Any ski salesperson worth his or her salt is going to ask a few standard questions in order to properly match the prospective ski buyer to a new ski. The litany of inquiries will go something like this:
- “How would you describe yourself as a skier?’
- “What skis do you have now?”
- “How often do you plan to ski this year?”
- “Do you like long, fast turns or short, quick turns?”
- “What type of terrain do you prefer?”
- “Is there a particular skill you’d like to improve?”
- “Did you have a particular ski in mind?”
A wily veteran of the ski trade will know to ask about your boots, even though you’re on the hunt for skis. The answer to this seemingly off-subject inquiry will reveal as much about the skier’s situation as any other single data point.
But even a skillful interrogation about your current state of affairs and ambitions for the future still sidesteps the real issue: motivation. In other words, not how do you ski or where do you ski or what do you currently ski, but why do you ski?
Zealots form tight-knit communities totally committed to their passion.
When I was working as a product manager at Salomon in the 1980’s, the brand spent serious coin on consumer research, all of which was interesting and much of which was powerful. From a product development standpoint, the most fruitful research was in the area of skier psychographics, focusing on the design preferences of different skier types.
The central theme of this research was that skiers could be divided into three classifications: Tourists, Players and Zealots. While the skier population has evolved in many ways over the last thirty years, the characteristics of these skier types have remained a constant.
Tourists take time out to enjoy social moments.
Tourists ski primarily for social reasons. Safety, simplicity and convenience are paramount. They want to have fun in a casual atmosphere. Attractive design is appealing as long as it’s uncomplicated and as much as possible, automatic.
Players engage in multiple activities.
Players believe in game improvement, and often sample of wide range of activities, gravitating to sports that reward their efforts with tangible advancement. Players are interested in trends, try to stay up on technology and look for gear that’s versatile and adaptable.
Zealots are zeroed in. They’re looking for specialized equipment that enhances performance – even if only a little bit – at their particular passion. The racer wants to shave off a tenth of a second, the Pipe and Park athlete needs to get in one more spin, the big mountain freerider can stay just ahead of his galloping slough.
So how will knowing if you’re a Tourist, Player or Zealot help you pick the right ski, or boot or any other toy or gadget? Aside from the fact that self-awareness is often helpful for character development, probably not much. But knowing what skier type you are should help a ski or boot salesperson a lot.
So the next time you’re out shopping for ski gear, be it skis or boots or even accessories, as you and the salesperson are in the getting-to-know-you stage, don’t just share your ski history. Get to the nut of why you ski, and the savvy salesperson should be able to match your needs to a tee.