2) The middle class is the most harmful. As a rule, its representatives are not very rich yet, but they are already trying to point out their financial well-being with all their appearance. They need to be different from everyone else – they try to stand out in society. Therefore, one of their main arguments when choosing a product will be accents on exclusivity, luxury, fashion and modernity.
Of course, in every rule there is an exception. And among the representatives of this class there are pleasant and good people. But, based on my practice, I can safely say that it is these people who are the most problematic. They take a very long time to choose – they check prices on the Internet, ask for a discount, haggle, at the last stage they can take and start all over again.
Here, to sell, you really need to work hard. It is necessary to understand what the buyer really wants and what he can count on. If you do everything right, you will soon make friends with him and he will listen to your opinion.
3) Premium class. As a rule, it includes people who have already self-actualized in life. They do not need to jump out of their pants to be recognized. They are self-confident and have the easiest attitude to shopping. You can spend thirty minutes with them and get a deal. They are always ready to get involved. What matters to them is the place where they order and your competence. To sell them something, you have to be highly qualified in their eyes. The buyer must feel that he has turned to a real professional and it is he who will offer him what he really needs – an option that is time-tested, has a history, and, accordingly, quality and reliability. They also perceive expensive classics well. They like classic and traditional styles. They realize that fashion comes and goes, but classics are eternal.
These are the main basic categories that I decided to highlight so that I can form sales principles for a specific group of people. I think that many of you who have been in sales for a long time have noticed similar behavior in certain categories of citizens. And you have automatically used worked out techniques. And for someone who is just now embarking on this path and has no experience yet, this information is extremely important and necessary for successful work.
In order to better understand the psychology of the customer, you need to constantly analyze cause-and-effect relationships. Why did he choose your store? Why is this particular product, in his opinion, more suitable for him? And so on. To begin with, you can practice on acquaintances and relatives. Ask them when they last bought any thing and what moved them at each stage: from choosing a store to buying goods. How did they perceive the seller at the time of consultation? Did they like it in the store? What, in their opinion, played a key role in the choice of goods? And so on. Practice analyzing and drawing conclusions.
Here is an example of a standard, in my opinion, analysis. Let me remind you that no one is restricting you – you can analyze deeper and on a larger scale.
My buddy bought a new pair of shoes the other day. I questioned him.
– Why did you decide to buy a new pair of shoes? You seem to have plenty of them already.
– I recently bought new pants and then realized I needed dark shoes or sneakers to go with them, and my similar ones are just about worn out.
– Why did you choose this particular shoe store?
– It’s near my house and I’ve bought shoes there once before. And in addition, I have a discount card that they gave me last time.
– Why did you choose these sneakers? And not the usual black shoes?
– I purposely didn’t buy ordinary shoes – I was already tired of them. I wanted something new. And when I tried on these sneakers, I felt comfortable in them and also imagined how well they would go with my clothes.
– How did you feel about the cost of these sneakers? How much did you pay for them?
– Can you imagine, I was so surprised when I found out their price! It was much less than I expected. And when I showed my card at the register, they gave me another 10% off. I was thrilled! I was very lucky! I was willing to pay three times as much for them because I really liked them. When I found out the price, I even thought about buying two pairs at once. But then, of course, I thought about it and decided that I didn’t need two identical sneakers. I’d rather buy something else.
– Did you like the way the salesperson consulted you?
– I didn’t consult with anyone. There were a lot of people on the sales floor and the salesman was busy. I wasn’t going to consult. I think it’s pretty self-explanatory. I liked the shoes – I tried them on and went to the checkout.
– Will you come back to this store again?
– Absolutely! It has a constantly updated assortment and nice prices.
– Would you be willing to recommend this store to friends?
– Of course! I’m willing to give them my discount card. Especially since the discount is cumulative.
Based on these questions and answers, certain conclusions can be drawn.
1) A person made a purchase because he had a need for the product.
2) The store was chosen for two reasons: convenient location and past experience of visiting it. And in addition – the availability of a discount card. But the latter did not play a key role. The choice of the product was made on the basis of its appearance and comfort.
3) The cost of the product pleasantly surprised and increased the desire to buy it. To be more precise, this fact even prompted the thought of buying two identical things.
4) The role of the sales consultant was absent – the product sold itself.
5) After some time, the customer will come to this store again for new shoes.
6) The customer will gladly recommend the store to his friends, because he is satisfied with the goods presented there and he has an additional motivation – an accumulative system of discounts. The more purchases are made on his card, the more discount he will have in the future.
Conclusion. The person not only became a regular customer of the store, but also decided to advertise it to his acquaintances.
This is, of course, the most banal example of shopping. But its purpose is to teach you how to analyze the reasons for making decisions, so that you can use this information as a clue later on.
What was the reasoning here?
1) Convenience of location.
2) A salesroom in which everything is done in such a way that a person can choose the goods himself, try them on and go to the checkout.
3) A memorable store, in which he has already been, and then emphasized that he liked it there.
4) A wide and constantly updated assortment.
5) Reasonable prices.
6) Cumulative discount system.
Of course, each branch of the trade sphere has its own specific reasons. However, there are some basic ones, such as the ones I have just listed. But it is worth noting that you need to use all possible reasons for the buyer’s decision-making in your favor.
To summarize this chapter, I propose to highlight important information.
1) A customer is a person with his own fears, ambitions, opinions, and view of the world. He may come to you in a bad