BlackBerry should open stores
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The new BlackBerry wants to be friends with everybody, but they have to stand up for themselves at the retail channel level (which does deal with business customers too) because no one else will... at least not until it's proven that there is commercial benefit of doing so. It's about getting excellent BB10 devices in front of prospective customers and it can't be done when devices are non-existent in the retail channel and the only way for prospective customers to see the devices is to spend a lot of time hunting them down... which by definition at this point means "a tiny island of non-hostility to BlackBerry Ltd. and their products"... in an OCEAN of carrier stores and mobile device shops that ACTIVELY DISCOURAGE ANYONE from even CONSIDERING a BlackBerry device.
Question: what would YOU do RIGHT NOW if you wanted to TOUCH a Passport device (assuming you don't own one?). I might go to the local mall and look at the carrier stores and HOPE that I'd see one... but I'm a BB fan and when the clerk at the store starts in with the "why do you want THAT", or trying to push whatever thing they're going to get a $50 bonus for selling, well, I can resist, but when the sales-person is AGAINST BB and actually INCENTIVIZED to be against BB, what can possibly change?TJ Strozier likes this.05-06-15 09:43 AMLike 1 - Well im talking about a store or 2 maybe. Not a whole bunch. New york is the heart and city of the world and even with tourist attractions, they can gain recognition that they still exist.
I mean, how many tourists from asia visit an apple store in the u.s. Its like a landmark for them. Lol.
Posted via CB10
Doesn't/didn't BlackBerry have around 4000 kiosks/partner stores in Indonesia alone or something like that? Here is a photo of such a partnership store in Indonesia that I took a photo of,
05-06-15 09:51 AMLike 0 - Yes... because BlackBerry would be a franchisee of a general mobility device vendor. They wouldn't be able to stop it, technically, and BlackBerry wouldn't be trashing iPhone and Android up and down the dunes here... they'd just be NOT trashing BlackBerry. Remember, BlackBerry is moving toward a platform-agnostic revenue model where they MAKE MONEY from Android and iOS and Windows Phone devices attached to BES and running BlackBerry software on the devices.
The new BlackBerry wants to be friends with everybody, but they have to stand up for themselves at the retail channel level (which does deal with business customers too) because no one else will... at least not until it's proven that there is commercial benefit of doing so. It's about getting excellent BB10 devices in front of prospective customers and it can't be done when devices are non-existent in the retail channel and the only way for prospective customers to see the devices is to spend a lot of time hunting them down... which by definition at this point means "a tiny island of non-hostility to BlackBerry Ltd. and their products"... in an OCEAN of carrier stores and mobile device shops that ACTIVELY DISCOURAGE ANYONE from even CONSIDERING a BlackBerry device.
Question: what would YOU do RIGHT NOW if you wanted to TOUCH a Passport device (assuming you don't own one?). I might go to the local mall and look at the carrier stores and HOPE that I'd see one... but I'm a BB fan and when the clerk at the store starts in with the "why do you want THAT", or trying to push whatever thing they're going to get a $50 bonus for selling, well, I can resist, but when the sales-person is AGAINST BB and actually INCENTIVIZED to be against BB, what can possibly change?pantlesspenguin and Troy Tiscareno like this.05-06-15 10:02 AMLike 2 - This is because nobody in their right mind visiting the U.S.A from Asia will ever decide "Let's go to the Apple store" They exist in Asia...
Doesn't/didn't BlackBerry have around 4000 kiosks/partner stores in Indonesia alone or something like that? Here is a photo of such a partnership store in Indonesia that I took a photo of,
TJ Strozier of Astronomic Music Group05-06-15 10:13 AMLike 0 - So basically BlackBerry will spend its precious money to help sell its competitors' products. Also, why would an IPhone customer go to a BlackBerry sponsored store that sells Apple products if they can go directly to the Apple store which has Apple's specialized staff and most likely a more lively atmosphere?
