Researchers at University of British Columbia and INSEAD Singapore set up a study in which a personal trainer offered a fitness program to prospective enrollees. Participants who believed the fitness instructor was born on the same day as them became more likely to rate a sample program highly and to sign up for a membership. And dental patients who believed they were born in the same place as their dentist were more likely to rate their care highly and to schedule future appointments at that clinic.
The influence doesn't operate in the negative, though. That is, if the customer sees that none of your salespeople share their birthday or birthplace, the customer doesn’t become less likely to make a purchase from your store. Putting all that together, it makes sense for you to let customers know the birthdays and hometowns of your sales staff. Many hospitality retailers already include hometown information on their employees' name badges, and some retailers announce the birthdays of floor employees loudly and proudly in the store.
Discovering commonalities builds a feeling of trust, even when the trust is not necessarily justified. Customers prefer conducting transactions with salespeople who are the same religion, race, or ethnicity as them. However, the researchers found that having something in common can take you only so far. If the customer found the salesperson to be rude, the good will evaporated.
In highlighting the similarities, also keep it clear that you're cultivating a business relationship. Talking about hometowns and astrological signs opens up the conversation, but the conversation needs to move on toward making the sale.
For your profitability: Sell Well: What Really Moves Your Shoppers
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