Last week, Rachel and I were on our way back to our office in downtown Hollywood (FL) when we passed a Jewelry Pawn Shop.
Naturally, we stopped to look at the huge display of rings in the window. Each of them sat alone on its own little piece of white paper with the price hand-printed in red ink. A few of the prices were crossed out to look as if they’d been marked down. It was … tacky.
Maybe that was on purpose, perhaps to make it look like a yard sale, a bargain hunter’s paradise.
But I wondered if the rings would attract more attention, favorable attention, if they’d been cleaned and displayed in traditional black velvet trays lit from above. “Classy,” as Fran Drescher might say.
I’m not sure, are you?
I am sure that when I walk past Van Cleef & Arpels’ window or Tiffany’s or Cartier’s (they’re all close to each other on 5th Avenue), I want to buy everything.
Maybe it’s not fair to expect a pawn shop window to look like Van Cleef & Arpels’. But couldn’t the pawnbroker at least make an effort?
I used to be 100% certain that display – presentation – matters.
I’m just wondering if the sloppy look in the jewelry pawn shop window is deliberate to make me think there’s a bargain for me.
I do know that I had a meeting this week with a woman who appeared sloppy to me (jeans and messy hair). I kept thinking her business was probably in the same disarray. Do you agree? Let me know.
All the best,
Lois K. Geller
About Lois GellerLois Geller is President and Owner of Lois Geller Marketing Group and headed agencies in New York and Toronto. Lois taught Direct Marketing at NYU. She’s the author of five marketing books, including Response: The Complete Guide to Profitable Direct Marketing. Follow @loisgeller on Twitter.
Hurrah for Bill Delaney, my kind of man.
I am a Prince of Wales Check Double Breasted Suite type of person myself. Windsor knot tie with white shirt. Shoes polished and hair groomed.
I don’t understand this Unthis and Unthat T-shirt era. I think it is just Unprofessional.
I think it also an issue when the presentation fails to meet expectations. preconceived or otherwise. We dress for business or another occasion a certain way because we choose in conscience manner to meet a expectation; a certain presentation.
Presentation certainly can make an impact. If I were to come into a meeting with you wearing ripped jeans, and a t-shirt would anyone take me seriously? As much as people say don’t judge a book by it’s cover, we do. In the case of the pawn shop, it certainly makes me think cheap with this “uninspiring” display. BUT if they were to spruce up their window, I would think I’m getting more value for my money. The way I see it is… great display, with good prices equals a good deal! When I go to Nordstrom and find a great sale item, it makes me feel so much better to buy it there, than dig for it at Nordstrom Rack. It’s a completely different experience.
I think presentation is very important; particularly in when a first impression is important. I think the issue is that we draw very distinct generalizations from our first impressions and most of us don’t go much further. These impressions will forever remain in etched; regardless of any sort of correction. I think its human nature and its difficult to thing to change. It will our affect our future decisions… to buy or not buy, who we will do business with and what direction we carry relationships. I carry this bias myself, I cannot fly one particular airline because of the appearance of the passenger cabin. coffee stained tray, debris on the seats and the generally unkempt organization of the cabin. I could accept this intellectually, but emotionally I started to question how well the staff was trained and the condition of the aircraft and so on. The result from that one experience is a loss of business from me and possibly anybody I will might tell.
The message is clear: presentation is everything.