Twin the Shopper Subtly to Double Rapport

Researchers at Université de Bretagne-Sud observed customers who were asking for advice about selecting an MP3 player in a retail store. Unbeknownst to the shoppers, some of the salespeople had been given instructions which you might consider to be rather strange: Subtly mimic the shopper. In other cases, the salesperson was not instructed to mimic the shopper.
     What difference did it make? About 79% of the shoppers who were subtly mimicked ended up purchasing an MP3 player. Among those who were not mimicked, about 62% made the buy. In addition, the customers who were mimicked rated the salesperson and the store itself more favorably.
     The researchers explain this “Chameleon Effect” by saying having someone subtly mirror your behavior makes that other person more familiar to you. This relaxes barriers to trust, so you comply with the person’s requests. Such as buying an MP3 player recommended by the subtle mimic.
     A related explanation, offered by another set of research findings, is at the level of brain waves. Studies at Princeton University indicate that one distinctive tool you have in face-to-face selling is the ability to reflect each shopper’s brain activity. The researchers found that when communication between two people is at its best, the brain waves of the two people actually come to have similarities. Along with this, the listener—such as the retail salesperson—begins to anticipate where the speaker—the prospective customer—is going next in their thoughts, and can therefore better influence those thoughts.
     The enhanced understanding of the shopper boosts your powers in guiding the shopper’s purchase decisions. It works best with customers you already know, and there are significant differences among salespeople in the ability to do this sort of mindreading. But the research findings do suggest ways to get better at it.

• Listen carefully not only to the words the shopper is using, but also to their tone of voice. Watch the shopper’s gestures and their facial expressions. Figure out how they all go together so you can get good at reading the brain and mimicking the shopper subtly. 
• Be aware of when you’re in sync. The researchers say you’ll feel visceral signals letting you know you’re now tuned in. 
• You can redirect, but don’t suddenly interrupt, the shopper’s thinking, such as by finishing off their sentences. When you’re reading somebody’s mind, tipping your hand makes it seem weird, and the shopper gets guarded. 

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

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Synch with Your Shopper’s Brain Before Influencing