But researchers at The Ohio State University, University of Southern California, and Dartmouth College say that encouraging WOM is more difficult with your customers who are concerned about their financial situation. This is because recounting the purchase experience arouses anxiety at how tight money is for the customer.
The researchers recruited adults from throughout the U.S., asked them questions like, “To what extent do you feel financially constrained?” and, “How often do you talk about products you’ve bought with your family members, friends, and colleagues?” and then monitored their conversations in chat rooms and on social media. Those who reported feeling more constrained were less likely to talk about products they bought.
It wasn’t that those who felt financially squeezed were writing less about their experiences. They chatted about matters other than their purchases. In fact, the researchers point to evidence that those chronically short of money tend to brag about any prestigious possessions in order to compensate for feeling inferior. They talk about items they own, but not how they purchased them.
Therefore, to increase positive WOM about your store from the financially challenged, give them positive interpersonal experiences and encourage them to tell friends and family about that. If we have the shopper talk about those positive experiences before leaving the store, the upbeat feelings will linger. So have sales staff ask customers, after a purchase, to share reviews of the product, brand, and store.
In studies at University of Miami and University of Pennsylvania, customers were substantially more likely to pass information on to others when they had found at least some of the information on their own. In addition to the thrill of discovery, a major reason for this is that we associate discovered information with our self-image. Differences between self-discovered and other-presented effects on WOM are greatest with consumers who consider themselves to be experts in the product category. This is probably because the perception of expertise boosts the centrality of one’s self-image.
The advice for retailers is to build your shoppers’ expertise and encourage them to uncover for themselves positive news about your store and the items you carry.
For your success: Retailer’s Edge: Boost Profits Using Shopper Psychology
Click below for more:
Reward Customer Referrals with Congruency
Make Space for Socializing on the Corner
Have Shoppers Share Word-of-Mouth with You
Worm Your Way into WOM with Self-Discovery
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