Great salespeople still make a difference.
I'm writing this post via my new Blackberry and not via the iPhone, and among other reasons, it's due to a great experience with a terrific salesperson in the unlikliest of places (the Verizon retail store).
I thought I would be getting a new iPhone, but there were too many deal-breakers for me. First, the keyboard (or lack of same). I assume I need say no more. But here were the others:
1. Battery life (or lack of same) and no spare capability. My friend Jonathan, who like me is a messaging power user, needs to re-charge his iPhone by noon everyday. This is supposed to be a mobile device.
2. No cut-and-paste in text editing. For me, it's about making phone calls, but it's as much about mobile messaging. SMS and email are mission critical.
Don't get me wrong, I lusted after the iPhone and was amazed to still see lines with 40-50 people in them outside the Apple stores in San Francisco and Emeryville, three weeks after launch. But I'm in the market for a work tool first, and an entertainment tool second. I love my iPod, and don't go anywhere without it. But I'm not about to go jogging or working out with an iPhone. I don't need to watch TV or videos on my phone, I need to communicate.
I've been a Palm user since the first Pilot. In fact, Palm was a client of mine back in the day, and my firm was helping them generate income by selling a software program they developed that allowed folks to sync their HPs with their PCs. How old school is that? One of my fondest memories is being taken in the back room and shown the secret project the geniuses at Palm were working on...I saw the first Pilot when it was still made out of clay! But by now, my Treo 750 was pretty tired and it was time to upgrade to a new phone. Sorry Palm, you guys need a breakthrough to stay relevant.
I hated the Blackberry experience when I tried it a year ago. In a matter of two days I had carpal tunnel on my right thumb from the damn scroll wheel. I hated the lack of flexibility in the calendar app, the inability to thread messages, and the fact that messages were all treated equally...voice mail, email, SMS, it all went into one bucket. No wonder you need a search feature!
But I held my breath and visited the Verizon store in Emeryville, and walked out the proud owner of a Blackberry Curve. The biggest impact on me wasn't the technology, but the salesperson, Juancarlos. I expected the typical Verizon floor salesperson...uninterested, uninformed, and usually unhelpful. But Juancarlos had the right answers, he knew how the device works, knew some great tips and tricks, and was a user himself. He was patient and listened to my questions and comments, and showed me how the device would meet my needs.
I'm a happy camper. I signed up for the GPS and am very impressed, and that was a bonus I wasn't looking for. The other big bonus? I am typing this post (and I am a wicked fast thumb-typer... how can you do this without a keyboard? C'mon!) on the Curve with the downloadable software that links it right to this blog. How cool is that?
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