In-Store Advantage by Dave Martin
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Tuesday, July 15, 2014
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"Real difficulties can be overcome; it is only the imaginary ones that
are unconquerable." » Theodore Vail
I Believe That We Will Win
Some of the most inspiring
commentary I’ve heard in
some time was spoken
recently during a game that I
wouldn’t have cared to watch
in the past. But I am one of
the millions who became full-fledged
bandwagon fans of the USA national soccer
team.
It’s hard to live in my house and not pick up a
little soccer enthusiasm through osmosis. In the
past year, the jerseys in my sons’ closets
shifted from NFL teams to FC Barcelona and
Man U.
Messi, Ronaldo, and Neymar became
household names in our home. FIFA replaced
Madden on their xBox.
Watching the ESPN series on the building and
training of the USA team familiarized me with
the players. And the saturation marketing was
highly effective.
(For the record, my younger son actually
picked Germany to win it all before the World
Cup began…probably just to make his brother
mad.)
Don't Play a Guessing Game
The growth in our area over
the past decade necessitated
the widening of one of the
highways that intersects our
town.
With that widening, several establishments lost
portions of their parking lots, and some
businesses closed. One of these was a
decades-old gas station.
The building remained empty for over three
years. I figured it would eventually be razed or
that the city would use it as a storage facility.
And while it is located at an intersection I cross
several times each week, I can honestly say I
haven’t noticed or considered that building in…
well, forever.
I smiled last week as I saw that someone had
opened a new business in that old building.
From the highway, I could make out what
appeared to be a jersey…or maybe it was a
jacket… in the large window.
My younger son hoped it was a new soccer
store (naturally). My wife said it might be an
embroidery shop. My older son said he didn’t
care.
It was in the USA’s knockout round game
against a heavily-favored Belgium team that
the words of an announcer struck a nerve. In
this game, Tim Howard did everything but wear
a cape as he set a record for stopping shots in
a World Cup game.
There was one car in the parking lot, and the
store appeared to be open. I slowed as much
as I could without creating a hazard as we
crossed the intersection, trying to read the
small sign on the building.
Our overmatched team gutted it out for over 90
minutes for a 0-0 tie. (Okay, nil-nil purists.) And
None of us could decipher what the sign said.
And there was no clue, besides the hanging
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In-Store Advantage by Dave Martin
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I will fully admit that my finding a 0-0 game to
be entertaining still mystifies me a little.
jersey, as to what this place actually does or
sells.
After an excruciating missed opportunity for the
USA to win in regulation, the dam finally broke.
Belgium scored in overtime, and the USA team
was on its heels.
I fought off the urge to slam on the brakes and
make a U-turn. I wanted to walk into that
building and congratulate whoever opened up
that new business.
Within a few minutes, a second goal was
scored, and all rational people knew the game
was over.
I’d also want to know if they were planning their
going-out-of-business sale, yet.
But someone forgot to tell the USA team.
They kept their heads up and pushed the
attack. When a 19-year-old, touching the ball
for the first time in his first World Cup game,
then scored, the announcer exclaimed, “This
USA team just doesn’t know when it’s beat,
does it?!?”
(I may have begun the “I Believe That We Will
Win” chant.)
The following 10 minutes were insanely
suspenseful. And while the game didn’t turn out
as I’d hoped, that announcer’s words rang in
my ears for days.
A dejected son questioned why I later said it
was the most motivating game I’d seen in
years.
I told him that we may feel down about losing,
but cannot feel down about the effort. Win or
lose, there’s nobleness when a person or team
gives absolutely everything they have in pursuit
of their goals.
How noble will your efforts be this week?
I believe these folks have fallen into the trap of
thinking that high traffic guarantees high
awareness. I’m sure they look through their
windows and imagine that the thousands of
folks driving by each day are aware of what
they offer.
But they aren’t. They’re preoccupied driving to
and fro and living their lives.
If the owners of that new business aren’t
grabbing their attention and clearly
communicating who they are and what they do,
they’ll remain a nonentity. They will remain an
easily ignored part of commuters’ daily
backdrop.
The same is true for us, regardless of whether
we’re the old or new kids on the block.
We should never assume that shoppers
somehow know (or remember) what we offer or are paying much attention to us at all.
They do not - and are not.
Set out to address those facts every day.
"You are what you give; not what
you are given." » Sir David Tang
About The Author
Dave Martin is EVP and Chief Development Officer for Financial Supermarkets, Inc., a Market Contractors
subsidiary. Dave also writes "Martin on Retailing", presently the longest running monthly opinion column
for the American Banker publication. His unique perspectives have made him a popular presenter with all
levels of retail bank management and branch bankers. To contact Dave about speaking to your group,
email him at [email protected] or phone 713-202-1956. Dave, his wife Cindy, and sons
Jessy and Abraham currently reside in Sugar Land, Texas.
http://instorebank.com/
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In-Store Advantage by Dave Martin
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Having Dave Martin speak at our recognition events has been a key
in making them successful and truly memorable. Our managers
consistently return to their branches inspired to lead their teams - and
quoting Dave-isms to their folks all year long.
Julie Mayrant, President - Retail Division, Woodforest National
Bank
I've never seen our managers give a guest speaker a standing
ovation before. Nor have I ever seen our branch teams as prepared
and inspired to take their performance to a new level.
Anness Bertrand, First Vice President - Retail Banking,
International Bank of Commerce
From our newest team members to our most experienced managers,
everyone walks out of Dave Martin's sessions motivated on a
meaningful, personal level. I've seen Dave speak at least a dozen
times... and I still fill several pages with notes each time that I do.
Robert Brown, Senior Vice President, US Bank
THE IN-STORE ADVANTAGE by Dave Martin
© 2014 Dave Martin. All rights reserved. 383 Clarkesville Street, Cornelia, GA 30531
http://instorebank.com/
7/15/2014