Another Monday morning…The month of September is going by so fast with the stores already stocking holiday items hoping to get people to start shopping early. In direct sales, we LOVE the holidays because 70% of our business occurs during these 3 months. Traditionally, the sales made during the holidays help propel us through the winter months with home parties.
Do your customers make decisions based on careful consideration and lots of good information? I don’t know about you but most of my customers impulse (or emotional) shop at my parties. There are the rare few that think about budget, use, and gift possibilities before they shop. Do you know what the six emotions are that effect all buying decisions? I didn’t but with the help of Inc.com, I do now.
1. Greed. “If I make a decision now, I will be rewarded.” Okay, so if we have a GREAT monthly special, people shop because they can get a great deal. Greed, I don’t know if I would call it that or not. My customers LOVE certain monthly specials especially when products are more than 50% off the retail price.
2. Fear. “If I don’t make a decision now, I’m toast.” Buy it or lose it feeling. Definitely an impulse decision but not one that I run across very often.
3. Altruism. “If I make a decision now, I will help others.” People like to buy things that serve multiple purposes – they get a great deal PLUS a cause near and dear to their heart receives a donation. A win-win for everyone, right? This definitely helps my monthly sales especially during fundraising season.
4. Envy. “If I don’t make a decision now, my competition will win.” Envy or is it the comparison game. The old “keep up with the Jones’ theory”, right? I want what they have – does that really happen in this day and age?
5. Pride. “If I make a decision now, I will look smart.” I can’t say that I have every come across this with my customers.
6. Shame. “If I don’t make a decision now, I will look stupid.” Really, do people really buy for this reason?
What is the emotion that you find most prevalent in you customers? Do you appeal to that emotion when you are talking to them or presenting a product to them?
According to Inc.com, it is not the information itself that is important, but the emotional effect that the information has on your audience. This is an essential distinction.
Isn’t that why we share our emotional why at parties? We talk to our party guests based on the feelings (and products) that they can emotional relate to, right? So, do you plan your party presentation to have an emotional punch? If so, share some of your best tips with us..
Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!
Hope Wissel 