for my office. There are even customers who boast, "Money is no object to me, give me the best and the most expensive". I happily do!
On your next trip to the store, be eccentric. Ask for the smallest sized shampoo. Smile to yourself knowing that no one can trick you into doing anything you don't want to do...
Let me explain...
By creating the option of choice, a prospective customer feels that he or she is actually making an educated decision based on mental calculations. The customer pushes aside any possible inkling of doubt and happily welcomes the prospect of buying a product that they don't actually need.
This false sense of choice is given to customers on a per minute basis. Choice has become such a lucrative business tactic that every possible product is now offered in different sizes, colors, shapes, and smells. When someone goes to the bathroom in Israel, they actually have the choice of the "big flush" or the "small flush". I personally find myself purchasing medium sized spice containers to be used for a recipe that I make approximately once every 20 years. Even as I am walking out of the store I am reassuring myself that the small was too small, and the large was simply too large. All the while this particular spice company has made another shekel on my purchase.
I recently added this common sales tactic into the everyday operation of one of my call center projects. Ever since the project was outsourced to IOC Israel we have been charging all sorts of different fees in order to "mask" the fact that the diverse programs we are offering are super expensive. Even though the program is VERY much worth it, the price alone deters the majority of possible customers. After months of sales I decided to implement the option of choice to our prospective clients. I now offer customers a "cheaper" program that in actuality is significantly cheaper than our original price. ( I make less should someone take this option) along the same plot line, I also added two other purchasing options. One that was even more ludicrously expensive, and the other that was just slightly more expensive than our original asking price.
Interestingly enough, having the option of paying less ( in order to convince people to pay more) worked! Not even one customer has taken the cheaper plan. Majority of our customers now take the middle plan which is just slightly more expensive and therefore more profitable for my office. There are even customers who boast, "Money is no object to me, give me the best and the most expensive". I happily do!
On your next trip to the store, be eccentric. Ask for the smallest sized shampoo. Smile to yourself knowing that no one can trick you into doing anything you don't want to do...
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Toddler beds etc…
I understand the market strategy to sell children’s versions of adult necessities. In an effort to create lucrative markets, businesses billionaires have convinced us that our children need miniature versions of adult products.
My son has a mini stroller for his teddy bear Ahris. He has little shoes just like the Steve maddens I had in 12th grade ( His were actually more expensive!) he wears the same Fox sweater that I have ( I am a size X X large – but more on that in a different post) and now, my eldest son Donniel’s newest advancement the “toddler bed”
It all started earlier this week when my son decided that he did not want to go to sleep. He jumped out of his crib, opened his door, walked down the stairs, and surprised Etana ( my wonderful wife) and myself in the kitchen with a HUGE smile. We sang him Shema and put him back in the crib. After a few minutes of calm and quiet he climbed out again. He was not going to sleep.
What did parents do before the Sealy mattress? Did Toddlers have smaller tents in which they slept on shorter bails of hay? What did parents spend all their money on if not miniature versions of things that even the parents don’t really need.
Well, I caved. We searched online but the price of a toddler bed was more expensive than an adult bed ( no surprise there). Luckily my in-laws know someone who had triplets and therefore have they have 3 toddler beds gathering dust in the house, With my Father in Laws help we received the bed two days ago. He still won’t sleep on it, but at least now I can sleep at night knowing that I have fulfilled my job as a parent and gotten my eldest son a miniature version of my bed.
My son has a mini stroller for his teddy bear Ahris. He has little shoes just like the Steve maddens I had in 12th grade ( His were actually more expensive!) he wears the same Fox sweater that I have ( I am a size X X large – but more on that in a different post) and now, my eldest son Donniel’s newest advancement the “toddler bed”
It all started earlier this week when my son decided that he did not want to go to sleep. He jumped out of his crib, opened his door, walked down the stairs, and surprised Etana ( my wonderful wife) and myself in the kitchen with a HUGE smile. We sang him Shema and put him back in the crib. After a few minutes of calm and quiet he climbed out again. He was not going to sleep.
What did parents do before the Sealy mattress? Did Toddlers have smaller tents in which they slept on shorter bails of hay? What did parents spend all their money on if not miniature versions of things that even the parents don’t really need.
Well, I caved. We searched online but the price of a toddler bed was more expensive than an adult bed ( no surprise there). Luckily my in-laws know someone who had triplets and therefore have they have 3 toddler beds gathering dust in the house, With my Father in Laws help we received the bed two days ago. He still won’t sleep on it, but at least now I can sleep at night knowing that I have fulfilled my job as a parent and gotten my eldest son a miniature version of my bed.
“A strong offense is a good defense.”
