[docgiggs]

Retail stores for technology is a mixed bag no matter where you shop or what you shop for. As long as it has a battery or is plugged into the wall, you are going to find people that don't know jack shiat about it.

I used to work in retail for bestbuy, circuit city and compusa a long time ago. I have been a techie geek since building my own comodore 64 at the age of 8. Yes learned to solder and rebuild a broken comodore back then. It has started a love fascination for me with technology since then.

I will say this, it does not require any intelligence to actually "sell" something to people. In fact, sometimes not knowing what you are saying is actually better for making a sale than knowing it. There had been countless times in the past I would get a customer coming in looking to buy a new computer when all they needed was a keyboard, because they thought a keyboard was the computer. That is just the tip of the iceberg. Also, this is fairly recent since I last worked at a compusa about 4 years ago.

Usually, the really, really, REALLY dumb customers do better with the really dumb (techie wise) sales people. It was always amazing when I saw it. Usually the stupider they were, the more likely the less techie salesman would make the sale.

To the contrary however, knowing my crap inside and out always made me the top sales person. Usually not for the store, but for the region or sometimes for the entire company for a period. Because I knew what I was doing and talking about customers would always come back and refer friends to me.

But one last thing to note, just being a tech geek and knowing your stuff doesn't make you a good salesman either. It is all about those little things you learned in speech and experience on the job that teaches you how to sell. Knowing your audience, how to relate the product, what to actually SELL them on based off their interest, how to make them happy, and how to bring them back with friends.

So what I am saying is that there are salesmen out there that know what they are doing and talking about. The trick is when you find them, always keep coming back. That and tell others. You'll be a happier customer for it, and they'll be a happier as well.