Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Analyze the Role the Customer Expects

Fans of psychiatrist Carl Jung say that when people shop, they see the salesperson as playing a dramatic role. People shop to solve problems, and clinical research convinced Jungians we expect specific sorts of problem solvers in our lives. Here are the five big ones, using my adaptation of the language of Jungians:
  • The Superhero takes responsibility for rescuing us. The customer expects the Superhero to go above and beyond what most salespeople are able or willing to do.
  • The Coach reassures us. The customer expects the Coach to be available until the problem is solved and to encourage the customer to buy whatever is needed to solve it.
  • The Guru brings experience and a sharp mind. The customer expects the Guru to pretty much know the customer's needs without asking lots of questions.
  • The Playmate loves fun. The customer expects the Playmate to be more interested in how the shopping experience feels than in how the product or service works.
  • The Rascal exploits other people. Customers with strong morals don't like being around the Rascal. But there are plenty of shoppers who count on the Rascal to help them solve problems by taking advantage of others.
     Jung and his students discovered that people throughout different cultures of the world all use these same five roles in their thinking. This convinces Jungians that each of us arrives in the world with these templates inside our brains. Not only are we born to shop, but we're also born with clear expectations of shopkeepers. If that's what our customers expect, don't let them down. Coach your staff to form a team with each shopper by analyzing if the shopper wants a Superhero, Coach, Guru, Playmate, or Rascal.

For your profitability: Sell Well: What Really Moves Your Shoppers
Posted by Bruce D. Sanders, Ph.D. at 3:00 AM
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1 comment:

  1. Judy HopelainMay 14, 2009 at 3:04 PM

    Very helpful profiles of what we expect of shopkeepers. I bet we find that people do not always expect a shopkeeper to be the same type of problem solver, so shopkeepers need a quick way to "size up" the customer's needs each time they come into the store, and serve him or her in the way that best meets that day's needs. Owners are more likely motivated than hourly sales associates to try to figure this out. So, we might expect to see Local Shops do a better job serving customers. At least that's the theory. And it's one way locals have a chance to beat the big box and mall stores. Thanks for making the connection, Bruce.

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