TJ Strozier of Astronomic Music Group05-06-15 10:15 AMLike 0 - They said "ASIANS VISITING" the US. Did you ask the Asians if they were visiting or did you just assume they weren't Americans because they were Asians?05-06-15 10:31 AMLike 0
- And your point about opening a retail store "not to make money" does? Using a store to Advertise one's products and presence in the market is the quickest way to go bankrupt because a shop that doesn't make money is basically an expensive billboard with paid staff. Also, a constantly empty shop which I assume would happen to a BlackBerry store is actually negative advertising.FCSC and Troy Tiscareno like this.05-06-15 10:35 AMLike 2
- I don't know if you guys are familiar with today's pop or rap music genres at all, but back in 2011, Jay-Z and Kanye West released an album together. The day of the release, as a form a promotion, pop-up stores were constructed solely to sell the album. This expensive marketing scheme expresses marketing at a level above selling your product in retail stores. BlackBerry should service and/or sell other devices in their stores, but it should still be BlackBerry-based with BlackBerry technicians. Consumers will yawn at advertisements, but a BlackBerry retail store will spark curiosity within those same consumers.
TJ Strozier of Astronomic Music Group05-06-15 10:37 AMLike 0 -
TJ Strozier of Astronomic Music Group05-06-15 10:41 AMLike 0 -
- Sure it would work in Toronto as well i could see one in YYZ esp terminal one with all the air Canada kiosks.
Send from the amazing powers of the Z30Last edited by Originalloverman; 05-06-15 at 11:13 AM.
05-06-15 10:42 AMLike 0 - That's not a great strategy for opening retail stores - designed with the needs of the owner in mind and not the customer. This can be compared to the recent failure-to-launch of the Tidal streaming music service backed by A-list artists. They found out that consumers really don't care to pay for a streaming service owned by artists.05-06-15 10:46 AMLike 0
- Okay, fine. If BlackBerry isn't going to use the store to make a profit, I say drop the idea of the project and give away 250,000 or so new devices. That way, since they're not making money anyway, at least they know for a fact 250,000 people are using the new devices.
TJ Strozier of Astronomic Music Group05-06-15 10:47 AMLike 0 - Blackberry needs a contemporary POP or a stand corner in all the major Verizon/ATT stores. That's what they need and thats exactly what they are not going to get.
Something like this but with a lot more demo functionality or clear message over just branding
Soapm and TJ Strozier like this.05-06-15 10:53 AMLike 2 -
- Because they're all Asians, with camera's and in the Apple store??? I don't live in Chicago but I can't see an Apple store surviving on tourist... Not that many accessories could have been forgotten...05-06-15 11:01 AMLike 0
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Send from the amazing powers of the Z30TJ Strozier likes this.05-06-15 11:11 AMLike 1 -
If a customer walks into a BlackBerry-owned general mobility store on behalf of a business that is considering a BlackBerry handset rollout, and the staff in that store do their best to sell them on BlackBerry devices and services, but the customer decides to go with Android for his or her business, GUESS WHAT: the store STILL makes a profit on selling the Android phone and STILL gets the commission on the plan sales. The alternative is a customer walks into a store NOT owned by BlackBerry, is told "blackberry is bankrupt" and they buy the Android phone anyway.
The concept is that the store is profitable ON ITS OWN MERITS whether or not a BlackBerry device is sold, but at least BlackBerry devices HAVE A FIGHTING CHANCE of being sold, in contrast to other stores that ACTIVELY DISSUADE customers from buying BlackBerry devices. I honestly don't see why this is so completely difficult to understand.
I think the problem is with the mental picture people are forming regarding what the store would be like: it would NOT be like the store shown a few posts back, or like the marketing kiosk above where it's BLACKBERRY covering every surface... it would have to be a lot more subtle and even-handed w.r.t. how all devices from all vendors are presented.
Current situation: customer (of any demographic) walks into store, is told about Android and iPhone devices and there are no BlackBerry devices available and when the customer buys, the store makes a profit. If the customer asks about BlackBerry they are told in effect "no".
