Do We Sell Cameras?
by Bill Wilby and friends
Last updated March 20th at 12:12pm
The article below was written by me awhile back, many things have changed since that time. The success that I have had selling the G1 as well as other Panasonic cameras and M/4/3 lenses has increased my out of town customers significantly. We have also added a products page to make it easier for people to ask for information and to check pricing. We may expand this to an on-line store in the future. I am now a Samsung dealer and able to sell the NX10 system and the EX1 compact. Both of these cameras are arriving soon. There will be a replacement for the G1 in June as well as other new Panasonic cameras. I am also looking forward to the arrival of the new Sigma SD15 if only for myself as I have several lenses and no Foveon body at this time. But the biggest change this year has been selling Contact Photo Arts. I am now semi retired with more time for my out of town customers and more time to use a camera. I now spent very little time behind a glass sales counter, my new sales station includes a mono pod, cell phone, note book computer and a comfortable pair of walking shoes. Cheers Bill
I recently received an e-mail from a customer asking "do you still sell cameras?" Yes we do still sell cameras. Most of our sales are over the counter in our store, but this past year I have added on-line camera sales to our business, because of my interest in Sigma cameras. Not many stores stock Sigma cameras and few salespeople are aware of their uniqueness. I saw an opportunity and it has added to our business.
Our on-line customers contact us by e-mail or a phone call. This information is located under the contact us link at the top of our home page.
I have discovered many things with this new experience of selling on-line. One of which is the importance of my relationship to my customer. In the past I have taken this relationship for granted. It is easy for me to form this relationship when a customer comes into our store. I discover their requirements, and together we find a solution and complete the sale. Grand Forks is a small community so it is easy to continue a relationship with the customer and ensure we have made a good choice. I have been helping customers this way for the past 25 years. My Grand Forks customers are also my neighbors.
My challenge this past year has been to find ways to build relationships with customers who I may never meet in person. To my surprise I have found that this can not only be easy to do but also more fun than I have had for a long time. Back to the question, "do you sell cameras on-line"? Yes we do but not with an on-line shopping cart. I need something different than a web-site with a shopping cart to sell on-line. For me to understand my customers needs and help you make a good choice, communication with e-mail and the telephone is better.
Our on-line customers contact us by e-mail or a phone call. This information is located under the contact us link at the top of our home page.
I have discovered many things with this new experience of selling on-line. One of which is the importance of my relationship to my customer. In the past I have taken this relationship for granted. It is easy for me to form this relationship when a customer comes into our store. I discover their requirements, and together we find a solution and complete the sale. Grand Forks is a small community so it is easy to continue a relationship with the customer and ensure we have made a good choice. I have been helping customers this way for the past 25 years. My Grand Forks customers are also my neighbors.
My challenge this past year has been to find ways to build relationships with customers who I may never meet in person. To my surprise I have found that this can not only be easy to do but also more fun than I have had for a long time. Back to the question, "do you sell cameras on-line"? Yes we do but not with an on-line shopping cart. I need something different than a web-site with a shopping cart to sell on-line. For me to understand my customers needs and help you make a good choice, communication with e-mail and the telephone is better.
Our on-line camera sales include unique cameras like the Sigma DP1 and Sigma SD14. I have also discovered that having a camera or lens first gives us the opportunity to expand our market. In the past I have always taken an interest in new products and changes in our industry. Because of this interest I have been able to offer our Grand Forks customers new products before they are available else where. Now with my on-line sales we are able to offer these new products to a much larger market. The Pentax 17 to 70 SDM lens is one example. I was able to post photos on-line two weeks before anyone else. Another example is the Panasonic FZ 28 which I was also the first to post photos on-line. This resulted in one of my first sales of this camera to a customer in Florida.
This fall there have been several new cameras announced by camera manufacturers. The Nikon D90 is the first DSLR to have HD video. We will have this camera in stock soon. Pentax are soon shipping their new DSLR which is the Pentax KM. In the United States this camera is the D2000. We have them on order at this time. Panasonic have introduced a new camera system named the G1. I hope to have this before most and will be posting photos.
The Panasonic G1 will be here soon, maybe on Oct. 24, I will be publishing a review next week with my first impressions. Bill
Please contact me by e-mail or telephone for more information regarding our on-line camera sales. I will be posting updates with arrival dates of our new products and short reviews with photographs. Bill Wilby camera sales person 250.442.5633
