POKE THE BEAR

I wanted to buy an expensive road bike.

A Pinarello Dogma F12 in Vanician blue.

It was $12,000 without pedals.

I called three bike shops asking if they had the bike in my size.

Two shops said they had the bike in stock.

When I called the third shop, Racer’s Edge in Boca Raton, and asked if they had the bike in my size, John, the owner, said this:

“We don’t sell bikes that way.”

Me: “What do you mean?”

John: “The problem with the Pinarello Dogma F12 is that you ride it for 30-40 miles and discover you’re not comfortable and it can’t be adjusted to fit you. So you end up selling it it at a 40% loss.

”The correct position keeps your body aligned on the bike, helping to prevent injuries while making you comfortable and relaxed.”

“That’s why we do a 2-hour bike fitting first before recommending a bike.”

“We have more fitting experience than any other shop in the area with over 10,000 fittings.”

I booked a fitting and bought a Specialized S-Works SR7 Snake Eye bike from John. It was $13,000 without pedals.

Why?

John poked the bear.

He shined a light on a problem I didn’t know about. He had a point of view.

The lesson?

To stand out, you need to stand for something.

What do you know that your prospect doesn’t know that can hurt them?