May 11, 2010

Smart selling Commandments 2 to 5 ( Part 2 )

2. Smart home delivery or Friendly neighbourhood - selling: why is that most super markets fail to flourish in our country in spite of so much promotion,  discounted products and better shopping ambiance? The answer is simple. The competition is nimble, alert and personalized. The retail shopkeeper is closer to our home, he knows us by our name, greets our children by their names, sympathizes with us, gives us credit, home delivers our items and takes back faulty merchandise without asking any questions including perishable merchandise like bad coconuts.

3. Smart Baker's toffee or Sooo Cute kid - selling: Most of our cities are dotted with bakeries that cater to our weakness of sweet tooth and provides us an opportunity to indulge in a variety that is truly mind boggling. Puffs, biscuits, cakes and the recent additions of burgers, pizzas. A bakery that immediately comes to the mind is manned by a savvy youngster who would button hole any parent with a child and do the following. The baker would say out " Choo sweet baby" and would offer the kid a toffee or even a small eclair . This would melt the heart of any stone cold parent who had come resolved only to buy the bare essentials and not anything as an impulse purchase. He/she would now binge on a buying spree and the smart baker has another loyal customer in his bank. The psychology, which parent doesn't like his child to be praised or complimented? After all any compliment that is targeted at the child is perceived as a compliment to the parents themselves.

4. Smart Baker's thirst buster or Water Water every where buy not a drop to drink - selling: Another favourite trick of the bakery shops is not very palatable or can be considered very ethical. But it is very street smart. The reference is to the non supply of drinking water in many bakeries. Pray why? The reason is very simple after gulping down a hot and spicy burger or an oil ridden pizza, one would like to drink some nice and cool water. But the non-availability of drinking water forces the customer to buy a soft drink to quench the thirst. This way the bakery shopkeeper is adding up to his sale. Even though it sounds outrageous this principle has been in practice for a very long time. We have heard of industrial marketers who push products that are not in demand along with products in demand as a package. That is to say " If you want our fast moving products you will have to buy our slow moving products too " .

5. Smart Jeweler's cool drink selling: This type of smart selling can be viewed in any jewelery shop of repute. This in the exact reverse of the smart selling commandment discussed above. In this case the employees of the shop would see to that the prospective customers are relaxed and at ease as soon as they enter the shop. The upholstery is very soft and plush. One can hear piped in instrumental music and a fountain Pepsi or Coke or a soft drink would be offered. The whole ambiance is of a very relaxed and comfortable shopping experience leading to the dropping of the natural defenses of the customer. Now the customer is putty in the hands of the shop employees. He will be guided by them and would ask for their advice and pay the bill without asking for a discount. Even if the discount is asked for and is refused the customer would not really mind. Treatment is all that matters.

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