But if I’m the customer, I’m not going to let a so-so salesperson stop me from getting what I want. If they don’t tell me what I need to hear, I’ll ask (unless my opinion of them is so low that I won’t bother). I know that I have more to lose if the sale doesn’t happen. They’ll miss out on some profit, but I’ll have to walk in the rain without my stylish, waterproof boots, getting wet feet and not being noticed by the fashion crew.

All reasonable questions, but how does he think he’ll get the answers by sulking silently? Why not be more proactive?

Ahh, and therein, we have a problem. The proactive party should be the salesman, making the experience of buying as effortless as possibly by both prompting the client for information (”Will you be using these in the city or for gardening?”) and by supplying information before the client has to ask (”Have I mentioned how stylish you’ll be with these boots?”).

Any shopping experience that requires the customer’s proactivity in seeking out information risks lost sales. Have you been to a warehouse renovation center lately? Huge place. All the junk you could want. Not a salesperson in sight. Got a question? Too bad. Result? You don’t buy, because you aren’t sure.

Certainty makes sales. Proactivity is the salesperson’s job.

Asking “How will these boots benefit me?” is a horrendously inefficient way to get the answers he wants.

Of course it is, and any idiot bluntly asking that is basically saying, “I’m testing you, suckah… I have no intention of buying your stuff. Ah, but this is fun! Let’s see if you can convince me to buy, hm?”

Um, no thanks.

However, if you have a poorly crafted sales page, the customer is within every right to ask that question bluntly, and if he has to ask, the message delivery wasn’t complete.

James Chartrand – Men with Pens´s last blog post..Are You An Abusive Person?

“…it sounds more like you’re trying to rationalize consumer shopping behaviour. You can stop right now.”

You mean, “free my mind?” I have a hard time believing that almost no shopping behavior is based on logic, especially mine. Are people irrational all the time, or do they somehow turn irrational just in time to buy something?

Anyway, I know what you’re saying is true, I just don’t see how yet. I’ve been meaning to read some books on copywriting, so I imagine some consumer behavior books will find their way into the mix.

“The customer is really asking, ‘Will I be comfortable? I need to be comfortable. My feet aren’t standard sized. Will I be able to go snow-hiking without slipping? I really need boots that grip because I go for a walk every day and don’t want to hurt myself. And will I be able to wear these a long time or have to replace them next year? I don’t have a lot of money and I hate shopping and besides, who wants crappy boots that need replacement? I’d like to buy them, but I’m not sure yet. Help me decide.’”

All reasonable questions, but how does he think he’ll get the answers by sulking silently? Why not be more proactive? Try them on for comfort and fit. Ask how well they grip. Ask how durable they are. Asking “How will these boots benefit me?” is a horrendously inefficient way to get the answers he wants.

@ Betsy,

“It’s about making the journey to the best choice together, not passing something through the cubby in the prison door and telling the inmate, ‘Eat your lunch, it’s good for you.’”

LOL about the benefits of prison food! I understand making the journey to the best choice together, but that takes communication on both sides.

@ Alex, well, I’m glad to know it’s not just me. I don’t have any reason to think ENFPs are disadvantaged when it comes to sales, but going to James for copywriting is certainly a good solution for those who don’t get it.

@ Akemi, yeah, I think all good marketers see features as supporting the benefits. I personally want to hear about features as a consumer, but there’s no reason you can’t use both. How about this as a target audience: people who don’t care about benefits. It’s an underserved niche.

And Naomi and I know much the same things – it’s a given our information will cross over at times.

@ Alex – Oh, THAT’S the problem then! You’re just in the wrong brain group!

James Chartrand – Men with Pens´s last blog post..Are You An Abusive Person?

I think some of the benefits are self explanatory. Like the example of free shipping. It’s when the benefits of the feature is less clear that it matters to clearly state them. And like all marketing tactics, I guess it is most effective to figure out the target audience. The peripheral audience will figure things out.

Akemi – Yes to Me´s last blog post..What To Do When A Customer Makes Unreasonable Demands

Alex Fayle | Someday Syndrome´s last blog post..Girls Aloud give us all a kick in the pants

The presumption of benefit is a powerful, powerful aspect to the process that gets completely overlooked in the “traditional” way of selling. Why would we patronize the prospect in this way? Isn’t that kind of insulting? If they’re here, consulting with you, haven’t they already made up their mind that there is a need?

It’s about making the journey to the best choice together, not passing something through the cubby in the prison door and telling the inmate, “Eat your lunch, it’s good for you.”

Betsy Wuebker´s last blog post..A LOVE LETTER TO OUR CHILDREN ON VALENTINE’S DAY

Sounds like you still have questions, but it sounds more like you’re trying to rationalize consumer shopping behaviour. You can stop right now. Why? Because while the brain is along for the ride, it’s the heart that’s calling the shots. There’s even a few statistics on that, and it’s something like 94% of all shopping behaviour is emotion-based decision.

Almost NO shopping behavior is logical-based decision.

Including yours

There are some really fantastic books on consumer behaviour, btw, and they’re a hoot to read, if only because people are so delightfully crazy yet predictably so when shopping.

On a side note:

Going back to the boots, the customer may want more information than what’s on the sign. “Do these boots come in half sizes?” is a good question. “Do these boots have good traction on snow?” is a good question too. And “How long will these boots last?” is also a good question. But who asks “How will these boots benefit me?” Shouldn’t they know?

The customer is really asking, “Will I be comfortable? I need to be comfortable. My feet aren’t standard sized. Will I be able to go snow-hiking without slipping? I really need boots that grip because I go for a walk every day and don’t want to hurt myself. And will I be able to wear these a long time or have to replace them next year? I don’t have a lot of money and I hate shopping and besides, who wants crappy boots that need replacement? I’d like to buy them, but I’m not sure yet. Help me decide.”

Mmhm.

James Chartrand – Men with Pens´s last blog post..Are You An Abusive Person?