Though user group members depend on retailers to supply them with computers, they are sometimes suspicious. Retailers, they suspect, don’t always give Apple a fair shake—not promoting Apple products as strongly as they might, reinforcing urban myths about the lack of software for Macintosh, steering customers to Pentium-based systems, not supporting Macintosh customers as strongly or eagerly as they do Windows customers.

Retailers, meanwhile, can also be suspicious of and, sometimes, intimidated by user group members—fearing that customers will be put off by their assertiveness about or unabashed enthusiasm for Macintosh products, or that customers will become confused or irritated and take their business elsewhere.

Not at all. When user groups and retailers work together, everybody wins—user group members, retailers, and, especially, customers.

That was the message articulated by those participating in the “Working with Resellers” panel discussion at the recent Macworld Expo in New York.

Joining Diane Cohn, user group program manager for Apple Computer and moderator of the panel discussion, was Rose Lynn, President of Gold Coast Mac (a proactive user group in Miami, FL); Kelly Kinsey, CompUSA Store Manager (in the Miami area); Randy Jarnigan, the Manager of an Apple store-within-a-store at a CompUSA in Louisville, KY, and the coordinator of Art Software Group; Daniel M. East, program director for the Bux-Mont Macintosh User Group in Philadelphia, PA; and Dave Keller, an Apple Regional Sales Manager based in Indianapolis, IN.

They all came to Macworld with a single purpose: to share what they’ve learned and explain how they’ve benefited by establishing strong working relationships with “the other side.”

Gold Coast Mac Photo

Take Kelly Kinsey, for example. The manager of a CompUSA, Kelly readily admits that while she knew PC’s, she did not know Macintosh particularly well, did not really feel comfortable speaking with customers about Macintosh, and was apprehensive when someone from a user group came calling.

That someone was Rose Lynn. Rose, the President of the local Gold Coast Mac user group, had already established an alliance with another retailer in Miami and wanted to do the same with Kelly. So she started “taking baby steps.” She visited the store, introducing herself and offering to help. She called, reminding Kelly who she was and, again, offering to help. She’d drop by the store once every two weeks or so, just to say hello and build a foundation for their relationship.

Hers was a friendly, non-threatening, go-slow approach. And it paid dividends. Kelly, after all, was getting frustrated. She was doing her best to try and satisfy Macintosh patrons, but “customers would come in and say ‘why is your Apple section so bad.’”

So she called Rose and asked her “to help me turn my store into the best customer experience for Apple customers.” With Rose’s input and assistance, Kelly completely redid the Apple section in her CompUSA.

Rose also worked with Kelly and her sales staff, teaching them about Macintosh, what made them so exciting and easy to use.

Kelly was “flabbergasted by the results.” With a knowledgeable staff and a revamped store, sales went up. Way up. Kelly’s CompUSA became the number one retailer of Macintosh computers in the area. In fact, of the computers that she sells, most are now Macintosh.

“And the turnaround,” Kelly says, “is directly related to the involvement of Gold Coast and the degree of commitment that they have brought to the staff at CompUSA.”

Nor are the gains only on one side.

Because of the relationship Rose and Gold Coast have forged with Kelly and other area stores, members of the Gold Coast Macintosh user group receive member discounts, CompUSA ads appear in their newsletter, SIG’s have a place to hold meetings, the group is able to expand their charitable work, and the user group has a place to hold such events as a Children’s Learning Day.

Everyone benefits.