Boat salesmanship?
 

I had to laugh at this. We have narrowed our boat choices to two, Pursuit
and Grady White. I am arranging sea trials so we can decide which one we
want. The Grady White salesman tells me:

"Please try the Pursuit first. Then when you try the Grady White it will be
clear how much better it is. I guarantee you'll end up a Grady White owner"

Then I call the Pursuit salesman to arrange the trial.. He tells me:

"Please try the Grady White first. Then when you try the Pursuit it will be
clear how much better it is. I guarantee you'll end up a Pursuit owner"

What's a buyer to think g?

--
Peter Aitken
Visit my recipe and kitchen myths page at www.pgacon.com/cooking.htm

"Peter Aitken" wrote in message
. com...
I had to laugh at this. We have narrowed our boat choices to two, Pursuit
and Grady White. I am arranging sea trials so we can decide which one we
want. The Grady White salesman tells me:

"Please try the Pursuit first. Then when you try the Grady White it will
be clear how much better it is. I guarantee you'll end up a Grady White
owner"

Then I call the Pursuit salesman to arrange the trial.. He tells me:

"Please try the Grady White first. Then when you try the Pursuit it will
be clear how much better it is. I guarantee you'll end up a Pursuit owner"

What's a buyer to think g?

I think the reps for the two manufacturers have been cocktailing together at
industry conventions, and they both forgot who was supposed to teach what
line to the retail salesmen. :-)

What's a buyer to think g?

*******

Ah, yes. The old "see me last" pitch.

A buyer is to think that both salespeople are reluctant to spend the
afternoon demoing the boat knowing full well that when they move in for
the close you've got a built-in blowout, "But I haven't tried Brand X
yet!"

The best chance to close you, and at the highest negotiatied price, is
during the "excitement" following your test spin.

If both boats are fairly comparable, odds are that you *will* buy the
boat you demo last. The first boat would have to make some sort of
enormous impression that goes well beyond merely being competitive in
its class to remain the favorite as you take the second boat out and
get all jazzed, again.

The second salesman also has the advantage of learning from the first
salesman's errors and/or your reactions. Just about the time you
comment, "I would have bought that other boat, but I don't like the
idea of construction characteristic X," the second salesman suddenly
gets very stupid about whether his boat also incorporates the same
item. If the items are similar in price, and the price is negotiable,
the second salesperson also enjoys the advantage of dealing with a
customer who has some idea of what it will take to buy the other
product. Even if you play your cards close to the vest and don't
divulge the "deal" you've been offered, you still have a basis for
comparison and are more likely to make a decision when you believe you
are offered an equally competitive or more favorable deal by the second
dealer.

All the first salesman can hope for is that the second salesman will
really screw up. Knocking the product is a classic. Second guy says,
"You demo'd the Brand X? What a piece of crap! I wouldn't try to
paddle across a mudpuddle in one of those!" Buyer thinks, "Hmmm, my
research led me to believe that Brand X and Brand Y were both pretty
good boats, but if the Brand Y guy is right and there's all this stuff
wrong with Brand X, my reasearch on Brand Y is probably not very good
either and I better hold off making any decision at all."

The only other effective tool, and it shouldn't be underestimated, is
that a good rapport or relationship with the salesperson will often
carry the day when two very similar products are being compared. In my
life I've made hundreds of sales, (and probably lost tens of
thousands), because the buyers ultimately made a decision based on
which salesperson they "felt better" about.

Peter Aitken wrote:
I had to laugh at this. We have narrowed our boat choices to two, Pursuit
and Grady White. I am arranging sea trials so we can decide which one we
want. The Grady White salesman tells me:

"Please try the Pursuit first. Then when you try the Grady White it will be
clear how much better it is. I guarantee you'll end up a Grady White owner"

Then I call the Pursuit salesman to arrange the trial.. He tells me:

"Please try the Grady White first. Then when you try the Pursuit it will be
clear how much better it is. I guarantee you'll end up a Pursuit owner"

What's a buyer to think g?

--
Peter Aitken
Visit my recipe and kitchen myths page at www.pgacon.com/cooking.htm

Pretty cool website you've got there, Peter! I like it!

