Company Blog

The Non-Verbal Message

by Adam Zack — August 31, 2016

Everyday we deal with people who hear our words but don’t listen.

Many years ago I was introduced to the owner of a very prolific wine store. I had always heard that this guy was a full-on ass, but I was skeptical that it could be 100% true, as I had great respect for his store and his fantastic employees. As I was introduced I extended my hand to shake his and he barely grasped mine while at the same time looking away, effectively dismissing me as 100% unimportant and forgettable. Turns out he really was an ass, but it made an impression on me that I continue to remember to this day: Non-verbal communication often says way more about you, or someone else, than what is actually said.I was reminded of it again when I had a meeting with DW and some new potential customers. “Did you notice that that guy never made eye contact?’ said DW. Eye contact demonstrates interest and sincerity. It shows that you are listening. It relates honesty. It communicates in ways words can’t. There are many other non-verbal ways that communicate disinterest in a conversation – holding up your hand as if to say “Stop, you have bored me to the limit” or a nice, big yawn or even the circling of your fingers as if to say “...

by Adam Zack — August 24, 2016

It always seemed a chore to have to take a meeting with someone trying to sell you something.

Lawyer. Real Estate Agent. Car Salesman. Union Leader. Tax Auditor. Politician. Advertising Salespeople. These are among the most disliked professions that normal Americans cringe at having to deal with. Especially in business, it always seemed a chore to have to take a meeting with someone trying to sell you something. I always rationalized that they were just doing their job, like I was doing mine, and common courtesy and respect led me to take the meetings, return the calls and listen to the spiel. But it wasn’t easy, as 80% of the sales people were there for their agenda, which rarely intersected with mine. I couldn’t blame them for doing their job – after all they had a boss on their ass saying “Did you call on XYZ market?” The great differentiator was the sales person who did their homework and really made the case for WHY their service would help me. I would start with a skeptical mindset, wondering if they could convince me to spend my slim budget. The great ones showed no pressure, no quota, no “salesmanship”. I have come to realize that the best salespeople are really not salespeople at all. Yes, it’s their object...

by Adam Zack — August 17, 2016

Doofus

I was sitting on the beach, reading San Diego Magazine (which is one of my favorites for what’s going on in the local restaurant and food scene) and just enjoying the day. I had just started the magazine, unwrapped my crusty ciabatta roast beef sandwich and flipped a page when out flew one of those subscription cards, which the breeze promptly took and blew about 5 yards out of my reach. I set down the magazine and my sandwich, hefted my 195 pounds out of my beach chair and retrieved the wayward card, not even looking at it. I sat back down, pulled my sandwich back out and started back on my magazine. Not 10 pages later another one of those subscription cards escaped as I turned a page. Perhaps not seeing the fate of its brother 10 pages before, it caught the wind and made it 10 yards. More sandwich setting and hefting out of the chair for me. Re-establishing my position, this time slightly irritated, I thought that there would be no more than two of those cards in a magazine. After all, who ever sends those things in? Anyone?? Not wanting to be the doof that has to get up a third time for the same task, I turned the magazine sideways and shook it. Sure enough, a third subscription card emerged. Holy crap, if they publish almo...

by Adam Zack — August 10, 2016

People perceive a shorter wait time when they hear music they like.

Rolled our eyes and whined “Whyyyyy????!!”

When my brothers and I were kids we were cute, inquisitive rapscallions who often – innocently and very politely posed the question “Why?” to our mother and father. Well, maybe it wasn’t quite like that. We were rambunctious mountain boys hell bent on having fun with our friends. When directed by our parents to do something we didn’t want to do, we often (as in probably 95% of the time) rolled our eyes and whined “Whyyyyy????!!” And more likely than not the answer from Mom and/or Dad was “Because I said so!” If we persisted in questioning their directive, we often got the “When you have your own kids, you can give the orders! Now go rake the yard before I get the belt out!” Authority is a designation that comes with a certain amount of power to tell other people what to do without question. Why anyone, when confronted by a police officer wouldn’t do EXACTLY as the officer commands is a mile beyond logic to me. After all, he has a gun, handcuffs and if I turn into the smart –mouthed brat that questions him and defies his directives I deserve to be in trouble, right? Well that’s how I see it.So how do you d...

by Adam Zack — August 2, 2016

Look at the case like you’re painting a picture

I love stores that have maintained their commitment to full service meat and deli departments. The large chains have cut back labor to increase profits in the face of rising wages, but high quality independents have kept, and even increased service in those key perishable departments. It’s a key point of differentiation that helps cement loyalty. Old-fashioned service is one fashion that has not gone out of style. If anything, it’s more in-style than ever. Old-fashioned service is one thing, but old fashioned merchandising is a hindrance to growth. Kale and plastic greens (including fake flowers, rubber grapes and plastic plants) are part of that old fashioned merchandising. I’ve always hated kale. Not just the taste (disgusting), but also the waxy, fake look of it. Even as we used it in our stores in the 80’s and 90’s, it just never did it for me. Now that it’s the super-food of the past few years, its cost has gone up considerably, making it also an expensive garnish. It is not cool. It is definitely not sexy. The abundant use of it actually detracts the eye from the foods in the case. And with the variety of colors added by new and exciting value added meats ...

by Adam Zack — July 27, 2016

BAM!

