Impress Without Intimidating

A modest degree of modesty facilitates the sale of prestige items in any store and any items in a prestige store. Researchers at Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Tel-Aviv University found that brands perceived as arrogant cause a conflicted response: The typical shopper is attracted by the exclusivity and implications of high quality, but repelled by feelings of personal inadequacy.
     An image of hubris might be set off by salespersons’ haughty pride. The reputation of the product can set it off, too. Columbia University researchers noted the outcomes when shoppers viewing themselves as uncreative thought about purchasing an Apple computer—considered to have a creative product personality. The thinking about the purchasing led to the shoppers’ estimates of the Apple computer’s creativity growing greater. The shoppers felt themselves to be competing on creativity with the product. This made them less likely to say they’d want to buy it.
     The Columbia researchers suggest that, before pushing to close the sale, the retailer build the shopper’s confidence in having personality traits which would be strengthened further if the product is purchased. With an Apple computer, for instance, help the consumer reveal their creativity to themselves and then show ways in which the product can help the owner become more creative.
     You’re raising the prestige of the shoppers, not lowering the prestige of the brand. Doing it the other way around carries risks. Advertise and publicize how you consider your retail business to be excellent, but not perfect. Say you’re always looking for ways to get even better. But don’t push the humility too hard.
     Harvard University researchers used as their study sample owners of Prada handbags. All the participants were asked to consider a situation where every visitor to a boutique shop was offered, at no charge, a luxury-quality shopping bag graced with the Prada logo. Then one group of the study participants were also told that accepting the shopping bag led to the consumer admiring the Prada brand. The other group of study participants were told, instead, that accepting the shopping bag led to the consumer feeling like a part of the Prada community.
     The group who’d been told the recipients admired the brand said the gifting had raised the image. The other group said the gifting cheapened the image of the brand. Having people consider themselves part of the luxury community without making a luxury purchase had that effect.

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

Click below for more: 
Reveal the Folly of Shopper/Product Rivalries
Book Tours of Your Esteemed Merchandise
Brag About Your Retailing Humility