Better situation: customer (of any demographic) walks into store, is told about Android and iPhone and BlackBerry and Windows Phone devices, and when the customer buys, the store makes a profit. If the customer is interested in BlackBerry, either when they come to the store or after hearing about it from the store staff, they are shown working devices to try, told the features / benefits, and advised about it's pros AND CONS (not just having a bad-fit pushed on them) and if they do choose a BlackBerry device, they can be given a lot of help setting up the device and know where to go to get more help.
My personal experience on BB10 launch day was one really helpful store manager and one asinine Android fanboy making pro-Android market-share prognostications while the device was being set up by the life-affirming helpful lady. The store is closed now.Last edited by RyanGermann; 05-06-15 at 12:08 PM.
TJ Strozier likes this.05-06-15 11:43 AMLike 1 - Yes, those are great... but they don't generate revenue in and of themselves, and it's the same problem in that only a person ALREADY interested in BlackBerry is going to approach them... and if a BlackBerry device is not a good fit for that customer or organization, there's no "well, then I'll sell you an Android device and make money off you that way" fallback position. These are GREAT for marketing, and I think would be GREAT touring various electronics retailers and big-box stores (why NOT have one in a Costco for a few weeks: Costco sells mobile devices!) but again, it would be a pure 'marketing' expense, one that I approve of, but not necessarily self-sustaining or sustainable.
Because the alternative is not selling their own products hardly at all. Kind of like now. The status quo is "not selling enough devices".
If a customer walks into a BlackBerry-owned general mobility store on behalf of a business that is considering a BlackBerry handset rollout, and the staff in that store do their best to sell them on BlackBerry devices and services, but the customer decides to go with Android for his or her business, GUESS WHAT: the store STILL makes a profit on selling the Android phone and STILL gets the commission on the plan sales. The alternative is a customer walks into a store NOT owned by BlackBerry, is told "blackberry is bankrupt" and they buy the Android phone anyway.
The concept is that the store is profitable ON ITS OWN MERITS whether or not a BlackBerry device is sold, but at least BlackBerry devices HAVE A FIGHTING CHANCE of being sold, in contrast to other stores that ACTIVELY DISSUADE customers from buying BlackBerry devices. I honestly don't see why this is so completely difficult to understand.
I think the problem is with the mental picture people are forming regarding what the store would be like: it would NOT be like the store shown a few posts back, or like the marketing kiosk above where it's BLACKBERRY covering every surface... it would have to be a lot more subtle and even-handed w.r.t. how all devices from all vendors are presented.
It matters less WHY they would, but THAT they would. If you walk into a carrier or general mobility store pretty much anywhere, you can find an iPhone, and apparently people DO buy lots of them. For anyone inclined to go to a store to check out devices of various platforms to make a purchase decision, they CAN buy an iPhone there, but even if someone's already got their minds made up on buying an iPhone, they may want help choosing a carrier etc.
Current situation: customer (of any demographic) walks into store, is told about Android and iPhone devices and there are no BlackBerry devices available and when the customer buys, the store makes a profit. If the customer asks about BlackBerry they are told in effect "no".
Better situation: customer (of any demographic) walks into store, is told about Android and iPhone and BlackBerry and Windows Phone devices, and when the customer buys, the store makes a profit. If the customer is interested in BlackBerry, either when they come to the store or after hearing about it from the store staff, they are shown working devices to try, told the features / benefits, and advised about it's pros AND CONS (not just having a bad-fit pushed on them) and if they do choose a BlackBerry device, they can be given a lot of help setting up the device and know where to go to get more help.
My personal experience on BB10 launch day was one really helpful store manager and one asinine Android fanboy making pro-Android market-share prognostications while the device was being set up by the life-affirming helpful lady. The store is closed now.
Those little demo kiosks might not generate revenue, (well they should, but not directly) , but they also don't cost much to operate.
Opening a store:
You pay:
Real estate agent
Architecture company
Construction company
Rent
Utilities
Salary
Health insurance
Not to mention that you also need a reliable planning & allocation tram to maintain the flow of inventory, a reliable warehouse (pay more to digital river?