My basketball coach in 12th grade told me that line, and at the time I was naive enough not to question it. We had a terrible defense, and I think he was saying it just to make us feel better.
Here in Israel the meaning of that slogans somehow got lost in translation. In Hebrew its translated to, “ bad customer service means you can charge whatever you want whenever you want”
Let me explain – I got my phone bill last night, and naturally, being the good Samaritan that I am, I paid it on time. I threw the bill somewhere to be looked at “in the future just in case”. Weird thing happened today, I saw the bill and was interested enough to check it over. “That’s weird” I thought to myself. I have a 35 nis charge for reconnecting my Bezek line, and a 55 nis charge from 013 Barak for long distance calls.
Being as my phone was never disconnected, I had no idea why I would be charged for Bezek reconnecting my line. Similarly I have a VOIP line in my home, and therefore would never use 013 for long distance calls ( not to mention the fact that I am not a customer of 013.)
I put on my investigative hat and called up Bezek…
“I am sorry, you are being charged for the reconnection of your line because it was disconnected for 12 days and we had to reconnect it for you”
Hmm.. Wouldn’t I notice not having a house line for nearly 2 weeks?
I pushed her a bit and she refunded me the money that I was wrongfully charged. I asked about the 013 charges for long distance.
“ I am sorry, we are simply forwarding the bill that 013 is charging us for you long distance calls. You need to take up your issues with them”
I called up 013 Barak
“ I am sorry I see here one hour of calls made to Texas and Montana” If only I had actually known someone in Texas or Montana then this whole little scam would be plausible ( still not actually believable though... )
013 refused to help me ( no surprise there) They refused to let me speak to a manager or anyone who had any authority greater then a speaking peanut with bi-focals.
This whole episode got me thinking… could they be putting on a strong offense to show that they have no defense? Do they purposely just make up charges in order to increase their profit margins? Is there anyone else who feels like the supermarket is purposely charging you more for the items at the checkout register then what was clearly written as the price in the shopping isles? It may be lying and it may be out right dishonest, but for some its not a bad sales strategy. No one really pays attention anymore. We just hand over our charge cards similar to the way blind men do when receiving their paycheck in cash “I guess this makes sense”.
There has got to be a better way…
Here in Israel the meaning of that slogans somehow got lost in translation. In Hebrew its translated to, “ bad customer service means you can charge whatever you want whenever you want”
Let me explain – I got my phone bill last night, and naturally, being the good Samaritan that I am, I paid it on time. I threw the bill somewhere to be looked at “in the future just in case”. Weird thing happened today, I saw the bill and was interested enough to check it over. “That’s weird” I thought to myself. I have a 35 nis charge for reconnecting my Bezek line, and a 55 nis charge from 013 Barak for long distance calls.
Being as my phone was never disconnected, I had no idea why I would be charged for Bezek reconnecting my line. Similarly I have a VOIP line in my home, and therefore would never use 013 for long distance calls ( not to mention the fact that I am not a customer of 013.)
I put on my investigative hat and called up Bezek…
“I am sorry, you are being charged for the reconnection of your line because it was disconnected for 12 days and we had to reconnect it for you”
Hmm.. Wouldn’t I notice not having a house line for nearly 2 weeks?
I pushed her a bit and she refunded me the money that I was wrongfully charged. I asked about the 013 charges for long distance.
“ I am sorry, we are simply forwarding the bill that 013 is charging us for you long distance calls. You need to take up your issues with them”
I called up 013 Barak
“ I am sorry I see here one hour of calls made to Texas and Montana” If only I had actually known someone in Texas or Montana then this whole little scam would be plausible ( still not actually believable though... )
013 refused to help me ( no surprise there) They refused to let me speak to a manager or anyone who had any authority greater then a speaking peanut with bi-focals.
This whole episode got me thinking… could they be putting on a strong offense to show that they have no defense? Do they purposely just make up charges in order to increase their profit margins? Is there anyone else who feels like the supermarket is purposely charging you more for the items at the checkout register then what was clearly written as the price in the shopping isles? It may be lying and it may be out right dishonest, but for some its not a bad sales strategy. No one really pays attention anymore. We just hand over our charge cards similar to the way blind men do when receiving their paycheck in cash “I guess this makes sense”.
There has got to be a better way…
New business term - Confusing marketing.
As an adolescent I misunderstood marketing. I thought that the purpose of a sale was to create excitement over a product. I was told that the value of a sale was to increase sales…
Either I got everything wrong, or things work differently here in Israel.
