Brian was a middle-aged man with the kind of face that hinted at both laughter and worry. He ran an electronics store named Coco Electronics, located on a bustling street in the heart of Birmingham. It was the type of place that used to be packed with customers from open till close. Those were the glory days when people wandered high streets, shopping bags in hand, children tugging at their parents’ sleeves for the latest gadgets. But now, things were different.
Brian lived just a short drive away with his wife, Sheila, and their three children. Sheila had her own battles. She struggled with her health, often blaming it on her love for food and a lack of energy to change her ways. Their home was filled with the sound of children’s laughter, but Brian could barely muster a smile these days. The store was bleeding money, and every time he looked at his bank balance, his heart sank a little more.
The rise of online shopping had hit Coco Electronics hard. Foot traffic dwindled, and the streets seemed to grow emptier by the week. People weren’t coming into the store anymore. They were browsing from their sofas, clicking through the endless options on Vinted and eBay. Brian had followed suit and put some of his stock online. But the prices he could command there were a fraction of what he’d get in his shop. Selling a £200 speaker online for £50 just didn’t make sense, but what choice did he have?
He tried everything to lure customers back into the store. He slashed prices, turning the shop into a bargain hunter’s dream. “Buy One, Get One Half Price!” “End of Season Sale!”—the signs filled his windows, but still, nothing. He rearranged the layout, created ‘experience zones’ where people could try the gadgets, and even hired a young lad to hand out flyers in the town centre. Yet, it was like screaming into the wind. The high street was empty, and so was his shop.
Brian was at his wit’s end. One rainy Thursday afternoon, as he was about to close the shop early—something he never used to do—a man walked in. He was in his early fifties, dressed in a casual but smart manner. The man wandered around the store for a bit before approaching Brian.
“Quiet in here, isn’t it?” the man said, his voice friendly yet probing.
Brian sighed. “You can say that again. It’s been like this for months. Online shopping is killing me. I’ve tried everything—sales, promotions, online stores—but nothing seems to work. I’m thinking of closing down for good.”
The man nodded knowingly. “I’ve been where you are. I used to run a clothing store down in Weymouth. Same story—streets emptied, and I had to start selling online. But like you, I found that selling online meant I was only making a fraction of what I used to.”
Brian leaned in, desperate for any sliver of hope. “So what did you do?”
The man smiled. “I rebranded. Turned my store into an outlet. Changed the name from Masselli Clothing to Masselli Outlet. I covered the windows with big ‘50% OFF’ signs so people couldn’t see inside. Suddenly, the shop was mysterious. It made people curious. They wanted to know what was happening inside. Foot traffic went through the roof.”
Brian’s eyes widened. “So just rebranding it as an outlet made that big of a difference?”
“It wasn’t just the rebrand,” the man continued. “It was about creating a sense of urgency and curiosity. People are naturally nosy. If they see a shop that looks like it’s got a secret, they want to know what it is. And once they were inside, it was up to me to turn that curiosity into a sale. I’d engage them, get them to like me, use simple sales techniques—reciprocity, for example. I’d offer them a free coffee while they browsed. And soon enough, they were buying. Not just because they needed something, but because they liked being there and felt like they were getting a deal.”
Brian felt a spark of hope ignite in his chest. “So, it’s about getting them through the door first?”
“Exactly,” the man said. “If you can’t prospect, you can’t sell. It doesn’t matter how good your sales skills are if there’s no one to sell to. Prospecting is the number one priority for any business. Make people curious enough to step inside. The rest is up to you.”
That night, Brian hardly slept. His mind was racing. He knew he had to make a drastic change. The next morning, he was up early, sketching out a plan. By the end of the week, Coco Electronics had a new look. It was now ‘Coco Electronics Outlet.’ The windows were plastered with huge signs: “50% OFF EVERYTHING!”, “ALL MUST GO!”, “LIMITED STOCK!” The signs were so big you couldn’t see inside the shop. People walking by could only guess what kind of bargains were waiting behind those doors.
The effect was immediate. The following Monday, people began trickling in, curious to see what the fuss was about. At first, it was a slow stream, but by midday, the store was busier than it had been in years. With each person who entered, Brian seized the opportunity. He chatted with them, offered them a complimentary cup of tea, and showed them the best deals. People stayed longer, browsed more, and started buying.
Brian realised that he had been focusing so much on slashing prices and online sales that he had neglected the very foundation of his business—prospecting. His store needed to become a magnet, drawing people in so he could engage them directly. He learned that it wasn’t just about having the right stock or the best prices; it was about creating an experience that made people want to walk through the door.
In the weeks that followed, his sales numbers began to climb. Sure, he was selling at a discount, but it was still far better than the meagre returns from online platforms. More importantly, he was finally seeing faces in his store again, connecting with customers and building relationships. People were talking about Coco Electronics Outlet around Birmingham. It became known as the place to go if you wanted a great deal and a friendly chat.
The transformation wasn’t just in the store; it was in Brian too. He no longer felt like a man fighting a losing battle. He had learned that the essence of his business wasn’t just sales or marketing; it was prospecting. Getting people in the door was the first and most crucial step. Without it, even the best sales tactics were useless.
Lesson: Brian’s story is a reminder that prospecting is the lifeblood of any business. You can be the best salesperson in the world, but if you have no one to sell to, you’re done for. On the other hand, a mediocre salesperson who masters the art of prospecting will always have a chance to make a sale.