by Dacia Dumdai

Created on: April 06, 2007   Last Updated: May 08, 2007

There are two sides of the topic what keeps customers awake all night." Do salespeople want to know a customer's fears/worries/hopes in order to better market their products to suit those needs. Or, is it a question resulting from a customer's direct contact with a their store- such as feeling cheated from the best deal.

Given either situation, there are ways of discovering what keeps consumers from peaceful sleep. For the first scenario, one method would be researching then summarizing the most recent consumer surveys (or political ones) because it is a national consensus on a number of issues such as brands recognition, shopping habits or security. There are organizations that deal specifically with consumer behavior and it could be as quick as a phone call or web search to have enough information for improved products.

When dealing with the second question and are wondering what it is about the customer's store experience again use a survey (paper or on line) or comment card. It is not an immediate result but over time a manager will have an idea about the likes and dislikes of their clientele. It does take some incentive to get them to fill it out though, so try attaching a 10% off purchase or a free gift. If quicker and more direct feedback is desired, any store can request mystery shoppers. These people will judge everything from staff, to store offerings, cleanliness, and even suggest improvements. From any of these sources, the dislikes or negative ratings can be linked to what would keep a customer up at night.

For immediate results, take the example of a retail shop. A team leader should designate make the sales staff in positions where they are able to ask questions and listen to the customers. A few well place questions can mean answers that deal with paying too much or not be able to match a shirt. If the customer is unsure about it, they might feel guilty later and return it the next day. Behavior is another in store indicator of what is likely to mean a return later. If the customer constantly walks by an item or puts a skirt back then picks it up again repeatedly shows how uncertain they are about a purchase.

Now that the finding out' has been covered, what can a sales team do about easing their customers' concerns. One way is to inform them of store promotions. Back to the retail shop, this would be any current sales, 10% rewards for signing up to a card, buy one get one frees and so on. The more the customer feels comes back to them the more they are satisfied with their purchases- and it brings them back. For the "pacing" client that can't decide to buy or not, try her how flattering the color/style is or what it would look great with. Just reassure them that their buy is worthwhile. But, be sincere though because most people can see through a commission act. A last effort would be to follow up at the end of the sale with a polite comment or coupons. If they come in again ask them how it worked out, they will feel appreciated as they were remembered.

Easing a customer's concerns and ensuring they get a good night's sleep will mean repeated visits to the store and word of mouth for potential newcomers.

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