What Do Your Customers Want How Question-based

“What Do Your Customers Want? ” How Question-based Selling Tactics Helps You Sell More. Roger Blackwell, Ph. D www. rogerblackwellbusiness. com

Satisfied customers are no longer sufficient for success. Today, your customers must be DELIGHTED!

LONG-TERM WINNING DEALERS Repeat Emotional + Attitudes = Purchasing Connection Converting Customers Into FANS

CUSTOMERS FRIENDS FANS Price driven Value driven Experience driven Shop opportunistically Shop purposefully Shop for pleasure Want you to sell them products Want products and good service Want personalized advice and solutions (attention) Need reason to buy from you Prefer to buy from you Devoted to you/are yours to lose Are surprised by good service Have history of good experiences with you Expect to be delighted Drop you if disappointed Tell you if disappointed, give chance to respond Tell you if disappointed, want you to fix it, want to forgive and forget Indifferent to your company Feel connection, rationally and/or emotionally Actively invest in relationship with you Don’t think or talk about your stores Recommend your stores casually or when asked Evangelize about your stores

Four tips every time you interact with a customer 1. Approach every customer instead of waiting for them to approach you. 2. Welcome them to your store with a greeting the customer can’t say no to such as Good Morning. (not “can I help you? ”) 3. If you are selling something that takes time, tell your customer how much time it will take; that way, everyone can relax. 4. Actively listen to your customer. Pause frequently to hear what they are saying; then focus your answers and check to make sure they are understood. Repeat the process until you can naturally ask for the sale. (Getting to “yes”: Don’t ask “no” questions. ) Be succinct and meaningful to lead to a sale. That’s how you increase your retail sales per square foot. Train, Train! You can’t wing it and expect a hit.

Understanding what is on the minds of your customers (b 2 c) and your customers’ customers (b 2 b)?

HBR, Nov 2015

MODEL OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOR - PURCHASE AND OUTCOMES INPUT INFORMATION PROCESSING DECISION PROCESS VARIABLES INFLUENCING DECISION PROCESSES Need Recognition Internal Search Environmental Influences Search Exposure Beliefs Stimuli • Marketer Dominated • Other Attention Comprehension Memory Alternative Evaluation Attitude Intention Acceptance Individual Differences • Consumer Resources Retention Purchase External Search • Culture • Social Class • Personal Influence • Family • Situation • Motivation and Involvement • Knowledge Outcomes • Attitudes • Personality Dissatisfaction Satisfaction • Lifestyle • Demographics

CONSUMER BEHAVIOR MODEL Problem Recognition Search Alternative Evaluation Choice/Purchase/Consumption Satisfaction/ Dissatisfaction

Last year, Americans spent more than $60 billion on pet-related supplies and services - up from $58 billion in 2014. $1, 600 per pet. Some industry analysts feared the pet industry would decline when the 77 million baby boomers population retired. They were wrong. Baby boomers still make up 37% of all pet owners. . . and they do not intend to give up their furry companions anytime soon. As they age, their pets age. Baby boomers spend whatever it takes to maximize their pets' quality of life. Moreover, their children have also embraced the baby boomers' pet health movement. Americans spent $15. 73 billion on vet care alone in 2015.

CONSUMER BEHAVIOR MODEL Problem Recognition Search Alternative Evaluation Choice/Purchase/Consumption Satisfaction/ Dissatisfaction

Question: Is the productivity of your firm increasing as rapidly as the productivity of your customers? Output Inputs Sales Sq Ft What’s Your Trend?

kaizen Sanitizing lines to take the next flavor used to take an average of 32 minutes. We figured out we could do it in 13.

Q 1 2006 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 TTM COGS 69. 90 68. 85 Gross Margin % 30. 1 31. 1 SG&A 68. 90 69. 77 69. 49 31. 1 30. 2 30. 5 66. 73 65. 27 64. 70 64. 75 64. 93 33. 3 34. 7 35. 3 35. 2 35. 1 25. 02 25. 84 25. 97 24. 93 25. 10 23. 68 22. 02 22. 98 22. 41 Operating Margin % 5. 08 5. 31 Return on Assets % 1. 08 2. 56 5. 12 3. 49 4. 27 5. 57 4. 87 7. 01 8. 17 11. 06 11. 05 14. 25 12. 61 12. 27 12. 66 15. 46 14. 10 14. 34 Source: Morningstar

Excellent products and customer service are the tactics with which we compete, but increased productivity is the strategy through which victory is evolved. Sales per square foot (or GMROI/sq ft. ) = an indicator of sales efficiency. The formula: = Sales / Square Feet of Selling Space Staggering $4, 798. 82 sales/square foot (Macy’s $160)

“How Do You Know What Your Customers Want? ” Listen and Ask Questions About Every Stage of Customer Decisions

MODEL OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOR - PURCHASE AND OUTCOMES INPUT INFORMATION PROCESSING DECISION PROCESS VARIABLES INFLUENCING DECISION PROCESSES Need Recognition Internal Search Environmental Influences Search Exposure Beliefs Stimuli • Marketer Dominated • Other Attention Comprehension Memory Alternative Evaluation Attitude Intention Acceptance Individual Differences • Consumer Resources Retention Purchase External Search • Culture • Social Class • Personal Influence • Family • Situation • Motivation and Involvement • Knowledge Outcomes • Attitudes • Personality Dissatisfaction Satisfaction • Lifestyle • Demographics

For Further Reading: Saving America NEW How Garage Entrepreneurs Grow Small Firms into Large Fortunes rblackwe@Columbus. rr. com www. rogerblackwellbusiness. com