Friday, February 21, 2014

Product 101

Some 25 years ago when I went through host training at HSN, the first thing we were taught was that that the product is king.  Not me, not you, not the model, and certainly not the set we're selling from.  And yet, it seems like people forget this from time to time.  I like to call it believing your own press release syndrome.  This is the phenomena where a presenter starts to think that their mere presence is more powerful and important to the sell than exploring the features & benefits of the actual item being sold.  This is a bad thing.  Because the customers want to see what they're (hopefully) buying.  They want to see it work, they want to know what it can do, and they want to know how they might use it in their homes.  Do they care about our opinions?  Sure, to a certain extent.  But, not more so than seeing their potential purchase do it's thing on live TV.

Now, if you're reading this, and we work together on TV, don't worry, I'm not talking about YOU...as far as you know.  The truth is, that we're all guilty of hogging the camera from time to time, taking the limelight away from the true star, our product.  So what should you do? Listen to yourself, listen to your co-host, and ask yourself, "does what I'm saying actually impact the sales of this item?"  If the answer is no, change your tactics, let the other person talk, but for the love of Mike, please don't just monologue for the sake of face time!  Remember, air time is precious, and the product is King...not you.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Because you believe in this pearl of wisdom, you can say 25 years ago when you were in host training. Your still doing it, and quite well I might ad.

Sometimes talent in the shopping industry can lose perspective. If we have the ability to self-examine, we can only get better, which is why I've always admired you and most of all, your abilities. Like a fine wine Lou, you just keep getting better....

Lou Caputo said...

Thanks Matt! You were there my first day, so you REALLY know my humble beginnings. Of all the things you taught me, "don't let this job go to your head" definitely ranks up there near the top of the list! Time marches on, and now it's my wife who keeps my ego in check!