Influencing customer Buying Behavior

MKT 022

Lecture 9-10

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Recognize that anything can convey a message

• Behavior is conveyed to others via both verbal and non

–verbal communications.

• Even when no words are exchanged, personality can

still communicate loud and clear.

• Two important rules of communication that must be kept

in mind:
- Anything can and will communicate
- The receiver of the message determine hat it ‘means’

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1. Greet customer like guests

• Conversation with customers should be initiated

promptly.
• A prompt friendly greeting can help people feel
comfortable and reduce stress customers may
experience.
• A friendly greeting can help everyone relax and grease
the wheels of comfortable interaction
• Speak up – employees should verbally greet
customers within a few seconds of their entrance into
the business. If busy, customer should acknowledged
and inform that they will be served shortly.

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• Getting the customer committed – employees should
greet each customer promptly, verbally if possible and try
to commit them to do something as soon as feasible when
they come into the business or work area. (KFC order
taking in the que).

2. Break the ice

• Customers need first to be reassured that this is a nice,

friendly place to do business. Customers need to
overcome worries about being high pressured into buying.
• Examples of off topic and friendly comment could be
used:
a. A compliment (great tie, children are cute)

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b. Weather related or local interest comments (nice weather)
c. Small talk (look at the que of customers interest such as
sports, job , past experience)
• Different icebreakers will work for different type of client
profile.
• Always be attentive to customer needs, give time to
browse and be responsive in helping them make a buying
decision.
• Research shows that 60 – 80% of all shopping decisions
are made in the store at the point of sale.

3. Complement freely and sincerely

• Say something nice to the customer which could add
enormous god will and move people towards A-plus
experience.
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• Safe grounds for sincere compliments:
- Some article of clothing or accessories (nice sweater,
hat, tie)
- Their children (cute boy, smart girl)
- Their behavior (thanks for waiting, you’re been very
patient)
- Something they own (I like your car)

• People love to be complimented.

• Many people are too hesitant to give compliments, yet
everyone loves to receive a sincere compliment. Make it
a habit to do so.

4. Call people by name

A person’s name is his or her favourite sound. Customers
will appreciate if they could be addressed by their name. 6
• Example: If a bank teller calls the customer by name, the
customer will feel pleasant and experience A-plus
service.
• This could help build brand loyalty.
• The use of customers name if given the opportunity. It
builds the relationship.

5. Talk to customers with your eyes.

• Making eye contact tells him or her much about your
willingness to serve.
• It creates a bond between you and your customer.
• It conveys your interest in communicating further.
• Employees should make eye contact with the customer
as soon as possible to reduce the chance, they feel
ignored and leave.

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Bert and Decker’s 3 I’s of eye communication.
• Intimacy (expressing love)
• Intimidation (exert power)
• Involvement (looking at for 5-10secs)

6. Ask often “How am I doing”?

An attitude of receptiveness is revealed by a willingness to
ask questions and listen to the answers.
• Employees asking feedback and getting people’s
feedback is a critical key in providing A-plus personality,
even though criticism could be challenging.

7. Listen with more than your ears

Listening provides an excellent A-plus opportunity.
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Effective listeners will do the following:

1. Focus on the content of what people are saying, not

the way they are saying it. (customers might not know
how to express themselves properly).
2. Hold their fire – don’t jump and assume customer
thoughts before they finish talking.
3. Work at listening – maintain eye contact and
discipline to listen to what is being said.
4. Resist distractions – make the customer centre of
their attention.
5. Seek clarification from customers to fully understand
their needs – ask open ended questions.

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8. Say “Please”, “Thank You” and “You’re Welcome”
• These are powerful word in building customer rapport
and creating customer loyalty.
• Attention to such words can exceed customer
expectation and produce an A-plus experience.

9. Reassure Customers in their decision to do business

with you.
• Service providers can inoculate against remorse by
reassuring customers that they made a very good
purchasing decision.
• Such phrases are like; ‘your family will love it’. It will
reassure buyer to go through with the purchase and feel
good about it. This creates and A-plus experience.
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10. Smile
• It tells the customer that they came to the right place and
are on friendly ground.
• Personality is rarely projected without a smile.
• The employee’s face should show that they are glad the
guest arrived.
(SIA, Plusliner)

11. Use Good Telephone Techniques

• Most customers make their initial contact with the
company via the telephone.
• The key to successful phone use is to simply remember
that your customer cannot see you, hence voice needs
to be used effectively.
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12. Watch your timing
• Follow through immediately.
• Customer oriented people always follow up on commitments
to customers.
13. Reach out and touch them
• Employee can take opportunity to shake hands and pat him
or her in the back.
• Ex. Bank teller, place change in the hand of the customer
rather than on the counter.
• Among internal customers and co-workers, pat on the back
can build instant rapport.
• Never touch a person in a manner that could be interpreted
as being overly intimate or having sexual overtones.
• Touching can be a powerful form of communication, but be
sure it is socially and personally acceptable.
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14. Enjoy people and their diversity
• Each and every person is different, each has a unique
personality. Need to accept diversity and learn to enjoy
it.
• Understand that people’s needs are basically the same
at some level and that treating them as guests will create
the most goodwill, most of the time.
• Avoid being judgmental.

15. Maintain a positive attitude about selling.

• Customer contact people refuse to call them sales
people, preferring terms like associate or even
consultant.
• We, constantly sell to other people on ourselves, our
products and services and our company.

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Recognize organizational behaviors that convey the
culture
The composite result of group and individual behavior
conveys much about the culture of the organisation. (if
customers like the company culture, it could build
satisfaction and loyalty.
Organiational behavior to consider:

1. Consider your company appearance and grooming

• Appearance of the employees is the first things seen
by the customer.
• Dress standards can set company apart from the
competition and create an A-plus experience. It will
exceed the expectations of the customers.
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• Ex. Uniform can provide A-plus opportunity

2. Check the appearance of your work area

People arrange their work space with a desk, counter or
table between them and the customer.
Companies may establish better personality by:
a. Inviting customers to sit beside a desk with employee
instead of across.
b. Offer a comfortable living room (tv, magazines, coffee)
c. Get close to the customer (use round table sin
meetings to impose sense of corporation)

3. Get customers to interact with your organisation

Customers interacting with employees will enable the
sample of the culture (the organisational personality)
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Some less obvious ways to involve customers include:
• Personally handing them shopping cart (Cold Storage
Store)
• Begin filling out paperwork (recruitment agency)
• Inviting client to sample the product
• Offering candy while they wait
• Offer a product flyer or do a video presentation.

4. Correspond regularly
• Providing thank you note for purchasing a product
(personalised hand written notes).
• Maintain an open channel of communication with
customers via mail-outs.
• Another way to maintain the relationship is send
information of upcoming sales or new promotions.
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5. Use fun
• People enjoy working with an organisation that has fun.
• Excellent organisations are fun places to work, they will
have their own rituals.
(employee of the month recognition, casual dress day,
family picnics)
6. Reward the right actions
• Organisation hopes something will happen but actually
rewards an opposite behavior.
• Ex, 0 complain department is rewarded but the
complains are being suppressed

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 Tutorial questions
1. What are the specific actions you can
take to be a better listener?

2. What are some factors that project a

company’s culture? List several examples.

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