“Make a customer, not a sale.” — Katherine Barchetti

This post will discuss Katherine Barchetti’s quote stating “Make a customer, not a sale.” First, I can go into some background on Katherine Barchetti. Barchetti is one of Pittsburgh’s own. Barchetti is the owner of K. Barchetti Shops, a retail high end fashion store near Pittsburgh. K. Barchetti Shops built their legacy upon customized service and a personalized experience. Katherine Barchetti was highly committed to her philosophy of building relationships. In an age of high saturation (especially in the clothing department), Barchetti found a way to stand out and create relationships with her customers. Her denial of the “one size fits all” sales theory is what helped her differentiate from her competition. K. Barchetti Shops primary era of success lasted from the 70s to the 90s. Her stores have allegedly brought in over one million dollars annually in their prime years. “Make a customer, not a sale,” means exactly what it sounds like. Barchetti’s goal when she interacted with customers was to make a genuine relationship. Sometimes forming this relationship sacrifices the sale. This could take place when you are honest about the incapability to fulfill a customer’s need. Barchetti was known for her deep customer insight and her high priority of the customer’s need. This philosophy helped her retain a high percentage of her customers. Barchetti was rewarded for her careful attention to her customers with loyalty. This loyalty ended up manifesting itself into millions of dollars in revenue across a couple decades. In our sales class setting, we can take a lot from Katherine Barchetti’s story. She is living proof that caring for your customers is one of the ways to success. As Christians in business, I believe that it is important that we care for one another. Katherine Barchetti helped pave the way for ethical sales and business rooted in genuine care for each other.