Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Sound On When the Purchase is Completed

A while back, I conducted a two-day “Profitability Tactics for Small Retailers” seminar with a set of business advisors from the Los Angeles Regional Small Business Development Center Network. The objective of the seminar was to equip the business advisors so they can help their retailer clients implement the profitability tactics.
     During the evening between the two days of intensive training, two of the business advisors supplemented their retailing knowledge by shopping at an IKEA store in the area. As it happens, their trip worked out well for me because they were able to provide a compelling example of a tactic I presented the second day. Well, actually, it was a compelling example of a failure to use the tactic I was discussing. My topic was the value of giving customers a clear sense of progress through the purchase process. Sound off, by which I mean to make some pleasant noise.
     But for those two business advisors, the sound was off.
     Here’s what happened:
     At the cash/wrap, the two shoppers experienced an unsettled feeling. There was no sound accompanying the completion of the purchase. No sound of a cash register. No acknowledgement from the cashier, who had moved on to the next customer. No sound of a package going into a bag. As the shoppers learned, this last one was because the store charged for a bag.
     Sounds from the shopping experience can burn themselves into the brains of consumers. Since some of the last sounds the shopper hears before leaving the store are those associated with making the purchase, those sounds are especially important. We want the customers to come back soon and often, so we want them to take away pleasing memories.
     Reward the purchaser with sound effects they’ll find pleasant. This protects the good will you’ve built to that point.
  • Give sounds of confirmation as the transaction progresses. A brief series of tones tells the customer that completion of the sale is getting closer. On the other hand, silence breeds annoying uncertainty.
  • Brand marketing consultant Martin Lindstrom has shown the advantages of signature sensory sensations—visuals and fragrances associated with a particular store name. The same principle holds for sounds. Make the brief transaction confirmation melody echo a little bit of the music that plays in your radio ad, for instance.
  • And yes, top it off with the most pleasing sound of all. Say thank you.
For your profitability: Sell Well: What Really Moves Your Shoppers

Click below for more:
Give Customers a Clear Sense of Progress
Reward the Purchase with a Pleasing Sound

2 comments:

  1. I always thought the sound of the cash register ring-up was a great sound! So much so, that several years ago I found a small .wav app that would "Ka-ching!" every time an email notifying me of a web order came into the e-mailbox. Nothing better than working on your etail business and hearing "ka-ching!" every few minutes or so!
    I have never been in a store as a customer and had the silent treatment you describe, but if it were my store - the heck with the customer... I want to hear the registers ringing!

    ReplyDelete
  2. A valuable addition to my posting, Peter. The right sounds are an important motivator for the retailer. For instance, the "thank you" in a sincere tone from the customer might be a runner up to the "ka-ching," but it, too, counts in the tally.

    ReplyDelete