Comments on: [Resource of the Day] – Rethinking Consumer Behavior http://www.seanjjordan.com/2008/07/06/resource-of-the-day-rethinking-consumer-behavior/ by Sean J. Jordan Sat, 05 Nov 2011 08:07:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Jason Maranto http://www.seanjjordan.com/2008/07/06/resource-of-the-day-rethinking-consumer-behavior/comment-page-1/#comment-42 Jason Maranto Sun, 06 Jul 2008 13:39:56 +0000 http://www.seanjjordan.com/2008/07/06/resource-of-the-day-rethinking-consumer-behavior/#comment-42 This is all very interesting -- as you know I owned a picture frame shop/art gallery for 5 years in which time I dealt with every single customer who came in. There were a couple of truths I gleaned just from observation of the transaction: 1) Most of the customers came to me already ready to purchase -- they just weren't sure exactly what they wanted and were seeking my "expert" guidance. I would have to beat them with a stick to not get them to buy... it didn't matter if the price was higher than they expected or the look wasn't what they envisioned, they were determined to get it over with. 2) I was perceived as higher quality and more expensive than the "big box" stores not because of any marketing I did to that effect but simply because of the market expectations -- the truth was I was cheaper and better, but often people would not bring me their less valuable items because of a perception of wasting my time -- maybe possibly being embarrassed over bringing me something worthless because I'm an "expert"? 3) The customer always wanted my approval, regardless of what they thought of their decisions... in their mind I was the expert. 4) Ultimate alot of the decisions on what I sold were driven by lifestyle perceptions -- the customer saw themselves living/desiring a certain lifestyle and my product helped them achieve that vision. What that all says to me is that the most effective marking is reaching out the the clerks who deal with the customers 1-on-1 every day and who have their trust -- if you can win the clerk over to you then they will become your evangelists. That said I think quality then takes a bigger role in the success of the product because most clerks are going to be more savvy about the product seeing as they deal with it all day long -- and much like movie critics they will be looking for new experiences, since they are bored from being saturated with the norm. Of course this completely leaves of the issue of personal charisma which is the total deciding factor in the "expert" designation. If you know everything there is to know about a product but yet are repugnant to the consumer then the expert designation will not stick. So to sum up my point I think you want a base of charismatic "experts" who like and believe in your product as a chief ingredient of successful marketing. The bottom line is people buy from people and oftentimes it just comes down to wanting to be perceived as being wise or accepted/admired -- though obviously internet and catalog sales change that dynamic some. Best, Jason. This is all very interesting — as you know I owned a picture frame shop/art gallery for 5 years in which time I dealt with every single customer who came in.

There were a couple of truths I gleaned just from observation of the transaction:

1) Most of the customers came to me already ready to purchase — they just weren’t sure exactly what they wanted and were seeking my “expert” guidance. I would have to beat them with a stick to not get them to buy… it didn’t matter if the price was higher than they expected or the look wasn’t what they envisioned, they were determined to get it over with.

2) I was perceived as higher quality and more expensive than the “big box” stores not because of any marketing I did to that effect but simply because of the market expectations — the truth was I was cheaper and better, but often people would not bring me their less valuable items because of a perception of wasting my time — maybe possibly being embarrassed over bringing me something worthless because I’m an “expert”?

3) The customer always wanted my approval, regardless of what they thought of their decisions… in their mind I was the expert.

4) Ultimate alot of the decisions on what I sold were driven by lifestyle perceptions — the customer saw themselves living/desiring a certain lifestyle and my product helped them achieve that vision.

What that all says to me is that the most effective marking is reaching out the the clerks who deal with the customers 1-on-1 every day and who have their trust — if you can win the clerk over to you then they will become your evangelists.

That said I think quality then takes a bigger role in the success of the product because most clerks are going to be more savvy about the product seeing as they deal with it all day long — and much like movie critics they will be looking for new experiences, since they are bored from being saturated with the norm.

Of course this completely leaves of the issue of personal charisma which is the total deciding factor in the “expert” designation. If you know everything there is to know about a product but yet are repugnant to the consumer then the expert designation will not stick.

So to sum up my point I think you want a base of charismatic “experts” who like and believe in your product as a chief ingredient of successful marketing.

The bottom line is people buy from people and oftentimes it just comes down to wanting to be perceived as being wise or accepted/admired — though obviously internet and catalog sales change that dynamic some.

Best,
Jason.

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