The Deadly Cost Of Believing The Offer Trumps All

Thanks Ewen.

It's funny I have a personal experience regarding a Seiko watch and a reclusive friend I have that I usually go to visit once or twice a year.

Creating Authority was the change.

Anyway....my friend...

He doesn't have the internet or mobile phone...in fact that is why we go to see him because reception is patchy at best and the isolation is a relief when we need to get away from it all.

Last time I visited he showed me a brochure that had been mailed to him for an online watch seller that was offering Seiko watches at very competitive prices.

He had circled the watch he desired with a scrawly biro ring and kept that rough bit of paper for around 8 months since it had been mailed.

When I visited I hooked up my wireless and checked out the reseller and I was surprised that the watch was still available.

Now...I could have bought it for him there and then and given that they accepted Paypal I felt the delivery would be assured...I also did a company search...and looked a bit into them to make sure they were legit.

It was a nice watch and he was set on it...but there was a small doubt...not in my mind but in his....

...it was a trust factor.

He had to overcome several trust factors.

The Internet, a remote supplier and a Payment system he had no experience of....he was a cash only guy.

So...

I drove him 350km (200miles) to the nearest "Big" town and we started to search through the various Seiko approved jewellers.

Low and behold there was one of those watches in the window.

It was over $250 more than the online listed price....

...but at least he could try it on and experience what it would be like to own the watch.

We then had the interesting experience of negotiating his first purchase using EFTPOS...which failed.

He thought his account was a savings account because that is where he saved all his money...but it was a checking account.

I then drove him to a teller machine outside one of the branches of the bank he used....

...and guided him through a cash withdrawal which he then took back to the store to make the purchase.

When I spoke to the store owner about my friend's eccentricity he share with me that he had come into the store over two years ago and tried on that very watch...when it was double the price.

My friend can now tell the time and date even though he lives in a world where he has no need for that information.

He is very proud to display "HIS" watch to everyone he encounters.

It just shows that even though people may have a desire and they may even have held the item they desire it requires several factors to come together for a sale to happen.

Desire, trust and timing.