Is your shopper having trouble deciding whether to make a purchase? Well, present that shopper with the names of some of the brands you believe would best meet both the shopper's needs and your store's profit objectives. Researchers at University of Cincinnati and Miami University found that having brand names available to think about helps move indecisive shoppers forward towards a purchase.
Why does this work? Shoppers weigh the answers to two sorts of questions: How would this purchase help me achieve a gain? How would this purchase help me avoid a loss? Shoppers differ in the amount of importance they place on these two, but almost everybody puts some attention into both. By presenting brand names, the salesperson brings the decision from the abstract to the concrete. This helps the shopper figure out the answers and move on.
But don't suggest just any brands. Think through what provides the best fit for the prospective purchaser and for your store. When you give brand names, the shopper tends to focus the decision on those and eliminate other brands from consideration. This is especially true of customers who are senior citizens. In fact, with these older customers, it can be a disservice to mention brands that are a poor fit. If you name a brand and point out the faults, by a few days later, senior citizens will too often remember the brand name, but forget that you said the brand has faults. If one of these customers makes a purchase based on that flawed memory and is irritated at the product's poor fit with their needs and wants, that can make your store and your salesperson look bad.
Be ready to answer questions about all brands your store carries. But in talking to the customer, accentuate the best-fit brand names.
No comments:
Post a Comment