Marketing
Selling With The 5 Sensesby Mr. Rick Wemmers
It is time to remind sales managers of two very old sales facts:
1. Shoppers buy on emotion first…..product facts second.
2. Shoppers who “experience” a product or service buy more of a product, more often and at higher prices.
Certainly in these times of economic uncertainty, shoppers are especially “value-oriented.” Purchases are made cautiously. What better way to encourage a purchase now than to have prospects see, feel, taste, hear or smell the product before buying. Give them more confidence than ever that their difficult buying decision now is a wise one.
Others long before me have proven consumers buy more when they have “a positive experience” with a purchase. More importantly, the seller needs to connect with the shopper’s “desired” experience. Walt Disney, the original experience architect, has been followed by many - Starbucks, Barnes & Noble, Niketown, Rainforest Café, Bass World, high adventure tours, the San Francisco City Show, just to mention a few. These “sellers” have learned to appreciate the power of the “experience” in making a sale.
And understand that all experience selling isn’t fun or positive. Many times the seller must connect with a painful experience the prospect is having. The product is presented in terms of eliminating the pain and converting it into a positive feeling.
Another recent fact supporting “experience selling” is the up-tick in mobile marketing. Oscar Meyer long ago put product sampling on the road in their unique “Weinermobile.” Today, brands such as Home Depot, LifeTime TV and Matchbox Toys are putting shows on the roads across America, demonstrating their wares. Mobile marketing allows shoppers to spend concentrated time “experiencing” products before buying. And manufacturers say they also like having the “real time” communications with their trade and retail partners.
Experience selling however is not for every product or service. There must be some type of emotion or sensation involved in the decision to buy. It can be subliminal but it must be there.
The big challenge is to figure out just what experience your prospects have in mind or will respond to best. Then you must figure how to capitalize on it during the purchase decision process. Today’s shopper is more educated than ever and the Internet has reduced many products to commodity status. Add the waning degree of attention being given to broadcast and print advertising and businesses are even more challenged to connect with the buying public’s often-deep experience or thought processes.
Here are some examples of how companies are focusing on the customer experience “senses” to gain a competitive edge:
The Florida grocery store chain, Publix, moved into the Atlanta market and has taken a big hunk of the market. To set their brand apart and build customer loyalty, Publix designed their stores to better appeal to all five shopper senses. For example, they put fresh, hot food near the entrance, numerous self-serve sampling stations throughout, pleasant vs. obnoxious background music, easy to read aisle signs and super customer service.
After Burner Seminars is a business sales training program that puts sales people into the minds of jet fighter pilots. While much of the training is basic, it sticks much better because of the “experience” participants undergo. Instructors wear military flight gear. Learning points use military terms. Actual flight film is used throughout. Students almost feel like they are actually fighter pilots.
Cosmetic manufacturers leverage the senses with in-store beauty consultations; hardware stores do it with demo models; computer stores have demos and personal consultants and software manufacturers do concept evaluations and pilot tests.
The more you can confirm your relationship to a buyer’s senses or emotions, the more solid the decision to buy – at any price! How many of you are encouraged to buy when you get the scent of fresh baked cookies, hot pop corn, lemon or a new car?
So how can a company assess its potential for creating and delivering an experience sell around its product? It isn’t easy but here are some tips:
Obtain objective information about the mindset of your best customer. With skilled research you can identify and build on those senses and emotions (good and bad) felt most during the buying process for your product.
Evaluate your sales pitch with such questions as these:
Am I painting a positive experience my prospect will have upon purchase –before shouting the product features?
Can I involve more of my prospect’s senses in the pitch before I close?
Is my pitch a memorable experience, in a positive way?
If I were charging for what I am saying, what would I say differently?
Also remember, if a customer has a good on-going “experience” with the current brand, they are more likely to stay loyal. Make your current customers’ experience as unique and memorable as possible. Dig down into their psyche and know what they believe they are experiencing with your product. Don’t guess or assume!
Experience selling is a strong competitive selling tool and when well done, will:
support higher pricing,
become a unique selling proposition, and
build stronger customer loyalty.
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ick Wemmers has 25 years experience consulting CEOs with companies in over 50 different industries. His consulting group www.wemmers.com focuses on creating unusual revenue-building ideas. Client companies include: Coca-Cola, Georgia-Pacific, Johnson & Jo
