Page 615 - Business Principles and Management

Unit 6

STUDYING THE WANTS OF CUSTOMERS
Individuals are motivated to buy for different reasons. Buying motives are
the reasons people buy. Some common consumer buying motives are listed
in Figure 22-7. To be successful, the salesperson must determine a particular
customer’s buying motive and then tailor the sales presentation to appeal to
that motive. In many cases, the salesperson can appeal to more than one buying
motive. For instance, a laundry company representative attempting to sell laun-
dry services to a working couple with three children may talk about the com-
fort and convenience of having the laundry done outside the home rather than
doing it themselves. The salesperson may also explain that it is less expensive
to send the laundry to a professional service because of all the expenses involved
in doing laundry at home.
Suppose this same salesperson calls on the owner of a barbershop or beauty
salon. The salesperson can emphasize the special sterilizing treatment given to
towels, capes, and uniforms and the speedy delivery of the laundered items. Both
the family and the business owner might find individually scheduled pickup and
delivery services attractive. Providing customer satisfaction through a sale is the
ultimate goal of a salesperson. This method of selling does not require high-pressure
selling; it requires intelligent customer-oriented selling.

FIGURE 22-7 Understanding common buying motives of consumers
is an important selling skill.

Status Ease of use Affection
Appetite Love of beauty Wealth
Comfort Amusement Enjoyment
Desire for bargains Desire for good health Pride of ownership
Recognition Friendship Fear

PRESENTING AND DEMONSTRATING THE PRODUCT

Customers are interested in what the product will do for them and how they can
use it. Salespeople must have a thorough knowledge of the product so they can
provide accurate information and answer questions. For example, customers
might ask: “How much paint will I need for a bathroom 12 feet by 8 feet?”
“Which vinyl is best for a concrete basement floor?” “Why is this pair of shoes
$68 and that pair $55?” Different customers value different types of informa-
tion about the same product. Salespeople should study the products they sell as
well as the competition’s products, so they can be prepared to answer any ques-
tions customers might ask. Nothing is more frustrating than to listen to a sales-
person talk at length about product information that is of no interest to the
customer.
In addition to giving customers information, salespeople should be able to
demonstrate the use of the product so that customers can determine whether or
not the product will meet their needs. It is usually a good idea for salespeople to
show the product and its uses at the same time that they provide information
about it. The salesperson can then focus the customer’s attention on the product

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