The following is a true story. No names were changed to protect the innocent. Reader discretion advised. On June 7th, I was driving home from the gym at about 7:45 a.m. It was a Tuesday and I took a different route than normal because I had to go to the post office to mail some important documents. Now I am sure those of you who know me are thinking “You go to the gym? Really?? I wouldn’t have guessed.” So OK, I walk a mile on the treadmill while watching Sports Center on the big TVs and then listen to some punk rock while I do some reps on the weight machines. I don’t really work up much of a sweat, but some workout is better than no workout, right? So I’m driving home with the windows down (I worked up a light glistening, but not exactly sweat) and I’m driving down Carlsbad Village Drive. As I crest the hill, I can see the ocean. Very nice. I approach the stop light behind this white Ford Ranger truck with a camper shell on it. It’s going kind of slow. Then it starts veering to the right towards the curb and I think “What the hell is that guy doing?” as he goes up the curb and BAM!, right into the stop light pole! He swerves back to the road and makes a right on the next street. Mind you, this is a slow motion collision. Like wa...

by Adam Zack — July 20, 2016

Have you ever been in a Target store early in the morning or late at night? The first thing I noticed was how eerily quiet it is without the crowds of customers talking, kids crying, employees interacting and parents yelling. It’s really kind of creepy, and for me it’s more like a morgue atmosphere that makes me want to get the hell out of there. So why doesn’t Target play music in their stores? I can’t find an explanation other than conjecture. But it did make me think about the music that’s played in our grocery stores. Seems like what is playing is generally decided by one of the following:

People perceive a shorter wait time when they hear music they like.

What the owner wants to hear
What the employees want to hear
It’s what we’ve always played
It changes every time management changes
We have music?

Turns out that the music you choose really can influence how customers shop. One owner in Florida plays classical music, which aligns well with his customer base and was done after a lot of trial. One owner wants his store to have a hip vibe so he plays the “Hipster Cocktail Party” on ...

by Adam Zack — July 13, 2016

Supermarket sexy is about the food, not the garnish.

Food Porn. You see it all over the TV, internet, magazines. Food that looks so unbelievably sexy that you are filled with lust and desire to have it. About half of the photos on my phone are of food. That perfect sandwich I made to show my brother. The Prime steak on the grill tantalizingly licked by flames. Produce wet rack so perfectly merchandised that the colors seem to shout “Farm Fresh!” The charcuterie board with impossibly thin sliced prosciutto and artisan salamis. And so, so many more. But the last thing anyone has ever associated with a grocery store is sexy. And by sexy I don’t mean the boom-chicka-bowm-bowm kind. I mean it in the baby-you-look-so good! way. Food can be like that. Watch an episode of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives on Food Network and you’ll know what I mean.So the point is, can grocery store food be sexy? Can the monotony of russet potatoes and yellow onions be forgotten by the bright colors of store made fresh fruit salad (and anyone whose fruit salad is cantaloupe, honeydew and green grapes does not count.) Grilled Chicken breasts with thin slices of fresh lemon on them are sexy. Curried chicken salad looks hot. Kale is hot right no...

by Adam Zack — July 6, 2016

The Golden Rule or Law of Reciprocity

I got some great feedback on last weeks blog, most notably from the great Bob LaBonne, Jr., President of LaBonne’s Markets in Connecticut.“To me it’s more than karma, it’s about respecting others. They are only trying to do their job. When I return phone calls to sales people that I don’t know or never heard of, very often I hear them say, “I can’t believe you called me back. Normally I have to keep calling people to reach them.” Respect is one of my core values and our company’s. It’s following the golden rule “Treat others they way you want to be treated” which I was taught as a young child by my parents and grandparents. I guess it just stuck for me and sadly I think the world seems to have forgotten this rule, especially now that everyone is so busy.”— Bob Labonne, Jr.Respect is such a wide-ranging thing on many levels. From the military mantra of “Respect the rank, not the person, soldier.” to being a kid and being forced to “respect your elders.” when we really didn’t know what respect was. I think in both those contexts what is really meant is to just be polite. Manners (please, thank you, excuse me) are hugely important to ...

by Adam Zack — June 29, 2016

Common courtesy is telling the truth.

Believe it or not, we frequently (DW might think too frequently) make proposals for business that are not accepted. It’s part of the deal. Rejection is part of the process. Like getting estimates on fixing your car or shopping for a new plasma TV. No matter how nice the salesperson is, you only need your car fixed once. Sometimes the sales person will be the decider, but more often it comes down to money and how you feel your needs will be met for those dollars. I always try and look at any proposal or transaction from the customers’ view. If I think they are wasting their money, I’ll tell them. The grocery business has a lot of karma in it, and you just never know when the opportunity to do business will come around again – for vendors and customers.A couple weeks ago we made a proposal to a 30+ store retailer in the Midwest for a very customized website and follow up program. We spent a lot of time on it, had lots of conference calls and email correspondence. We were not chosen. I can’t even begin to tell you how refreshing it was to be told directly “Unless something drastic changes, we are going with another proposal.” Yes, it felt good to hear that reje...