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Report: Best Buy to Equip Sales Staff with iPads
Does having an iPad in hand give the impression of a more intelligent workforce?
Forbes is reporting that Best Buy will equip every salesperson in all of its 1,100-plus stores with iPads.
The goal, Forbes says, is for Best Buy to provide a more interactive sales experience and, of course, sell more iPads. Best Buy would not confirm or deny the report.
Forbes suggests the ploy would be well suited for Best Buy's 27 Connected Stores across the country.
I would agree. Having an iPad in hand certainly would raise the perceived technical knowledge level of the average Best Buy salesperson.
In the same vein, Best Buy should consider having all salespeople wear flashing Bluetooth headsets, pocket protectors, have uncombed hair and a Mountain Dew in their other hand. That definitely screams tech-savvy.
What do you think of this tactic by Best Buy? Is your sales staff using iPads in the field?
The goal, Forbes says, is for Best Buy to provide a more interactive sales experience and, of course, sell more iPads. Best Buy would not confirm or deny the report.
Is Best Buy Doomed?
The Wall Street Journal paints a bleak picture for Best Buy, saying shares have tumbled 21 percent since Dec. 2010. Is Best Buy going to follow the same path as Tweeter, Circuit City? Discuss in Forums.
According to Forbes, Best Buy is the only major Apple retail reseller (vs. Costco, CVS, Home Depot, Kroger, Lowe’s, Sears, Target, Walgreen and Walmart) that has the ability to do this, using the tactic to separate itself (perhaps in response to poor financial performance recently)The Wall Street Journal paints a bleak picture for Best Buy, saying shares have tumbled 21 percent since Dec. 2010. Is Best Buy going to follow the same path as Tweeter, Circuit City? Discuss in Forums.
Forbes suggests the ploy would be well suited for Best Buy's 27 Connected Stores across the country.
I would agree. Having an iPad in hand certainly would raise the perceived technical knowledge level of the average Best Buy salesperson.
In the same vein, Best Buy should consider having all salespeople wear flashing Bluetooth headsets, pocket protectors, have uncombed hair and a Mountain Dew in their other hand. That definitely screams tech-savvy.
What do you think of this tactic by Best Buy? Is your sales staff using iPads in the field?
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About the Author
Jason Knott, Editor, CE Pro
Jason has covered low-voltage electronics as an editor since 1990. He joined EH Publishing in 2000, and before that served as publisher and editor of Security Sales, a leading magazine for the security industry. He served as chairman of the Security Industry Association’s Education Committee from 2000-2004 and sat on the board of that association from 1998-2002. He is also a former board member of the Alarm Industry Research and Educational Foundation. He is currently a member of the CEDIA Education Action Team for Electronic Systems Business. Jason graduated from the University of Southern California.
2 Comments (displayed in order by date/time)
Yes they should carry iPads and dress up (down?) because the perception of actually being ‘tech-savvy’ is more important than actually being tech savvy. 
It does raise the question; Will the Best Buy employees have to stand in line this Friday to get theirs? That would be a great advertising stunt!
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I think it’s a good idea, I think it would arm Best Buy salespeople with the ability to give the shopper real time price comparisons from authorized dealers. (that may or may not be a good thing)
I think one of the biggest benefits to custom ESC’s would be to equip these iPads with apps such as Control4, Directv, Tivo, etc…
They would at least open the clients eyes to what’s possible with home control with iPads and how they can integrate into your home.
Hopefully this will garner some attention with clients and cause them to look to experts to integrate this technology into their projects.
And yes, my team is equipped with iPads in the field. We use them for client needs analysis, initial budgeting, showing sample documentation, explaining technology via apps, emails, web surfing etc… and the occasional movie while stuck in LA traffic
http://www.vanwerttechdesign.com
http://www.vanwerttechdesign.blogspot.com