Know How Shoppers Interpret Your Words

Telling your customer a story can help deliver the lesson. When the story contains a bit of a mystery, this can be especially effective. That’s because solving the little mystery involves the customer’s brain with what you’re saying.
     Right now, you’re my customer who’s interested in learning more about increasing your retailing profitability. So I’ll tell you a story that involves not one, but two mysteries. The first mystery is this: What type of event is being described by the following brief story?

They couldn’t decide exactly what to play. Jerry eventually took a stand and set things up. Karen’s recorder filled the room with soft and pleasant music. Finally, Mike said, “Let’s hear the score.” They listened carefully and commented on their performance.

     Have you made your decision about what sort of event these people are commenting on? That solves the first mystery, so I’ll tell you about a study conducted by education researcher Richard C. Anderson and his colleagues at University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign: Thirty students with a music education major and thirty students with a physical education major read a longer version of the story I just told you and were then assessed regarding what they thought the story described.
     The music education students tended to believe the story described a rehearsal session of a woodwind ensemble. On the other hand, the P.E. students were more likely to say this was a description of playing card games.
     Please read the brief story again now to see how it could be interpreted in more than one way. It’s pretty easy to see. However, in the University of Illinois research study, the participants who interpreted the story in one way gave no evidence that they could have interpreted it differently.
     Oh, remember I said there were two mysteries here? The second one: Why am I telling you about this research study? The answer: To make the point that to help improve your profitability, you and your staff should stay tuned into what the shopper already knows. The words and terms they’re familiar with. The way the shopper defines those words. The emotions those words appear to arouse in the shopper.
     Avoid misunderstandings and maximize your impact by recognizing your words can be interpreted in different ways and by knowing how shoppers do interpret your words.

Click below for more:
Tell Positive Stories About Your Products
Joke Around to Facilitate the Sale
Prime Your Shoppers Below Awareness