Intercept Shoppers Fruitfully

Business researchers define the “interception rate” as the percentage of consumers entering a shop who are spoken to by a salesperson working for that shop. “Interception” makes it sound like the salesperson is blocking the shopper’s path, which is a pretty bad way to earn good will. However, the idea of attending to fruitful contact with each shopper is an important one. Such contact enhances the probability of closing a sale and convincing the customer to return to the store.
     Researchers at Justus Liebig University and Zeppelin University, in Germany, set out to find what leads shoppers to initiate consultation with a salesperson. They began by verifying that, in fact, salesperson contact is positively related to the amount of money the shopper ends up spending on that store visit.
     The researchers then identified major motivators for consultation:

• Some of the motivators are just what you’d expect. For instance, the shopper knows what they want, but isn’t sure which of the available alternatives to select. Check that you and your staff are easily available on the sales floor and that the available staff either have the knowledge to answer shopper questions or know where to fetch the answers. But even here, the research findings provide a twist: To raise the interception rate, be able to sense how much time and mental energy the shopper wants to spend considering the shopping decision. If a shopper fears that you’ll be giving too much information, they’ll avoid asking you. 
• Other of the motivators make sense when you think about them, but you might not have been thinking about them. For instance, the shopper is finding the store visit enjoyable, and so is open to visiting with the store staff. Create within the minds of your shoppers an image of what consumer researchers call “a third place.” This is an environment in addition to home and work which is appealing because it feels comfortable. Give an authentic sense of family to your customers. Some retail consultants say, “Make our customers feel like family.” I prefer, “Give a sense of family,” because research findings seem clear that for maximum profitability, you want to be sure to keep the interactions as a business relationship. Don’t promise more than you’ll deliver. That wouldn’t be authentic. Related to this, the store doesn’t need to be fancy. Actually, a fancy ambiance can cause the whole experience to seem inauthentic. 

Click below for more: 
Show Up Before the Right Eyes & Minds 
Give a Sense of Family for Emotional Attachment 
Win First Place As a Secure Third Place