[bigbadben10]

Recently my GF upgraded to a new smartphone. Every store we went into made an effort not to sell BB product. It was amazing how all the sales reps dissed BB and said they were done.

I run my own company and sell direct and through distribution. If the sales force you use does not believe in the product you are doomed. No amount of marketing will fix that if the sales man/woman in the store undermines BB in the first place.

I love my 9700 and eagerly await the release of BB10 with a physical keyboard .

I make it my business to ask sales reps what they think of BB to see their response.

I realize everybody is waiting for BB10 but this started way before the BB10 talk.

If this does not change then BB will be done. I for one hope not!

Cheers and thanks for reading my first thread.

Ben

My GF got an LG 930, had it for one day and returned it for a BB9900 and absolutely loves it

[kbz1960]

All true............

[RoseBud68]

Couldn't agree more....

[eBud]

Went to local AT&T store to buy a replacement battery for wife's 9300. Sales girl screwed up her face when I held out the phone, she looked at me like she felt sorry for me...and no, they didn't have the battery. She sent me to Radio Shack and they didn't have one either.

BB10 can't get here fast enough.

[ricocan]

The seller have to be incented to push BB, if they are making more money selling one type of phone or platform over another then it becomes obvious as to why they will push or pull customers in one direction or another. What do the sellers get from the other platforms or phone they don't get from selling BBs?

[Canuck671]

I have actually been kind of rude to salespeople. it's fun.

[lnichols]

Yes RIM's "Great Carrier Relationships" in the US is a BS statement, because the carrier stores are just like you described, try to sell them anything but Blackberry. They have to be providing incentives not to sell them too because I've heard so many stories of people saying "I want a Blackberry" and the store does everything they can to not sell. Someone saying "I want X" should be the easiest sell on the planet.

[Snowman888]

Agree with OP... RIM needs to add cash incentives to the carrier sales reps for each BB they sell.

[BoldPreza]

LOL, wait they talked your GF out of a BB into an LG? You should have known at that point they knew nothing. LG makes some of the worst products I have ever seen!

You would think they would have some standards and at least point you in the direction of HTC or Samsung.

[jegs2]

Heh, can imagine the looks I'd get when I whip out my Treo 755p!

[jegs2]

Heh, can imagine the looks I'd get when I whip out my Treo 755p!

On a related note, got the middle finger from my wife yesterday when she saw the ease with which I created and assigned ringtones right on the device.

I then told her sadly, no, her iPhone 4S does not have LED alerts (or an LED on the front), but my Treo does! And with a simple app, I can assign different colors and blink-patterns.

[Taigatrommel]

It is a shame how sales people treat Blackberry, not only in the US, but also germany. When I bought my 9900 at a large electronic store, the salesmen were surprised about Blackberry. The initial saleswoman didn't even know where they had them laying around, the second guy said "haven't sold those in a while". While nobody tried to get me off my decission, the looks on their faces and reactions were enough. At least I felt even more convinced I am doing the right thing.

It is sad: If the todays phone ain't an iPhone or is running Android, it doesn't get any recommendations. Neither from broad publical press, nor from the salesmen in the stores.

[BoldPreza]

LMAO! Palm really was ahead of its time. I looked at the Pre 3 reviews, a little rough but right there with what Android was offering at the time, if not a bit better as it has a proper slide out keyboard.

[bigbadben10]

LOL, wait they talked your GF out of a BB into an LG? You should have known at that point they knew nothing. LG makes some of the worst products I have ever seen!

You would think they would have some standards and at least point you in the direction of HTC or Samsung.

She had to go to the dark side first to realize how great the 9900 is! lol

[bitek]

Recently my GF upgraded to a new smartphone. Every store we went into made an effort not to sell BB product. It was amazing how all the sales reps dissed BB and said they were done.

I run my own company and sell direct and through distribution. If the sales force you use does not believe in the product you are doomed. No amount of marketing will fix that if the sales man/woman in the store undermines BB in the first place.

I love my 9700 and eagerly await the release of BB10 with a physical keyboard .

I make it my business to ask sales reps what they think of BB to see their response.

I realize everybody is waiting for BB10 but this started way before the BB10 talk.

If this does not change then BB will be done. I for one hope not!

Cheers and thanks for reading my first thread.

Ben

My GF got an LG 930, had it for one day and returned it for a BB9900 and absolutely loves it

See and this is precisely the reason Rim will make it because despite all the bad store reps bad publicity, and some crappy releases people keep buying bb phones. RIM will be a study case in mba schools around the world how to run down company to the ground and then go back to the top again

[anthogag]

I've experienced this salesperson negativity for BB products

I'll speculate this is happening in almost every carrier store in North America

[bigbadben10]

The problem with "Spiffs" is they are like favour of the day, once they are over sales reps go back to the old ways. Spiffs from Apple and Samsung, HTC are endless in comparison to what BB has to offer. You have to train and convince the sales guys at the counter that BB is a legit contender. It is as simple as that. I have seen this time and time again in my business.

[bigbadben10]

I've experienced this salesperson negativity for BB products

I'll speculate this is happening in almost every carrier store in North America

That is exactly what I am talking about. If BB does not over come that problem its over for BB I am sorry to say.

Much like VHS vs Beta in the video business. Beta was a superior video product but VHS flooded the market...Beta was dead in the water. Now I am showing my age lol

[jwn66]

I'm more amazed people are still making threads about this well known fact, I mean really? You're just now realizing salesmen push what makes them the most $$?, Really?..

[Tre Lawrence]

If spiffs are the issue, it sounds like it is an easy problem for RIM to fix.

[PippinTook]

I must have been lucky when I went into the local Verizon store when I upgraded they had a poster out for BBOS6 that RIM/Verizon had just sent them. They were fine with me asking about the Curve 3G and even though they denied that a social media data plan existed they answered every one question about BlackBerry well.

The rep even said they use to have a bold but they now have an Iphone due to Verizon now carrying the it.

[BBMINI]

I've heard so many stories of people saying "I want a Blackberry" and the store does everything they can to not sell. Someone saying "I want X" should be the easiest sell on the planet.

Totally. This is the bizarre part to me. You would think a salesperson hearing that would just say "Great! I'll get one out of the back and meet you at the register."

I understand the value of, and place for, consultative selling, but there's also plenty to be said for responding to a customer's specific request, taking the quick/easy sale, and using the consultation and/or persuasiveness on the next customer who doesn't really know what they want/need.

Jeesh.

[BBMINI]

RIM will be a study case in mba schools around the world how to run down company to the ground and then go back to the top again

Like exactly what Apple did?

[DetritalGeo]

You go into any Future Shop (just like BestBuy) around here and its all iphone and android demo units front and center but the Bold 9900 is around behind a pole with playbooks with no batt charger.

Very pathetic how the retailer is jumping on this bandwagon. Hard to understand how a retailer would attempt to not sell a product. I don't know how many times i was showing the sales rep how to demo remote control on the PB...

Sent from my BlackBerry BOLD 9900 using Tapatalk

[f0xx386]

I'm happy to report that down here in South Africa, blackberry is the best selling phone.