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Macs coming to Office Depot?


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Macs coming to Office Depot?
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HOM
The Elder™
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: The Rostra
 
2004-07-12, 21:00

Quote:
Originally Posted by pscates2.0
I'd seriously consider doing it. And the money wouldn't mean as much, really (I do okay in my day gig and steady freelancing). However, I wouldn't want to work there and have to stock inkjet paper or dust the office desks in the back.

*SNIPIDY DOO DAH SNIPIDY DAY*

It's harder than you think. People treat you differently if you're an employee rather than a regular guy just answering questions.

For all those soon to be Office Depot Sales People, I've got a ton of advice about how to sell Macs. It's something I did and did very well.

CARTHAGO DELENDA EST

¡Viva La Revolucion!
  quote
torifile
Less than Stellar Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Durham, NC
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2004-07-12, 21:03

Might this deal be an unspoken side effect of the HP iPod deal? I know that OD is a big HP reseller.... I hope they don't screw it up. Are they going to sell software too?
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Messiahtosh
Apple Historian
 
Join Date: May 2004
 
2004-07-12, 21:06

HOM, do tell...check the genius bar forum too.
  quote
psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2004-07-12, 21:12

Crap, I could even resurrect my little iHelp thing I had going 3-4 years ago, and upon making a sale or whatever, I could give them my card and could come to their place and help get them set up, connected, registered, give a basic Mac OS X rundown, etc. for a small fee.

Anything beyond that (further training or setting up of a network or other peripherals down the road) they could contact me again.



The card above is a bit dated (Apple Garamond, blue and orange "i" question mark, stripes, etc.). But I could always update it to something a tad more modern, aluminumish and Panther-y.

  quote
psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2004-07-12, 21:18

Quote:
Originally Posted by HOM
It's harder than you think. People treat you differently if you're an employee rather than a regular guy just answering questions.

For all those soon to be Office Depot Sales People, I've got a ton of advice about how to sell Macs. It's something I did and did very well.
When you say "people", who do you mean? Other employees/the company or customers? I'd think someone interested in Macs would be happy to talk to anyone who actually possessed a clue or two, regardless if I was wearing an Office Depot shirt or some sort of rep-looking polo shirt. I know that's how I am. If I go into Best Buy and really want to know something about a Canon inkjet and have a choice between the teen-aged Blue Shirt or a 30-something guy with a Canon polo shirt on, manning the inkjet area on a Saturday, guess who I'm going to approach? Same here, I'd imagine. Right?

Maybe I'd work out something where I wouldn't wear the Office Depot get-up which might immediately put people on the defensive ("uh oh, commissioned employee dork alert...go away!").



I'm such a bitchingly righteous guy, customers would dig me no matter what. I can talk to anyone, about anything. I'd be totally in my element, for sure.

I've probably had a hand in selling more than your typical CompUSA red-shirt, so I feel pretty good about my abilities. Been doing it for about 5 years, albeit unpaid.

  quote
HOM
The Elder™
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: The Rostra
 
2004-07-12, 21:34

Quote:
Originally Posted by pscates2.0
I'm such a bitchingly righteous guy, customers would dig me no matter what. I can talk to anyone, about anything. I'd be totally in my element, for sure.
I don't doubt that at all. But when I mentioned people I was referring to customers. As soon as you put on a uniform of any kind you're not a cool guy that knows what he's talking about, but some pushy sales person trying to rip them off. And that's without even talking to them.

I would always gravitate to the guy in the Cannon shirt, but people will inevitable have bad experiences with other sales people at the store and you will be tarnished in their eyes as if you had dealt with them in the past.

I don't doubt that you could be a great sales person. I'm just saying it's not a walk in the park. I've got tremendous 'people skills' and it took me months to get good at selling Macs. However, once I got good I was really good. And I've got the Apple awards to prove it.

:smokey:

Oh, and standing on your feet for hours on end sucks monkey balls.


CARTHAGO DELENDA EST

¡Viva La Revolucion!
  quote
insaneboy
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
 
2004-07-13, 16:26

Quote:
Originally Posted by pscates2.0
Wait, is this web only...or will it mean the stores are going to start carrying them too? I'm in a town with no Apple Store, CompUSA or independent Apple retailer (yeah, sucks). BUT, we have about four Office Depots!!
Sorta the same thing here, closest apple store is 2hrs away(120miles), no compUSAs, no OfficeDepots nada for the entire state. I know of one small retailer, but any time I want something 'nope you'll have to special order it' so we just buy everything online here. Just sometimes it would be nice to have something bigger, like the time the boss needed keynote, that day. Oh boy 4hrs of driving, what fun.

What sucks more, I just moved here a year ago, and the place I moved away from just got an apple store
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HOM
The Elder™
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: The Rostra
 
2004-07-13, 20:45

Sorry to spoil the fun, but MacObserver is reporting that Office Depot will NOT be stocking an Apple products in their stores. Right now it's an online only relationship.

CARTHAGO DELENDA EST

¡Viva La Revolucion!
  quote
chipz
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Sicklerville NJ
 
2004-07-21, 19:50

I don't think it's about to happen anytime soon. Office Depot now carries HP, Sony, Compaq, eMachines and has added Gateway to their line-up. Unless they want to be known as a computer store, I don't think Apple will be added. Also, Apple only appeals to a small percentage of users at this time and Office Depot will look at the bottom line and say "Apple does nothing for us".

TCAT
  quote
chipz
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Sicklerville NJ
 
2004-07-23, 01:14

I take back what I said about Office Depot and Macs as I see it has been officially announced. I guess Office Depot really plans to get into all computers and office products. I stand corrected.

TCAT
  quote
ShiggyMiyamoto
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Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Way south of Maine
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2004-07-23, 21:04

I have a feeling that if this happens it'll become another CompUSA.....
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Stroszek
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Join Date: May 2004
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2004-07-23, 21:29

I believe that this was mentioned in the Q3 2004 Finacial Conference Call. I also believe that they said it would be web only. I'm not sure though. I'm also not going to listen to the whole thing again to find out. But if someone else would like to, I believe that it was in the Q&A section.
  quote
PhenixReborn
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
 
2004-07-23, 22:54

At 26:54, the Question is asked is OD will carry Apple computers in their stores? The reply:

Quote:
On OD, we have authorized OD to sale on their online store....we do not have any plan to extend that to their retail store or to put products into their retail stores.
I had already perused the conference call, so finding it wasn't hard.
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