Posted via CB1005-06-15 12:13 PMLike 0 - That's not a great strategy for opening retail stores - designed with the needs of the owner in mind and not the customer. This can be compared to the recent failure-to-launch of the Tidal streaming music service backed by A-list artists. They found out that consumers really don't care to pay for a streaming service owned by artists.05-06-15 12:14 PMLike 0
- In that case, why wouldn't someone just go to a carrier store? They have the options there, or to a lesser extent best buy?
Those little demo kiosks might not generate revenue, (well they should, but not directly) , but they also don't cost much to operate.
Opening a store:
You pay:
Real estate agent
Architecture company
Construction company
Rent
Utilities
Salary
Health insurance
Not to mention that you also need a reliable planning & allocation tram to maintain the flow of inventory, a reliable warehouse (pay more to digital river)
If that "box" has staff, then from your list of things, there will be costs associated with:
I totally fail to get your point. How many costly expenses can a business save if they completely close down? ALL OF THEM! No expenses at all!05-06-15 12:17 PMLike 0 - The concept is that the store is profitable ON ITS OWN MERITS whether or not a BlackBerry device is sold, but at least BlackBerry devices HAVE A FIGHTING CHANCE of being sold, in contrast to other stores that ACTIVELY DISSUADE customers from buying BlackBerry devices. I honestly don't see why this is so completely difficult to understand.
OK, welcome to sales training. Basically, what we want you to do is do a great job of trying to sell BlackBerry smartphones. We don't really care that much about how you sell the other phones that people are coming in to see, even if most people buy those.
05-06-15 12:47 PMLike 0 - The main problem with this concept is that the underlying assumption is that non-BlackBerry phones pretty much sell themselves - you just get a box of Android phones and put them on the shelves to sell at a profit. There's no need for the sales people to push them, no costly advertising, promotions, service, accessories, etc. They just ship them to you and you sell them at a competitive price (unlike BlackBerry devices which must be pitched). It certainly does minimize what a whole lot of mobile phone retail outlets are in the business of doing. Plus, I would imagine that Samsung, etc. may have some significant say as to how their devices are presented if you want to get the newest ones.
Vendors are ALWAYS trying ways to get people to make that buying decision: not just browse indefinitely but actually "close the deal". This is something any mobility store has to deal with: when I pop into a store to see the Galaxy S6 Edge that I have no intention of buying, I'm very mindful that I don't want to take up ANY time of a sales person: I just want to see it in real life.
A properly run mobility store in the right area will be a profitable business (there are hundreds of these stores in every city and I assume that many of them are profitable, or specific locations would be closed). So, a properly run store that is BlackBerry Positive wouldn't be exempt from the challenges all retail stores face, why should it be? But if it's run profitably, perhaps instead of a device sales split of 60% Android, 38% iPhone, 2 percent "everything else", it might be more like 50% Android, 35% iPhone, 10% BlackBerry and 5% Windows Phone: Again, this would be one major BlackBerry centre in a large geographic area (perhaps adding additional stores as popularity grows), but it's absolutely not realistic to a high density of stores and that every store on every corner to suddenly sell 10% BlackBerry devices... but as a nexus of "all things BlackBerry" in a given geographic region (so publicized BY BlackBerry as "where to go to see BB devices in person", and NOT in the middle of a frikking AIRPORT) it can be profitable with a larger portion of that profit being BB handsets and software.
That is my hope, and yes, my expectation.05-06-15 12:57 PMLike 0 -
"Because of the 30 smartphones we sell today, we want at least three of them to be Blackberrys. That's why we are here - to make a difference.."05-06-15 01:43 PMLike 0 - I feel like based on the typical Blackberry demographic on display:
A Retail store would have to move the people with walkers to make room for the wheel chairs.
Sales people would be so ornery on the showroom floor that if you pulled out your old phone that was maybe an iPhone or Android, they'd sneer at you and tell you how you are stupid for being young and you need a Blackberry.
Then they'd tell you how many apps don't work on the Blackberry, followed by the statement "But you don't need those apps anyway."
No, I don't think a Blackberry store is a good idea at all.StephanieMaks and jmr1015 like this.05-06-15 01:55 PMLike 2
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