Let me explain…
I walked into an “Israeli” clothing store hoping to buy myself a new rain coat. I saw all kinds of flashy signs trying to pull my attention to the clearance and sales items. Naturally my first stop was for the sales racks. I began to check over all the wonderful items that were on sale. I picked out 2 things that I thought would fit me nicely, and glanced over at the sales sign hoping that it would better explain the pricing structure of these “on sale” items. “buy 2 pants and 3 pairs of socks – and get an umbrella free” What does that mean? I could use some pants, but I have no need for socks or an umbrella…
I decide to disregard the entire sales rack and I ventured off to find a normal sale that might suit my needs. In my moment of clear headedness I spotted the coat rack. Being as I had came into the store for a coat, it made sense to me to at least go over and try some on. The sale was “buy 2 coats, get 2 coats free”
Now what does that mean… If I buy 2 coats, I will be getting 2 coats free? Would the 2 original coats retroactively become free? If I do buy 2 coats, will receive an additional 2 coats free? Or does it mean that if I buy 4 coats the next 4 are free? Who needs 2 coats? or an even better question, who needs 4 coats? I just need the one coat…
I went to the register to ask for an explanation about the sale. I asked what the price was for just one coat. She told me “no reason to buy just buy one, read the sign, you need to buy 4…
I miss the days when sales were simple… 40% off clearance sticker price – great - do you accept credit cards???
Either I got everything wrong, or things work differently here in Israel.
Let me explain…
I walked into an “Israeli” clothing store hoping to buy myself a new rain coat. I saw all kinds of flashy signs trying to pull my attention to the clearance and sales items. Naturally my first stop was for the sales racks. I began to check over all the wonderful items that were on sale. I picked out 2 things that I thought would fit me nicely, and glanced over at the sales sign hoping that it would better explain the pricing structure of these “on sale” items. “buy 2 pants and 3 pairs of socks – and get an umbrella free” What does that mean? I could use some pants, but I have no need for socks or an umbrella…
I decide to disregard the entire sales rack and I ventured off to find a normal sale that might suit my needs. In my moment of clear headedness I spotted the coat rack. Being as I had came into the store for a coat, it made sense to me to at least go over and try some on. The sale was “buy 2 coats, get 2 coats free”
Now what does that mean… If I buy 2 coats, I will be getting 2 coats free? Would the 2 original coats retroactively become free? If I do buy 2 coats, will receive an additional 2 coats free? Or does it mean that if I buy 4 coats the next 4 are free? Who needs 2 coats? or an even better question, who needs 4 coats? I just need the one coat…
I went to the register to ask for an explanation about the sale. I asked what the price was for just one coat. She told me “no reason to buy just buy one, read the sign, you need to buy 4…
I miss the days when sales were simple… 40% off clearance sticker price – great - do you accept credit cards???
Sunday, January 11, 2009
What is the next wave of billionaire businessmen currently thinking?
Every successful businessman at some point has had the same thoughts running through their minds. "How can I make more money, How can I keep my current amassed wealth?"
In the past generation if you met someone who I like to describe as "super wealthy" it would be a good bet to assume that either this person inherited their good fortune, or they created it by knowing how to "buy low and sell high". It feels as if things in the business world may have changed. With the crash of the housing market, the current dollar fluctuations, and the uncertainty of the stock market, it has become significantly harder to point out "Super wealthy".
I remember at an earlier period in my life it was easily distinguishable who was wealthy, or at least who wanted to be perceived as "well off". It all started with those lucky individuals who had cell phones, then those who had newer versions of cell phones, then palm pilots, then Blackberrys. Now- well, now it’s those who have private jets. With multi billion dollar ponzi schemes afloat and rampant home foreclosures even those with "private jets" are feeling the crunch.
So now, getting back to the age old question, "How can I make more money, how can I keep my current amassed wealth"? The answer is simple. A successful businessman must ensure the highest level of professionalism throughout his/her entire staff. But how is that possible in a market where everything is outsourced, and everyone is looking to cut corners to meet strict deadlines.
To answer that question, I would like to revisit a realization that came to me only a few years ago. I was at the time working as Director of New Business Development in a mid sized international shipping company. It was the end of the week and I had been cold calling potential clients for the past few days in order to bring new business to my company. My phone started ringing with hopes that it was a prospective client, I decided to push off the weekend just another bit, and answer the phoneTo my surprise it was a not native English speaker trying to sell me some b2b product. Even though I myself was currently employed to do cold calls, I hung up the phone after I discovered that he was indeed cold calling me. I was actually disgusted. I thought, " It is so close to the weekend, don't these people have any respect".
It was then that it hit me. My realization was simply, how did I plan on being successful cold calling companies if I myself just received a cold call and my first impulse was to slam the phone down! From that day on I thought there had to be a better way.
