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Mike Osorio's RetailWire Blog
April 3, 2009
Retail Customer Experience: The Retail Power of Suggestion
FROM RETAILWIRE:
Just down the road from my house is a great, locally owned, independent comic book shop. The owner does something that I didn't notice at first, a powerful little trick of language: he leaves you with a phrase that, for lack of a better term, is a command to come back. What do you think about the "power of suggestion" at retail, especially around product endorsements and goodbyes?
MY COMMENTARY:
A couple points here: First, the key for all retailers is to keep trying various techniques for effective customer communication. Will suggestive statements psychologically impact future customer behaviors? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. To dismiss this as a "trick" is shortsighted. To rely upon the technique to be the solution is naïve. The sales associate must be able to determine appropriate ways to greet, interact with, and end each interaction, based on the experience with each customer. Which brings me to my second point. Retailers must, even in difficult economic times, invest in leadership development and effective staff hiring and development efforts - including the psychology of communication and human interaction. None of this is easy either for the managers or for the associates. It must be hired for, developed, encouraged and rewarded. And then, watch the magic happen. You will go try it now, won't you? (How was that for the power of suggestion?) |
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