Cement Positives by Spotting Concretes

To make a sale, navigate between the concrete and abstract. Concrete words and phrases include apple, engine, hammer, and “I like the volume.” Abstract words and phrases include aptitude, essence, hatred, and “It livens me up.”
     In ads and face-to-face selling messages, concrete words are easier for consumers to process than abstract words. Because they are easier to process, these words will stand out and attract the shopper’s attention. In addition, customers unfamiliar with you and your products or services can be more likely to believe the concrete. Researchers at University of Southern California, Dartmouth College, and Yale University found that, compared to faked reviews of hotels, the genuine ones use more concrete words, such as “bathroom” and “check-in,” and fewer context-setting phrases, like, “it was our vacation,” and “my husband asked why.”
     However, based on their findings, researchers at University of Southern California and University of Texas-Austin say that once you stop the shopper with the concrete, you should then switch to the abstract. You want people to spend time contemplating what you’re saying. Abstract words and phrases help accomplish that.
     Abstract language between you and the serious shopper also indicate the sale is on track. This has to do with the fact that consumers often shade their face-to-face reports to salespeople. Even if a person doesn’t enjoy their dessert as much as they thought they would or appreciate the surprising hairstyling upon looking in the mirror, research findings and retailing experience indicate that person hesitates expressing dissatisfaction right then. Instead, when asked by the retailer, “Do you like it,” the customer will talk about some concrete feature they did enjoy. “The presentation of the dessert on the plate was good.” “With this hairdo, my eyes are set off more.” The concrete language can serve as a signal to the retailer that the shopper is less than fully satisfied.
     Erasmus University researchers found that if consumers have a positive experience with a disliked brand, they’re more likely to use concrete than abstract wording when telling others about it. The reason is that the consumers consider the positive experience with the negative brand to be an exception, so they don’t want to generalize.
     When you notice your shopper using concrete words and phrases and avoiding the more abstract statements of benefits from purchasing the item you’re selling, drill through to assess what’s in the way of cementing the deal.

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