Getting back to our question at hand, everyday we ask ourselves "How can I make more money, how can I keep my current amassed wealth". What’s my answer? Simply put, the answer is a country created by the United Nations in 1948. A country that is considered to be the Jewish ideological state and at the same time the Jewish homeland. By outsourcing to Israel any business can “cut the corners” and not lose any level of quality or professionalism.
The varied international demographic composition in Israel allows it to offer businesses qualified native language speakers for any possible business need. The trend of outsourcing has been pushing India, Philippines, Brazil, and many other third world countries. Customers are getting tired of being hassled by phone calls made by heavily accented callers. They call during dinner, they call on Sunday, and they sound unfamiliar.
It’s been a few years since since I moved to Israel but I have been building my dream ever since. I live in Israel which is a unique land not only for Jews, but also for anyone looking for the highest level of professionalism at off-shore costs. It is no surprise that Israel proudly holds the award for greatest higher education to civilian ratio. With the recent influx of immigrant populations coming from North America, Europe, and Russia, Israel has become an ideal outsource location.
My company IOC Israel is just one of the many call centers located in Israel. I can only speak about my staff, but I know that we can be ranked amongst the best in the world.Israel is shaping up to be a serious contender for world’s next provider of quality telemarketing and sales.
In closing, to answer the question the next wave of successful businessman are trying to find ways to “cut the corners" but still remain just as professional.
Contact me today with any questions you might have.
Info@iocisrael.com
http://www.iocisrael.com/
In the past generation if you met someone who I like to describe as "super wealthy" it would be a good bet to assume that either this person inherited their good fortune, or they created it by knowing how to "buy low and sell high". It feels as if things in the business world may have changed. With the crash of the housing market, the current dollar fluctuations, and the uncertainty of the stock market, it has become significantly harder to point out "Super wealthy".
I remember at an earlier period in my life it was easily distinguishable who was wealthy, or at least who wanted to be perceived as "well off". It all started with those lucky individuals who had cell phones, then those who had newer versions of cell phones, then palm pilots, then Blackberrys. Now- well, now it’s those who have private jets. With multi billion dollar ponzi schemes afloat and rampant home foreclosures even those with "private jets" are feeling the crunch.
So now, getting back to the age old question, "How can I make more money, how can I keep my current amassed wealth"? The answer is simple. A successful businessman must ensure the highest level of professionalism throughout his/her entire staff. But how is that possible in a market where everything is outsourced, and everyone is looking to cut corners to meet strict deadlines.
To answer that question, I would like to revisit a realization that came to me only a few years ago. I was at the time working as Director of New Business Development in a mid sized international shipping company. It was the end of the week and I had been cold calling potential clients for the past few days in order to bring new business to my company. My phone started ringing with hopes that it was a prospective client, I decided to push off the weekend just another bit, and answer the phoneTo my surprise it was a not native English speaker trying to sell me some b2b product. Even though I myself was currently employed to do cold calls, I hung up the phone after I discovered that he was indeed cold calling me. I was actually disgusted. I thought, " It is so close to the weekend, don't these people have any respect".
It was then that it hit me. My realization was simply, how did I plan on being successful cold calling companies if I myself just received a cold call and my first impulse was to slam the phone down! From that day on I thought there had to be a better way.
Getting back to our question at hand, everyday we ask ourselves "How can I make more money, how can I keep my current amassed wealth". What’s my answer? Simply put, the answer is a country created by the United Nations in 1948. A country that is considered to be the Jewish ideological state and at the same time the Jewish homeland. By outsourcing to Israel any business can “cut the corners” and not lose any level of quality or professionalism.
The varied international demographic composition in Israel allows it to offer businesses qualified native language speakers for any possible business need. The trend of outsourcing has been pushing India, Philippines, Brazil, and many other third world countries. Customers are getting tired of being hassled by phone calls made by heavily accented callers. They call during dinner, they call on Sunday, and they sound unfamiliar.
It’s been a few years since since I moved to Israel but I have been building my dream ever since. I live in Israel which is a unique land not only for Jews, but also for anyone looking for the highest level of professionalism at off-shore costs. It is no surprise that Israel proudly holds the award for greatest higher education to civilian ratio. With the recent influx of immigrant populations coming from North America, Europe, and Russia, Israel has become an ideal outsource location.
My company IOC Israel is just one of the many call centers located in Israel. I can only speak about my staff, but I know that we can be ranked amongst the best in the world.Israel is shaping up to be a serious contender for world’s next provider of quality telemarketing and sales.
In closing, to answer the question the next wave of successful businessman are trying to find ways to “cut the corners" but still remain just as professional.
Contact me today with any questions you might have.
Info@iocisrael.com
http://www.iocisrael.com/
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