On Fri, 03 Jun 2005 16:24:14 GMT, "Peter Aitken"
wrote:

I had to laugh at this. We have narrowed our boat choices to two, Pursuit
and Grady White. I am arranging sea trials so we can decide which one we
want. The Grady White salesman tells me:

"Please try the Pursuit first. Then when you try the Grady White it will be
clear how much better it is. I guarantee you'll end up a Grady White owner"

Then I call the Pursuit salesman to arrange the trial.. He tells me:

"Please try the Grady White first. Then when you try the Pursuit it will be
clear how much better it is. I guarantee you'll end up a Pursuit owner"

What's a buyer to think g?

Chuck's got it right, but I always like to use a different technique -
mainly, play stupid.

And I never, EVER, tell the sales person exactly what I do and don't
know about anything.

My rule is to play stupid - and lie. "This is the first boat I've
looked at - tell me about it". Don't tell them you are interested in
anything - just getting information.

The less informed you act, the more information you will receive.

Later,

Tom

"Peter Aitken" wrote in message
. com...
I had to laugh at this. We have narrowed our boat choices to two, Pursuit
and Grady White. I am arranging sea trials so we can decide which one we
want. The Grady White salesman tells me:

"Please try the Pursuit first. Then when you try the Grady White it will
be clear how much better it is. I guarantee you'll end up a Grady White
owner"

Then I call the Pursuit salesman to arrange the trial.. He tells me:

"Please try the Grady White first. Then when you try the Pursuit it will
be clear how much better it is. I guarantee you'll end up a Pursuit owner"

What's a buyer to think g?

When I was looking at an Acura TL and an Infiniti G35, the Acura guy used
the same line:
"Please drive the Infiniti first. Then when you drive the Acura, you'll see
how much sweeter of a car it is."

Unfortunately for him, one ride in the G told me all I needed to know. I
bought the Infiniti on the spot.

Pursuit and Grady both make fine boats. I doubt you could go wrong with
either one. If it were pre-1998 boats that you were comparing, I'd say go
with the Pursuit. Grady didn't start using Marine grade XL wood until
then...and water intrusion used to cause a lot of trouble with the older
Grady's. Today's Grady is as nice as any other boat out there, IMHO. What
size boat are you looking at?

wrote in message
ups.com...
What's a buyer to think g?

*******

Ah, yes. The old "see me last" pitch.

A buyer is to think that both salespeople are reluctant to spend the
afternoon demoing the boat knowing full well that when they move in for
the close you've got a built-in blowout, "But I haven't tried Brand X
yet!"

The best chance to close you, and at the highest negotiatied price, is
during the "excitement" following your test spin.

If both boats are fairly comparable, odds are that you *will* buy the
boat you demo last. The first boat would have to make some sort of
enormous impression that goes well beyond merely being competitive in
its class to remain the favorite as you take the second boat out and
get all jazzed, again.

The second salesman also has the advantage of learning from the first
salesman's errors and/or your reactions. Just about the time you
comment, "I would have bought that other boat, but I don't like the
idea of construction characteristic X," the second salesman suddenly
gets very stupid about whether his boat also incorporates the same
item. If the items are similar in price, and the price is negotiable,
the second salesperson also enjoys the advantage of dealing with a
customer who has some idea of what it will take to buy the other
product. Even if you play your cards close to the vest and don't
divulge the "deal" you've been offered, you still have a basis for
comparison and are more likely to make a decision when you believe you
are offered an equally competitive or more favorable deal by the second
dealer.

All the first salesman can hope for is that the second salesman will
really screw up. Knocking the product is a classic. Second guy says,
"You demo'd the Brand X? What a piece of crap! I wouldn't try to
paddle across a mudpuddle in one of those!" Buyer thinks, "Hmmm, my
research led me to believe that Brand X and Brand Y were both pretty
good boats, but if the Brand Y guy is right and there's all this stuff
wrong with Brand X, my reasearch on Brand Y is probably not very good
either and I better hold off making any decision at all."

All very good points.


