Flex Your Influence for Shopper Flexibility

When we’re wanting to influence a shopper, we’d like to cultivate a flexible frame of mind in him or her.
     University of Colorado researchers explored ways to increase this sort of flexibility. The situation they used was introduction of an innovative product. The most common questions the shopper has when considering an unfamiliar offering concern comparison with products they already are familiar with: “What type of product is it? What category should I place it into?” “How might this product be of greater benefit to me than other products which claim to serve the same purposes?”
     We’d like the shopper to have an open approach when answering such questions. Based on their findings, the researchers suggest specific tactics. Here’s my adaptation of those tactics to take account of other research and retailers’ experiences:

• If the shopper appears to be in a positive mood, begin with pleasant conversation. Your objective is to build that positive mood further. Happiness increases cognitive flexibility. 
• If the shopper appears to be sad, don’t appear too much happier than the shopper. Otherwise, you might irritate the shopper. Here, achieve a flexible frame of mind by showing the shopper a variety of options. Researchers at National Central University and Hungkuang University in Taiwan find that sadness tends to lead to variety seeking. 
• If the shopper appears to be inconsolable, aim to arrange another time to encourage flexible thinking. Extreme emotions precipitate rigid thinking. 
• Prepare the shopper to be impressed. The Colorado researchers found that preannouncements are particularly useful when you’re asking the consumer to make a big cognitive leap. This would be the case, for instance, when an innovative product is extremely incongruent with current offerings. Your script might include, “I’ll be showing you an item quite different from what you’re accustomed to seeing. I think you’ll be as enthusiastic about it as I am once you learn about it.” If you sense that the shopper is the type of person who enjoys being surprised, work that into the script, too. 
• Before introducing the new item or idea, show the shopper and discuss a few more familiar items or ideas.
• Be sure to describe the benefits to this individual shopper in what you’re asking the shopper to consider. Researchers who have observed salespeople in action frequently report that the salesperson seemed to assume the shopper knew all the benefits so didn’t list the benefits clearly enough. 

Click below for more: 
Encourage Customers to Be Innovative 
Use Customer Life Changes to Switch Brands 
Profit from Shoppers’ Positive Moods