Demonstrations
Demonstrations. The burning question – my place or yours?
There are pros and cons to both. Thirty-three years of practical, sleeves rolled up and hands on experience has demonstrated time and again that a demo in your home is worth more to you (and I do mean you in this context) than in mine.
Let me explain – in a nutshell
However, if my nutshell explanation is insufficient, too superficial – then please plough your way through the rest of this page. It took me a while to write – and you might just find it interesting.
But if you don't, having read it – then please accept my unqualified apologies for wasting your time. It happens. I'm not infallible. Anyway . . .
Here's that nutshell:
The satisfaction figures here (yes, I really undertake this kind of survey) speak for themselves.
The probability of you being happier and for longer with your purchase from me (and my guess is that it would be similar with other retailers if only they were prepared to get up off their fat wotsits and be proactive and moan less about the recession) is far higher if you audition your shortlist of intended purchases in your room – rather than in my room!
If that's sufficient for you, then phone me right now please on 0208 369 6047 to discuss this and related matters. Thank you. If not though, please read on.
Fact:
My room sounds like my room. Not your room. My room! This means anything (and everything) I demonstrate in my room will sound different to the way it does in your room.
Sometimes that difference is an improvement. Sometimes not. Sometimes the differences are minute and not worth bothering with. Sometimes they're vast and the improvements very worthwhile.
Yes indeed, in at least seven out of every nine home demonstrations and installations, the resulting sound has been better or significantly better than I achieve here in my standard domestic (i.e. non-acoustically treated) living room. I see no viable reason for denying this.
Fact:
Anyone who claims that they can predict how an item or a system will work in any room – without testing it out in that final room – probably tells lies about other things as well.
Fact:
I can't bring everything with me. My entire demo stock would need a small truck to move. This means a degree of selection prior to me visiting you is required. This is usually achieved during one or more phone conversations, plus occasional emails. Quite rarely these days it might need a visit to my place first to make the basic selection.
Fact:
I'm not as young and strong as I used to be. This means that home demonstrations i.e. the ones away from here, take place within a radius of around 100 miles from North (or Norf as is sometimes pronounced) London. Manchester is right out, as is Aberdeen. Warwick is in. Birmingham isn't. You get the idea I'm sure.
Fact:
I don't charge for home demonstrations. But as you're asking, a black coffee without sugar will do nicely thank you. As for biscuits, I'm not keen on Ginger Nuts or Lemon Creams. Other than this, I'm easy. Garibaldi is the current favourite or even my PA’s preference for milk chocolate Rich Tea.
Fact:
I don't apply any sales pressure – neither overt nor covert.
I don't bounce around in your living room telling you how great the sound is – especially when it clearly isn't. Which begs the question as to why so many salespeople who should know better clearly don't. But that's a debate for another time and place I guess. Anyway . . .
The reason I don't behave like this is simple. I'm financially content. I don't need to act like a hungry kid/salesman or a thug.
I leave all the hard selling, the evangelising of the maker's doctrine, the snake oil, the hype and all the associated cabaret-type nonsense to the desperate. I'm not desperate – and my customers aren't impressionable kids. The difference is though that I recognise this fact – whereas many other retailers don't. Which is pretty good for me because the contrast between me and so many others is striking, immediate and positive.
Most of the time, the chemistry works. Sometimes it doesn't. I expect the former and I'm prepared for the latter.
Fact:
Some people want my expertise and they are outside my 100 mile radius. So I offer – on the majority of items – a Buy-without-risk / Sale-or-return mail order service by prior arrangement. That way such people get the benefit of a home demo from me – but without my bulky presence crushing their carpet, and they get a longer listening period – because I don't do sleepovers!
Fact:
The satisfaction figures here (yes, I really undertake this kind of survey) speak for themselves. The probability of you being happier and for longer with your purchase from me (and my guess is that it would be similar with other retailers if only they were prepared to get up off their fat wotsits and be proactive and moan less about the recession) is far higher if you hear your shortlist of intended purchases in your house rather than mine. Yes, I know you read this bit earlier. But I think it warrants repeating. So I repeated it. That's the end of repeats in this page. Promise!
And finally
I have been known to make home visits on a Saturday morning.
That's it.
Thank you.