Fundamentals First: Products & Customers

It sounds simple enough, "Fundamentals First", but it is paramount to success. My favorite cigar maker quote is from none other than Jose Orlando Padron; the simple translation is 'you must crawl before you walk, and walk before you run, if not you will fall on your face'. Truer words have never been spoken, in my humble opinion.

Sr. Jose Blanco has his 5 Keys To Retail Tobacconist Success, and I think those are powerful and accurate. But I also think Tobacconist success can be distilled further into only two necessary fundamentals: PRODUCTS & CUSTOMERS. Focus on Products, Focus on Customers and you will never fail. Those are the two fundamental principles for success: PRODUCTS & CUSTOMERS. That's all you need to know. Now, get to work....

5 Keys To Retail Tobacconist Success

by: Jose Blanco, Marketing Director, La Aurora Cigars

1. Customer Service
2. Product Availability
3. Store Image
4. Pricing
5. Product Knowledge

*Supplemental Contribution by Jorge Luis Armenteros, CMT: Blanco's 5 keys are short and to the point. We will see if he ever wants to elaborate on these... I have audio tape of him talking about them as he drove me through the streets of Santiago, but the car horns and cursing obfuscate the academic lesson. It really is that simple: Focus on Service, Products, Image, Pricing, and Product Knowledge!!!! That is all it takes.