Team Insight

P ay attention, because we are going to start our 2022 with a story for team deal- ers looking to take the next step – or merely survive – in the new year. Have patience, because I will get to the point in a bit and it will be well worth it. This story starts out in late Fall 2021, when the weather started turning cooler, the days became shorter and an editor's mind turns to important things like — televisions. It seems it was time to finally upgrade the old dumb 30-inch set for a smart big screen. I was going to go from 30 to 65 in just a few days, because there's nothing like watching old "Modern Family" reruns on a television bigger than you are. The plan was to go down to Costco, buy a membership for the sole purpose of getting the best deal on one of these new models and then figure out how to get it home and installed. So I did my research, plunked down the cash for the one-year membership and got ready to join the 21st century. But before I did, I made one more stop to go "showrooming" at the local Best Buy. I was going to stop in, see what a 65-inch TV looks like, maybe even decide to go bigger to 70-plus. I'd ask the resident geek a few questions, thank him for his time and hightail it out of there to the big warehouse down the street. But here's where it gets interesting. It seems he was on to me and presumably the smarter people at corporate knew exactly how to keep me there. They didn't try to match the unmatchable price at Costco — in fact they wanted to charge me a few bucks extra for what is known as their concierge service. Because they knew – how, I don't know – that since I am an editor who writes for a living that my biggest concern was how the heck I was going to hang this behemoth on my wall, above my fireplace, without the whole thing falling down in the middle of the Super Bowl. So they solved that for me — by offering a package that included having one of their Geek Squad come to my house, take a look around, tell me how it could be done and then scheduling the work in the next day or so. (As a sidenote, yes, I could have gone to the even more local television store on Main Street that has been in business for 75 years, but the exterior of the place looked its age and I am pretty sure I saw a 24-inch black-and–white RCA in the window. But that's an editorial for another day.) If you don't know the moral to this story for team dealers yet, you haven't been paying attention. You see, Costco is the online competition or big-box retailer trying to sell teams and the Best Buy Geek Squad can be you. (Call it the Team Team, or something more clever.) They have figured out that a little bit of something extra, even if it costs a bit more, can make price take a distant second place. For a team dealer, that certainly means not competing just on price. It does mean bringing your Geekiness, your years of knowledge, to the sales call. Offer that something extra – schedule a helmet fit- ting night, survey a school's facilities for needed repairs, set up a team store with a little something in it for the school's pep squad – and that big-box competition will be in the rear view mirror. The next 12 months are going to bring challenges we can't even dream of at this point, which is why I have chosen not to make predictions for 2022 or dwell on what we have all been through the past 20 months. We can only do what it is in our control and if that means having a fitting session for the cheer team or making a game-day delivery for that kid who just joined the team, then do it. Maybe get a snazzy van with your logo on it like the Geek Squad has. That would be even cooler. n Costco Vs. Best Buy — A Retail Parable For a team dealer, it means not competing just on price. It does mean bringing your Geekiness, your years of knowledge, to the sales call. 6 Team Insight ~ January/February 2022 teaminsightmag.com MICHAEL JACOBSEN STAHLS.COM | 800.4.STAHLS Decorate performance wear with confidence bit.ly/stahls-ccprem BUILT FOR PERFORMANCE STAHLS' ® CAD-CUT ® PREMIUM PLUS™ TI1121 • Silky matte finish • Superior stretch & rebound • Low application temperature • High and low-tack options FABRIC INNOVATION REQUIRES DECORATING TECHNOLOGY THAT KEEPS UP.

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