Praise Your Customers

People want to feel good about themselves. They seek self-esteem. By praising your customers, you build repeat business.

• Flatter expertise. Researchers at Duke University saw that a motivator for many experts is showing off their knowledge, but that a challenge with those considering themselves to be experts is that they too often don’t update their knowledge about the product category. Say to the expert something like, “It is clear that you know a lot about this type of product. May I share with you some of the latest versions we have and ask you what benefits you see that these new products hold for our customers?”
• For best long-term results, give genuine praise. But researchers at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology find that even insincere flattery can be effective. This works best if the customer is distracted from thinking about the flattery having been phony, such as by being rushed into buying or by making a product selection when time has passed after the praise. In these cases, the person is more likely to remember the compliments but forget about the salesperson’s insincerity.
• Each time you personalize the selling message by referring to a characteristic of the shopper, you’re delivering a compliment. Even the smallest things can give you a retailer’s edge. For example, researchers at Universiteit Leuven in Belgium find that across languages and cultures, people’s self-esteem is heightened at least a bit not only when their name is used, but also when they are shown or given products with brand names starting with the first letter in their own names.
• When the customer is completing their purchase, they are more interested in reassurance than in benefits statements. This is a prime opportunity for praise. Compliment them on the good decisions they made. Invite them to return to tell you how their purchases worked out for them.

     Shoppers who feel more involved in their purchases give closer attention to getting value for their money. This doesn't always mean a higher total sale for the retailer. Still, increased customer involvement does mean shoppers are more likely to return to your store and more likely to listen to staff's advice about things such as switching to house brands. Those results are good for profitability.
     To build customer involvement, personalize the selling message. And what better way to personalize than to praise your customer.

For your profitability: Sell Well: What Really Moves Your Shoppers

Click below for more:
Flatter Shoppers with Care and Caring
Woo Item Experts
Name Your Customers
Announce Commonalities with Shoppers
Personalize the Selling Message