Plant Seeds to Grow into Purchase Desires

Positives come to retailers who wait. Plant a seed in the consumer’s mind early enough for the seed to germinate. Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that coupons presented at the store entrance drive up sales much more than do coupons available in the aisles of stores. By extension, if you deliver the coupons to the consumer a few days before they shop with you, the coupons are more likely to generate redemption desires.
     You also might benefit from waiting when coupons are to be offered subsequent to another motivator: Prospective clothing shoppers were given a flyer advertising a department store. The flyer read, “We’re contacting you because you’re fashionable and stylish,” and asked the shopper to please visit the store. Then the study participants were offered a discount coupon from the store that gave the flattery or a coupon for an equal percentage from a similar department store whose flyer had included no flattery. For those who were offered the coupon right after reading the flattery, 54% chose the coupon from the store that gave the flattery.
     That’s over half. It’s a good response. Still, we can do even better. Among those consumers not offered the coupon until three days after the flattery, the percentage grew to 80%. Praising shoppers builds sales, and the largest effect might be during the shopper’s return.
     While completing the sale, praise the shopper profusely on their choices. Then encourage the shopper to, “come by our store in a few days to let me know how the purchase worked out for you.” When that flattered shopper returns, be ready for them to make more purchases from you.
     And another example of planting a seed, then waiting: When country-of-origin information helps you make the sale, feature it. Findings from researchers at University of Illinois and Hanyang University in South Korea indicate that featuring it means presenting country-of-origin information well before you present other information about the product. Even mentioning country-of-origin immediately before describing other product attributes didn’t generate maximum effectiveness. The research findings say to do it about a day in advance.
     This would mean stating country-of-origin in ads a shopper would see before arranging to come to buy from you. To feature country-of-origin information in personal selling, state it as the first item and pause for a few seconds after saying it so the information starts taking root in the shopper’s mind.

Click below for more: 
Feature Country-of-Origin Advantages 
Flatter Shoppers with Care and Caring 
Draw Out Advice & Opinions from Shoppers 
View Advertising as Planting the Seed