If Only Boots and Jeans Showed Up on My Doorstep...

As you can tell from my last blog, I classify myself as outdoorsy. I like camping, kayaking, and shooting things. Judge me all you want, but I also like the taste of Copenhagen between my cheek and gum. I think this may stem from my roots as a country, not Podunk, boy. Yes, I do wear my half-quill Ostrich ropers and my wranglers whenever I can, but not because I am a conforming frat-guy, rather because it’s the only logical thing to wear when you go dove hunting or horseback riding! All that said, I absolutely loathe shopping for boots and jeans. Even if I were given a blank check to go buy boots, I am hesitant to get excited. It all started with the ever-so-popular western wear chain, Cavender’s Boot Company.

            Too much of a good thing is a great thing, right? Not always. Imagine this… I walk into a Cavender’s, looking to buy some boots and jeans, and I am greeted by a cute, twenty-something year-old girl, dressed in her boots and jeans, smiling with a little twinkle in her eye. Then, she asks me (she talked to me!?) if I needed any help finding what I needed. (Of course, I suavely told her that I may have just found exactly what I was looking for. Ok, maybe not.) This was a pretty good start to my Cavender’s experience. I was ready to buy a nice pair of boots to show off to the girl who seemed so interested in my shopping experience. Before I knew it, another girl begins the same twinkle-in-the-eye routine. Either I am just bringing my A-game today or I am completely missing something. Soon thereafter, my luck changes as a similarly dressed man begins the same routine (with a little less twinkle). And it dawns on me. The people walking around with their boots and jeans, their twinkle in their eyes, and their desire to help are being paid to help me! They are sales associates.

            Now, people asking to help me are no longer flattering, but a bit annoying. I try to decide what boots I like, in my own mind, but I can’t get away from the 5 associates nipping at my heels, competing to earn a commission. All I want is my privacy to look around! How did all those eager helpers lead to me hating my experience at Cavender’s?

            Before I go back to bashing my Cavender’s experience. Let me give credit where credit is due. What they did do extremely well is perfect the “Relate” aspect of the Strategic Experiential Module. Every employee that I encountered at Cavender’s was dressed like someone I could see myself dressed as, or dressed as someone I could see myself dating! They each even had on their own unique cowboy hat, which I have never been bold enough to buy, but let’s be honest, I can relate to wanting one. They are absolutely catering themselves towards the audience that they are looking to reach. Cavender’s also did really well at accomplishing the “Sense” aspect of the module discussed in class. The atmosphere of the store was very comforting. The walls, the decoration, the floors, they all subtly conveyed the feeling of southern hospitality. Cavender’s was decorated the way that I would want my future hill-country dream home to be decorated. Two-for-two thus far, but not for long.

            Where Cavender’s messed up is where I initially thought they did really well… their customer service. They were incredible helpful. But then almost too helpful. And then, they were absolutely smothering you with help to a point of discomfort. When I go shopping, especially clothes shopping, I don’t enjoy myself. I want to get in and get out. I work best alone. If someone is always by my side, telling me what would or wouldn’t look good, or trying to sell me a shirt that would look good with my boots (up-selling is the worst), I get antsy and uncomfortable. But when I move past discomfort and straight into sheer anger is when the nagging help is unavoidable. When there are 5 associates on you like white on rice. Help is great, when you need it. But when I don’t need help, it is almost offensive to me to be asked 10 times if I needed to know where to find something… do I really look that lost and confused?

            I must admit, although I didn’t thoroughly enjoy my time at Cavender’s, I did buy a pair of boots… and jeans… and like 3 pairs of socks. I told you, I hate shopping, I wasn’t about to go to another store and waste more time. But, I think if Cavender’s made an effort to reduce the amount of in-your-face assistance and merely make knowledgeable associates available to be asked for help (NOT VICE-VERSA), then it would be a top-tier store in my book. Until then, I am have to plan out covert strategies for shopping trips to buy my jeans!

Poor Collegiate Outdoorsman

“So, tell me about yourself” – One of the toughest questions to answer candidly (without sounding cheesy, of course), unless you are lucky enough to have created a self-persona for a marketing class you took junior year of college… Oh, wait.

ATTENTION MARKETERS! Potential buyer!

Meet Bobby Lish. He is your typical 18-21 year old, male student. Except, “typical” doesn’t effectively convey any meaning to a marketer. If “typical” doesn’t suffice, what describes Bobby? (If I may revert to first person now…) Given the amount of time spent doing so, I am best described as a student. Many experienced marketers would assume this means I am likely dependent financially. In most areas, this is true. Tuition, rent, utilities, insurance… all a phone call away from being paid. Unfortunately, I am not fully dependent, leaving me to work two part-time jobs to fund my life. Most importantly, this means that time and money are two things that I have in limited quantity. I strongly dislike shopping for anything because I loathe spending money when it feels superfluous. I’ll buy almost anything though if I can be convinced I “need” it. Take a moment to reminisce…

Senior year of high school. Time to buy a college car. I could get a car, because it is more gas efficient, and probably cheaper than a truck, but what if I need to haul something? I “need” a truck. A single cab would be cheaper than an extended cab, but what if multiple people need a ride? I “need” the extended cab. The Z71 package makes the truck look awesome, but I don’t really need it, do I? Well, there’s the possibility of getting stuck in the mud (happens all the time, I hear…) and the 4-wheel drive would help in that situation. I “need” the Z71. I can be convinced I “need” almost anything that I want to have in the first place.

A perfect segue into what it is that I want. I would describe myself as an outdoorsman. Camping is my activity of choice. Adventure tickles my fancy. My summer job is always camp counselor. Always. I want my life to be a story that would sell millions of copies in the bookstores. A white picket fence, 2.5 kids, and a golden retriever makes my skin crawl. “Into The Wild” is my favorite book, and my favorite movie (no immediate plans to abandon society for a bus in the Alaskan wilderness as of yet). I absolutely adore music. I firmly believe relationships are of paramount importance in life. Financial success means very little to me (aren’t I in McCombs?). My dream job is to be a big game hunting guide. Some of my most prized possessions are: a kayak, an old pipe, a travel hammock, a guitar, and a 12-gauge shotgun. I don’t always shop, but when I do, I shop in Whole Earth Provisions.

To summarize, you could call me a marketer’s nightmare: An outdoorsy college student, who doesn’t have much spending money, and when he does, hates spending it. But I, like many others, have my weak spot. I love the idea of being “manly.” Did I buy my truck because I needed a truck with an extended cab and 4-wheel drive, or did it simply appeal to my desire of manliness? Do I drink Dos Equis because of the taste or because “The Most Interesting Man In the World” also drinks it? I will defend the taste, but it doesn’t hurt that he drinks it too (have you heard that sharks have a week dedicated to him?). In the end, take a product, prove its’ use to a man (a real burly, man’s man), and prove its’ necessity, then it will be irresistible to me. Unless, of course, I’ve already started selling all my possessions in hopes of setting off into the wilderness to live an epic life of adventure… In which case, I’m a hopeless consumer, but do you know anyone in the market for a 4-wheel drive truck?