There are times when even the best of us get writer’s block. This is one of those times for me. I don’t know about you, but my brain is caught between the dog days of summer winding down and getting in the right frame of mind for 2025’s homestretch—the approaching fall season and, more importantly, football season. Before you know it Thanksgiving will be here. Then Christmas. Then New Year’s. And then Surfaces.
I wasn’t in the mood to write about the economy, current events or Trump. Particularly the latter because I don’t want my email to be inundated with love letters and hate mail.
To that end, this may be the time to write about a positive retail experience I had about a year ago. I actually planned to tell this story last year, but more pressing topics kept taking precedence. Then I simply forgot about it. It’s been a long life. Hopefully there is a takeaway or two.
The story begins last year when I agreed to participate in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day with Mohawk in Denver. The one thing I knew was that I needed to have the right pair of sneakers to walk 20 miles. (That’s what we call them in New York; not tennis shoes, not athletic shoes, etc.) The Air Jordans wouldn’t cut it.
I happened to be in Ocean City, N.J., where my son’s girlfriend’s family has a home. For those who might be unfamiliar, Ocean City is a small, family-oriented beach town about 20 minutes south of Atlantic City. A dry town. Go figure. All the stores on Asbury Avenue are independently owned, except for the obligatory Starbucks. In other words, no mega chains. There is even an Avalon Flooring location on that street. There is also a “running specialty shop” called The Sneaker Shop, hence the subject of this editorial.
My son’s girlfriend’s mom recommended the place. Its website states: “We strive to offer footwear solutions specific to our clients’ lifestyle and podiatric needs. We have many repeat clients locally and out of state who return to The Sneaker Shop because of the first-class customer service. We strive to find the perfect fit for the casual walker, athlete…”
Sounded good to me. The store is owned by two middle-aged women. Both were busy helping other customers when I walked in but quickly acknowledged me with a smile, apologized for being engaged at the time, told me to look around and would be with me in a few. Lesson #1: Greet the customer and make him or her feel welcome.
After a few minutes, one of the women became free and walked over. Her goal was simple: to listen to my needs and find the right shoe, err sneaker. She even asked what kind of shape I was in (and didn’t laugh when I told her). Lesson #2: Qualify the customer and get as much info as possible so he or she can make the right decision.
She told me there were running sneakers and walking sneakers. Since I was walking, she steered me to three brands: Brooks, Saucony and Hoka. Lesson #3: Help the customer narrow his or her selection early in the process to minimize confusion.
After I picked out a couple of styles/ colors in each, she measured my foot and literally went back and brought out three sizes in each. She made me try each size in each sneaker to gauge the best comfortability. Lesson #4: Take as much time as needed to ensure that whatever the customer buys is the right fit.
At the end of the day, I liked one pair of Brooks, one pair of Sauconys and one pair of Hokas. They were not all the same size. The Brooks had some color appeal, the Sauconys were gray and the Hokas were black. I probably liked the Brooks the best because who doesn’t like a sneaker that is teal and orange with black laces? I asked which sneakers were better for a 20-mile walk. She said, “Not the Brooks.” Lesson #5: A knowledgeable salesperson makes the best salesperson.
I couldn’t decide between the other two. The owner made it easy for me: She said she would give me a 10% discount if I took both. So I did what anyone would do: I took all three and grabbed a 15% discount. Lesson #6: Everyone loves a deal.
As I was paying, she mentioned if I was going to walk 20 miles, I needed the right socks. She told me these Belegas were the best because of fit and performance. They would better handle sweat and prevent blisters. Lesson #7: Read the book by Mariah Lynde called, “Would you like fries with that?” It’s about cross-selling and upselling.
Look, I know your customer is not going to buy three different floors for the same room. But she may come in looking to do one room and walk out doing two. It’s all about being good at what you do. And in my eyes, this woman at The Sneaker Shop was textbook.
