Andrew Chu: Postcard from Bangkok

GREYnJ United Bangkok’s Executive Creative Director Andrew Chu (pictured) reflects on the man on the street and consumers.

Vendor: 650 Baht

Buyer: No, 350 Baht

Vendor: 350?! Cannot la. I lose money. Good price for you, 600.

Buyer: 600 too expensive. 400 ok?

Vendor: 400 no profit sir. Ok 550. Very good price.

Buyer: Come on, 450 then? Good price.

Vendor: Give me 50 more. I take care my family. Good for you, good for me. 500 Baht mister. I happy, you happy.

Buyer: …

Anyone who’s ever been a tourist in Thailand can relate to this conversation. It’s a typical back-and-forth on any street, in the back of a tuk tuk, or deep in Nana plaza. Having lived in Thailand for almost two years now, I’ve had many of these and subsequently I’ve had to learn to blend in. To become one of the locals. Well, to be treated as such, and avoid the constant rip offs and roundabouts.

But it’s taught me a valuable lesson about selling – our consumers don’t get to respond to our work face to face. They take it or leave it and we don’t get a chance to adapt mid pitch. So what I’ve learned that we need to be better at is relating on a personal level from the beginning. Unless we treat them with the understanding and respect they expect and deserve from the start, most people aren’t likely to embrace our message.

So back to the man on the street and me.

Imagine it’s my client and me. Sat in an office boardroom late on a Thursday night. Way past deadline. Are we always thinking about the consumer in that scenario? Clients have their business problems and objectives. Agendas, and KPIs. While on the other hand, we have an idea to sell. And sometimes we can be so attached to that idea that we forget their objectives. We fight, discuss, argue, and finally compromise. Win win. You happy. I Happy.

But what about the consumer in all this? He’s not in the room. So make sure he’s in the work.