The only other effective tool, and it shouldn't be underestimated, is
that a good rapport or relationship with the salesperson will often
carry the day when two very similar products are being compared.
In my
life I've made hundreds of sales, (and probably lost tens of
thousands), because the buyers ultimately made a decision based on
which salesperson they "felt better" about.


Which is probably what will happen here. Both the Grady and the Pursuit are
fine boats.

"NOYB" wrote in message
...

"Peter Aitken" wrote in message
. com...
I had to laugh at this. We have narrowed our boat choices to two, Pursuit
and Grady White. I am arranging sea trials so we can decide which one we
want. The Grady White salesman tells me:

"Please try the Pursuit first. Then when you try the Grady White it will
be clear how much better it is. I guarantee you'll end up a Grady White
owner"

Then I call the Pursuit salesman to arrange the trial.. He tells me:

"Please try the Grady White first. Then when you try the Pursuit it will
be clear how much better it is. I guarantee you'll end up a Pursuit
owner"

What's a buyer to think g?

When I was looking at an Acura TL and an Infiniti G35, the Acura guy used
the same line:
"Please drive the Infiniti first. Then when you drive the Acura, you'll
see how much sweeter of a car it is."

Unfortunately for him, one ride in the G told me all I needed to know. I
bought the Infiniti on the spot.

Pursuit and Grady both make fine boats. I doubt you could go wrong with
either one. If it were pre-1998 boats that you were comparing, I'd say go
with the Pursuit. Grady didn't start using Marine grade XL wood until
then...and water intrusion used to cause a lot of trouble with the older
Grady's. Today's Grady is as nice as any other boat out there, IMHO.
What size boat are you looking at?



28 foot walkarounds. Thanks to all for the info and advice. I'll have to
plan a strategy! But given the high reputation of both boats we will
probably buy on price unless one seems markedly better than the other in a
trial. I'll be sure to report back!

--
Peter Aitken

On Fri, 03 Jun 2005 22:12:42 GMT, "Peter Aitken" wrote:

"NOYB" wrote in message
...

"Peter Aitken" wrote in message
. com...
I had to laugh at this. We have narrowed our boat choices to two, Pursuit
and Grady White. I am arranging sea trials so we can decide which one we
want. The Grady White salesman tells me:

"Please try the Pursuit first. Then when you try the Grady White it will
be clear how much better it is. I guarantee you'll end up a Grady White
owner"

Then I call the Pursuit salesman to arrange the trial.. He tells me:

"Please try the Grady White first. Then when you try the Pursuit it will
be clear how much better it is. I guarantee you'll end up a Pursuit
owner"

What's a buyer to think g?

When I was looking at an Acura TL and an Infiniti G35, the Acura guy used
the same line:
"Please drive the Infiniti first. Then when you drive the Acura, you'll
see how much sweeter of a car it is."

Unfortunately for him, one ride in the G told me all I needed to know. I
bought the Infiniti on the spot.

Pursuit and Grady both make fine boats. I doubt you could go wrong with
either one. If it were pre-1998 boats that you were comparing, I'd say go
with the Pursuit. Grady didn't start using Marine grade XL wood until
then...and water intrusion used to cause a lot of trouble with the older
Grady's. Today's Grady is as nice as any other boat out there, IMHO.
What size boat are you looking at?



28 foot walkarounds. Thanks to all for the info and advice. I'll have to
plan a strategy! But given the high reputation of both boats we will
probably buy on price unless one seems markedly better than the other in a
trial. I'll be sure to report back!

Please do. And please give us permission to try out some of your recipes!

--
John H
On the 'PocoLoco' out of Deale, MD

"Divide each difficulty into as many parts as is feasible and necessary to resolve it."
Rene Descartes (A true binary thinker!)

On Fri, 03 Jun 2005 22:12:42 GMT, "Peter Aitken"
wrote:

28 foot walkarounds. Thanks to all for the info and advice. I'll have to
plan a strategy! But given the high reputation of both boats we will
probably buy on price unless one seems markedly better than the other in a
trial. I'll be sure to report back!

Pursuit- buy the Pursuit!!!

Later,

Tom