THE LOOK IS THE HOOK!

​Down goes Frazier! Down goes Frazier! Down goes Frazier. These words were uttered many years ago by Howard Cosell in the professional boxing match of George Foreman and the Champ at the time with 29 wins and 0 losses and 10 consecutive title defenses non other than the legendary Smoking Joe Frazier. In Less than two minutes into the second round Foreman stunned Frazier with a series of punches that sent the Champ down to the canvas with a right uppercut. Well why is this relevant when talking about the Heavyweight Champion well in retail at that time Sears was the Heavyweight Champ, and just like Frazier Sears was hit with a series of devastating blows to cause the retail giant to file bankruptcy and ultimately close over 100 of its retail stores. The same year Frazier went down Sears Tower went up. The Sears Tower which at the time was the tallest building in the world symbolized Sears’s dominance in the retail industry. Sears towered over their competitors. Sears was at the top. No one would have thought this iconic brand would now be looking up from the canvas bloody and bruised by the new economy today.

​The question is how? How did Sears become victim to the brutal unforgiving economy? Well I believe Sears didn’t get surprised by an uppercut, but they got caught by a hook. The look was the hook. Sears was still the same old Sears. Nothing changed. They stayed stagnant and relying on the success in the past and not adapting to be successful in the future. They continued to count on the reputation and the name they had in the past. They never changed their image, or even tried to appeal to the consumers of today. This is one of my keynote presentations I state one of the keys to compel your customers is as retailers, sales professionals, and business owners we must understand “The Look Is The Hook.” With this we must understand that how you appeal to the customer will help you make the deal with the customer.