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Keith McCord ReportingOne of the main purposes of the Outdoor Retailer Show going on now at the Salt Palace is to display the latest products that store owners will have in their stores in the coming months. From camping, to fishing to clothing, it's all been here this past week. But one company is NOT selling anything.
They're not selling a product, but they're helping the manufacturers make sure they do! "Closing the deal" has gone high tech". There's a lot of talking that goes on at the Outdoor retailer show every year. Walk down any of the aisles and you see scenes of manufacturing reps talking with buyers about buying something.
Lauren Zimmerman is here with the Finnish company Suunto, maker of a sophisticated wrist computer.
Lauren Zimmerman, Suunto: "Basically, it's an intelligent heart rate monitor."
For a couple hundred bucks, this thing will, among other things, monitor your heart rate, track your calories burned, and tell you whether you're really pushing yourself enough. It's a technical gadget that needs plenty of explanation.
That's where Paul Kirwin's business comes in. A couple of years ago he started a company called "3Point5".
Paul Kirwin: "3Point5 is the distance in feet between a retail salesperson and a consumer when they talk."
As we observed the conversations at the Salt Palace, he's right! What 3Point5, the company really aims to do is help the manufacturers and retailers "close the deal" at the individual stores. If a salesperson on the floor doesn't know all the talking points about a product, the customer may not buy it. The manufacturer loses big!
Paul Kirwin, Founder, 3Point5: "They've spent millions of dollars on research and development, millions on marketing and branding themselves, but that last 3 and a half feet, they've got to travel that distance, and that's what 3.5 is all about."
3Point5 has partnered with major companies, which put their product information on its website. Employees with those companies go to the site, learn everything about the products, then have the knowledge to answer any question a customer may have.
Lauren Zimmerman, Suunto: "Because, if a consumer walks into a store and say, ‘I want an altimeter watch,' and the employee doesn't know anything about our watch and is scared to sell it, they won't sell it. And they'll go another brand that easier and they understand."
These days, "Closing the deal" takes more than just a handshake. A lot of deals are being made at this year's Summer Market at the Salt Palace. Nearly a thousand companies are here. The show wraps up tomorrow.
