Perfect Mistake Claims in Reviews

When buying beauty products, a consumer wants to avoid errors. So why would Yale University and University of Toronto researchers find that Sephora shoppers pay greater attention to purchase recommendations from shoppers who point out mistakes they’ve made in their own purchases? Reviews of haircare products on the Sephora site which included phrasing like “mistake,” “my error,” or “my bad” were rated by readers as more helpful than those not using such phrasing.
     The effect isn’t limited to haircare items from Sephora. Similar results were found for reviews of headphones, spearmint mints, and florists. Shoppers place greater trust in recommendations from others who talk about their previous purchase missteps in that item category. As to why, the researchers find that consumers usually attribute a higher degree of expertise to people who recognize their errors and are confident enough to admit them.
     Encouraging your customers to reveal their mistakes, especially if those mistakes concern prior transactions with you, may seem like a strange marketing tactic. In the research studies, the reviewer wrote about how they’ve learned from the blunder. This may be necessary for the review’s effectiveness. However, a substantial stream of consumer behavior research finds that a sprinkling of any sort of negative adds believability to the positives. When there is no mention in the reviews of areas for improvement, shoppers’ trust in reviews fades.
     Further, when the shopping decision is significant, reviews which include both strong positives and a few negatives develop curiosity. The curiosity can lead to the shoppers wanting to check things out for themselves. Once you have their attention, you’ve the opportunity to persuade them.
     Do it with appropriate humility, though. In a Journal of Consumer Research article wonderfully titled "Believe Me, I Have No Idea What I'm Talking About," researchers from Stanford University reported that expert restaurant reviewers are more influential when the reviewers say they're less than completely certain about their conclusions.
     Based on that finding, here's the hint for retail salespeople who are seen as product or service experts by shoppers: Avoid coming across to the customer as absolutely certain in the recommendations you're making. The bit of uncertainty makes the customer more comfortable in asking questions and expressing concerns. Those questions and concerns are highly valuable to you when facilitating the sale. You can present counterarguments or you can steer the customer toward an alternative which will better fit their needs.

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