With just about two weeks to go before the launch of the Wii and PS3, someone snuck us what looks to be Best Buy's official playbook. This 25-page document details all the nitty-gritty on how the super store is going to set up for the sale of both consoles, what to say and what not to say and even how to arrange the store.

I was delighted to learn, while reading through the document, that Best Buy has learned from their mistakes, specifically those made with the launch of the Xbox 360. This time around, you won't be pushed or cajoled and you might even enjoy the experience, if the Big B is to be believed.

Video game history will be made Nov. 17 (PlayStation 3) and Nov. 19 (Nintendo Wii), when two new console platforms launch for the first time in the same year since 2001 - within 48 hours of each other.

With your application of the "It Selling Strategy" against a backdrop of our core values and Core Philosophies, customers will go home with the end-to-end solutions that are just right for them and (most importantly) be glad they chose Best Buy.

Our learnings from the Xbox 360 launch last year support our belief that nothing is more important than the quality of the customer's experience. From past launches, we learned that the average customer who purchases a console system from Best Buy comes back six times a year over a three-year period to buy games and peripherals. If you press the customer on Nov. 17 to buy your end-to-end solution, it may be the last time you ever see that customer. Don't take the risk.

Instead, talk to the customer and find out what kind of gamer (hard core, family or value) he or she is. Ask questions and listen for the answers. The journey to the end-to-end solution is more than a checklist. It's you and your customer talking about how and what they like to play, where and with whom. It's you unlocking the secret of what makes your customer unique and sending them home with what they want.

There's a ton more info in this box and to make things more digestible I've broken down the info into multiple posts:

Best Buy's PS3 and Wii Mazes
Official Best Buy Employee Wii/PS3 Buying Policy
What Best Buy Can't Do with the Wii/PS3
PS3 Launch Day Game List
The Wii Launch Day Game List
Best Buy's Launch Day Logistics

Brian Crecente

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