Selling cigars - all smoke and mirrors? (cont.)

Chapter 2 What are you selling? (And it's not cigars!)

Okay, so the first thing we've done is identify our target audience. It was pretty easy and would be pretty accurate (identifying your target market doesn't have to be a 6 month project of research firms, surveys, etc).

We even wrote a quick letter to make them an offer.

In this chapter of this article, I'll step back a bit and talk about what a cigar store is selling. It's not cigars. Or lighters. Or cigar cutters.

(By the way, if you're thinking this should have come earlier - i.e. in that first page, then you're probably correct. Because I'm making this example up as I go along, rather than a well-structured article, it will come out of my head and onto the web site. At the end of it I might go back and edit it so it fits better. But then again, I might just be smoking my cigar is some great restaurant and charging it to my business account and telling my wife "It's research baby. Research I tell ya!")

So what is the cigar store selling?

Only when we know what we are selling can we sell it properly.

To answer the question of what the cigar store is selling, I'll tell you what I bought when I got that $39 cigar.

Peace and quiet and relaxation for an hour.

I lead a pretty hectic life and to sit down with a cigar for an hour by myself and quietly reflect on what I'm doing or done is very enjoyable.

For others it can be about camaraderie with friends - the slow quietness of it all creates an environment of relaxation conducive to conversation.

Others smoke mainly because they enjoy the taste, some the smell and others for no particular reason at all.

Okay, now we know know why I bought the cigar. And that's critical information. And this is how it impacts on our Cigar Store.

A tall, handsome and charming man walks into the "Bren's Cigar Store. Let's call him, gee I don't know.....how about we call him "Brendon"??!

Because we understand that we're not selling cigars (in the same way that people don't buy exercise equipment, they buy a better body), we know what we have to do.

# 1 is a pleasant and slightly formal greeting (remember, the market is generally older, affluent people).

# 2 is our needs analysis.

• "How long have you been smoking cigars?"
• "How many cigars do you smoke?"
• "What sort of cigars do you usually buy? Why?"
• "How often do you smoke a cigar?"
• "Where do you smoke them? (At home, in a Cigar Lounge, etc)"
• "Do you smoke on special occasions?"
• "What's the best cigar you've ever smoked? Why did you buy it?"

Now of course, we're not going to jump right in and ram those questions down his throat. We'd initiate a conversation around cigars and gently probe with these questions.

Example:

"I enjoyed a magnificent Montecristo # 3 a few weeks back. I was with some golfing buddies after dinner and we sat around and shot the breeze, puffed away and told each other what great golfers we were.

Do you smoke with friends much, or generally alone?"

Cigar Deals Aplenty

Know what influences buying decisions

After a while, we'd have a pretty good idea why that person buys cigars. We'd know what influences him in his buying. We'd know how best to make our offer.

So knowing why I buy cigars and when I smoke them (quiet reflective time) you could adjust your pitch to ensure the sale.

"I find a terrific cigar for those quiet reflective times to be a Ashton Heritage Puro Sol. The Ashton Heritage has a superb draw and burn and will last you your hour.

Here are some reviews written in Cigar Aficionado. Sitting quietly with this wonderful cigar, sipping a scotch would be just about heaven. Would you like to give them a try?"

With cigars, it's about feeling good. It's about taking time out. It's about quietness.

Perhaps our cigar store could have comfortable leather couches. Maybe not have a retail store as such, why not create a haven of stillness and style. Could we have a smoking lounge (complete with humidor that people could buy)?

We could sit the customer down for a chat. Give them a wine or coffee. Just pamper them and help them feel good. Because that's what they're buying.

They're not buying cigars.

Read on for...

Developing the marketing plan...

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Brendon Sinclair