Knowing the latest trends in order to offer good advice
As salespeople, consultants or whatever function you perform in your business, we are exposed to the irruption of new currents (a tsunami, sometimes). You are quietly going about your business, and overnight, wham, you receive 3, 4 or 8 visits from customers asking you about X product, X trend or what is even more curious, and if we stick to food (which is our business), a number of customers whose usual food has been doing spectacularly well for years, now they no longer like it, or it is bad for them and has even made them ill.
The seed of doubt and curiosity has already been sown. The first impulse will be to look for information; we will read positive and negative comments, but will we be able to assimilate so much content (not information), will we be able to leave our biases aside and be objective, will we be able to trust what we are reading, will it be a marketing ploy?
This happens all too often, and although we have magnified it somewhat here, it is not much different from reality. A quick memory exercise will remind us of what were new paradigms in pet food marketing.
The 6 new paradigms in pet food marketing
1º.- Natural food
This was the opening of the floodgates. From this point on, all was ground to be conquered; a revolution for the sector.
2º.- Cereal-free products
I think that without a doubt, within natural food, it has been the trend that has brought about the most changes, and it has nothing to do with the fact that it is natural and does not contain cereals! If it were also nutritionally better, it would be marvellous.
3º.- Meat
Fresh or dehydrated? which is better? which is better? with which one do I offer more real meat content to my dog or cat? is it meat or is it meat with more?
4º.- Now I no longer give dry food (kibbles)
Dry food is bad, now what is good is to give raw, or wet, or frozen, or cold-pressed, or cooked at low temperature, or garnished with toppings, etc, etc.
5th.- Superfoods!!!
From our kitchen to your food. They are the new kings of the house and could not miss that extra quality, care and benefits in their daily lives. These ingredients are key.
6th – Novel proteins
An exceptional solution for certain cases, perhaps not always well used, but a very important innovation.
I am leaving out many more trends or fashions (whatever you want to call them). In fact, it would be great if you could write to us with the ones you are most interested in or have the most doubts about.
Sadly, for something to be good it seems to be mandatory to denigrate everything that is different.
This is where you come into play: do I just sell what they ask for or do I make a sincere recommendation? In our daily lives we see that the most successful shops are those that offer that extra; they have enough catalogue to satisfy any customer need, but even so, they take an interest and guide the customer towards what will best suit them; this, which sometimes seems to go against the turnover, is what the relationship with the customer is really about, finding the best for each one; a happy customer; a loyal customer.
And you might think, “I can also win over a clientele with rebates or gifts”. Well, you can too, but notice that when we go out on the street to visit you, we find that of all the effort you make in giving gifts, it is rarely appreciated and it is taken for granted that you are going to do it, but woe betide you the day you don’t do it… I think that the gift should be something sincere and punctual, those who come for price, leave for price. Not so those who come and stay for attention.
To finish, as this is the first post and it’s getting long (we’ll explore the trends I mentioned before), you may be thinking: “OK, but all the sales people tell us that your products are the best…” Well, I’ll tell you the same thing, look for what you offer, good advice, reliable and with criteria.
If you want to enjoy top quality products, you can visit us in our shop.
