Marketing Lessions from a Mall Kiosk Vendor

Hey James,

I enjoyed your post. But you left out what this guy's magical product is and who the manufacturer is. In sunny S. Fla there's a gazillion seniors with glasses. You've twicked my interest.

Mitch

> I love to go to the local Mall and browse
> the wares of the kiosk vendors. On busy
> Saturdays there is almost a carnival
> atmosphere.

> Last Saturday one particular vendor caught
> my attention. He was a young man about
> college age. Now, if you notice most kiosk
> venders just sit back and wait for customers
> to come and start looking at their products.
> Not this guy. His was out there talking to
> people as they walked by and roping them in.

> He was selling a glass cleaning and
> polishing product. What he would do is look
> for people wearing glasses and right before
> they got to his kiosk he would step up to
> them and say, "Excuse me Sir. (or Ms.)
> your glasses look scratched. If you will
> allow me to polish them I think I can remove
> the scratches." Most people hand him
> their glasses and he sprays a few drops from
> a spray bottle and then quickly polishes the
> glasses with a cloth, hands them back to the
> owner and says, "There you go. Good as
> new. Check for yourself." Of course
> everyone put's their glasses back on and are
> amazed to find that the scratches are gone.
> The first thing they say is "what is
> that stuff?" And you know what? At that
> point he's got them. He doesn't even have to
> ask for the sale. They have sold themselves.
> It now just becomes a matter of whether they
> will buy the small bottle or the large
> bottle. Of course if they buy the large
> bottle (at $29.99!!!) they get this bonus
> and that bonus and oh, I'll throw in a small
> bottle as well. This young guy was marketing
> master.

> I watched him for about 15 minutes and then
> got to talking to him. He said he used to
> work for a distributer and sold the stuff
> door to door. He eventually wised up and
> contacted the manufacturer himself. The
> manufacturer gave him the idea to put up a
> kiosk in a high traffic mall.

> Incidently, I was curious what kind of rent
> he paid and he told me it was $2000.00 a
> month. I commented that he must have to sell
> a lot of bottles to cover that expense and
> he grined and said he makes that much on one
> Saturday.