I thoroughly believe that the Superstore phenomenon of the first half of the nineties has now created a backlash effect I call the savvy shopper. These are the consumers that won't even set foot in a place where commission-driven salespersons push and pull with hard-sell tactics, and endlessly harass them with questions like "would you like the extended warranty with that?"
It's not just the hard sell that turns them off. It's the fact that they feel they are not being listened to; they are looking for someone they can trust. And they look for signs of expertise. I'll explore this idea of Expert Evaluation in my next column.
The good news, I think, is that these savvy shoppers are usually willing to pay a bit more for products to have the luxury of not being subjected to the superstore supersell.
The bad news is that the savvy shopper usually doesn't have the time to study all of the materials necessary to make a truly informed decision. They know technology changes so fast that even those in the industry have a tough time keeping up with it all. And, although many things have changed in the new marketplace, one thing will never change: a confused customer never buys.
What might confuse your customer?
Exercise: think of other ways your customer might be confused.
The first few items on this list amount to a simple rule of thumb: explaining is always more powerful than describing.
The issue of ineffective communication is one that is always a challenge. Sometimes, there is a language barrier, sometimes it is a game of telephone tag. Fortunately, those of us with computers, faxes and other modern telephony options have a tremendous range of communications and organizational tools at our disposal. Find out how your customers prefer to be contacted and work to establish a pattern of effective communications. It's the easiest first step to achieving a seller/customer relationship.
The savvy shopper is probably at least as busy as you are and is either wise enough to realize - or too busy to take the time to learn - what it would take to learn all the required details. All that research adds up to a relatively poor investment. Whether they know it or not, what they need is a consultant who is an expert in the field their solution requires. The savvy shopper doesn't have the time to read all the magazines it would take to learn all the jargon and technical issues that differentiate today's products from one another. They need to cut to the chase, or at least focus on the big picture.
How, then, to spot a savvy shopper?
Obviously, there is no single category of customer that you are likely to be dealing with, unless you are in an ultra-specialized niche, or have the luxury of hand-picking your clientele.
With that said, the savvy shopper looks for evidence of expertise, in order to feel safe about doing business.
There have been numerous articles in consumer-oriented magazines about how savvy shoppers drive the best bargains. The general theory goes like this.
The first time, the salesman pitches them his or her standard deal.
The second visit, the customer typically shoots for the salesperson's best deal.
The third visit, the customer is waiting for the manager's best price and the fourth time, the customer is considered a time waster.
New Consumers are not in love with the technology. Applications drive their decisions. Just as auto manufacturers have discovered, the love affair with technology for its own sake is over. They are interested in solutions and productivity.
The New Consumer looks for the best mix of price/performance, name-brand/quality and service/support. Traditionally, the corporate buyers have sought the latter items, while the clone buyers and value systems customers have focused on the first two from their local vendors.
While there is much truth in the old saying, "you can have any two of the three." The savvy consumers are more likely to respond positively to the buzzwords that signify performance and quality than the "traditional" PC buyer, who was both relatively uninformed and relentlessly price-driven.
While many computer advertisements over the last decade have tended to stress features, brand-name marketers have found it more effective to emphasize benefits over features. Does your advertising stress benefits or features?
Which works best for your business?
Just as in desktop publishing and web page design, where borrowing from other designs is practically standard fare, it is worth thinking about your closest competitors. You can be sure your customers do.
After all, building on the strengths of competitors works for Bill Gates, doesn't it?
Keep in mind that almost everybody is a mixture of more than one personality type. Although there will always be consumers who are naïve, and easily "sold," I think that the new breed of shopper is savvy enough to recognize a salesman's ploys to extract information or push an inappropriate product.
Why is the consumer growing more sophisticated?
Mainstream media coverage, magazines (free and newsstand titles play different roles) and the growing influence of the Internet are all factors contributing to increased consumer awareness of technical issues, but many shoppers have been told certain key buzzwords that they base their shopping lists on. They may not be sure why, but they know they should look for a pipeline burst cache, Triton chipset, or whatever.
This information gathering strategy is what an associate of mine calls "baking cookies." The savvy shopper enlists the help of the office computer whiz (by baking cookies - get it?), and leverages their expertise to help put the pieces together. Consider ways that you can help eliminate confusion in your customer's mind. It's the next best thing to fresh-baked cookies.
Post new comment