I have a vacuum shop
What I've been finding is that people either have total bare floors with one or two area rugs (for the coffee table or dining room table to sit on). Or, they have a mixture of some carpets (bedrooms) and some wood floors (living room) and some vinyl (kitchen).
It's a rare person who has a wall to wall carpeted home any more (I do).
Half my customers who are looking at vacuums are looking at the wrong type for their home. But, they don't know better. And Wal-Mart doesn't sell canisters.
Yesterday, a man came in looking for a new vacuum. His rice car bit the dust. I sold it to him 10 years ago, and he got all his use out of it. He has 3000 square feet of flooring in his home, 2000 square feet are bare floor with 1000 square feet of carpeting (medium plush).
I showed him the Felix from Sebo. I became a Sebo dealer recently at the request of a trusted friend, who loves his Felix. I love them too. But that's not what I sold my customer.
I sold him a Sanitaire upright and the Sanitaire (Mighty Mite) canister. I was perfect for his needs. They have carpeted stairs, and kids are going to use the machines (the family is Mennonite - so the kids have 'chores'). The Sanitaire canister is light weight, fits on the steps, and has wonderful attachments and a bag you cannot get in wrong. The upright has the 7 amp motor and VGII so I know those rugs will be clean.
I have been selling a good number of Titan canisters, ever since Sears closed. People who have a Kenmore canister for a long time, and bring them in to be fixed, are easily sold a new Titan. I just show the improvements, like the on-board electric mini power nozzle for stairs.
I also sell the Electrolux (aerus), and have been very happy with those sales. I have gone to the customer's home to demonstrate (after the customer has been into my store), so I get the great feeling of being an "old time" Electrolux salesman, without having to hard close the sale (she already knows how much it costs before I come). I sell the Classic canister, since it's already perfect. Only one customer of a new Electrolux had a canister before (a church). Everyone else has had an upright. The light weight of the hose/wand as well as the versatility has sold every one of those upright users a tank type cleaner.
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