Sales Syndrome

The sale is a great opportunity for stores to cut costs, get rid of illiquid assets, and renew their assortment while expanding their customer base. Therefore, large players of the retail market use this tool very actively today. Still, some nuances of the correct organization of the sale, which were shared by Vyacheslav Shchepkin, PhD in Psychology, senior trainer of the Relations Centers corporation, remain outside the brackets.

- What is a "sales syndrome"? Where does its roots come from?

“My friend once said:“ A sale is an action with which you will definitely bring something unnecessary. ” And in many ways she is right. However, it is worth noting the difference between the terms “sale” and “discounts”. The first in most countries of the world involves seasonal (January-February, July-August) revaluation of goods. Discounts are one-time promotions of a separate store to remind yourself of regular customers and attract new ones. Both discounts and sales are a common business technique designed to increase sales. However, the illusion that retail meets the customer is so strong that many people end up with a "sales syndrome" - the hunt for an economical, profitable purchase, and only in rare cases, a really coveted thing.

The term "sales syndrome" has been successfully chosen relatively recently by Western psychologists to refer to a phenomenon that has been known for many years. In the consumer society, the so-called “standard of living” of the middle class have been cultivated and nurtured by advertising for decades. One of these common rules instructs the consumer to follow the latest in the market and to have what everyone has. To attract a buyer to the store, marketers have come up with a lot of ways - from loans with zero interest to a total reduction in prices for everything and everyone. The origins of sales syndrome are in elementary greed. Who will refuse to buy something worthwhile at a low price, even if the terms of the promotion mean the purchase of several units at once, while still receiving a gift or cash bonus? The thrift and savings of many disappear somewhere, as soon as they hear about a discount or instead of a four-digit or three-digit price they see another, albeit a ruble less ...

- In this case, what is the attractiveness of discounts and sales for people, and, as a rule, not poor ones?

- Each person is driven by desire stimuli. They are inherent in our nature and are not dependent on material wealth. This is power, independence, curiosity, approval, order, economy, honor, communication, family, status, revenge, love, peace.

The primary basic impulse for buying is created by several incentives: curiosity (what? Where? How much?), Saving (profit, frugality), communication, the pursuit of the ideal and family (to which purchases are usually brought). No less important are the incentives manifested through commodity-money exchange: maintaining a routine, demonstrating independence in the management of money, obtaining approval (of oneself and others), again contributing to the family and satisfaction (temporary euphoria) from acquisitions. Having made, as it seems to him, reasonable and profitable expenses and having completed the shopping trip, a person gains peace for a while.

Shopping directly or indirectly reflects other incentives - power and position in society, and can also serve to settle accounts with other people (revenge). It turns out that participation in sales and bidding satisfies more than half of our vital needs. That is why this "game" is so addictive. It affects most people, and they are willingly caught on Sale signs, although they realize that things themselves will not make them happy.

- Who becomes the most frequent victims of this syndrome?

- At one extreme - people with low self-esteem or very impulsive, unbalanced, gullible people. By the way, it is more difficult for people who are unsure of themselves to get away from sales, as participation in the process mesmerizes and captivates them.

At the other extreme of consumer hype, those who support it are gambling people who have turned shopping into a familiar pastime and who are versed in its intricacies: market conditions, demand, pricing. Often in the first hours of sales they manage to make a welcome purchase at an affordable price, and this inspires them to spend new money. Such “seekers” are encouraged by stories of, say, Sharon Stone, which appeared at a presentation in a dress bought, she said, at a sale for twenty dollars. Most likely, she told one of the reporters "in confidence" in which of the mega-malls - palaces and temples for America's buyers - she chose her toilet for symbolic money. And this is just a hidden advertisement, for which considerable fees are paid.

People with a modest income are also affected by sales syndrome. For the older generation, to buy a product at a price lower than it is, means to receive a certain moral satisfaction. True, often such buyers pay, not seeing the apparent unnecessary goods.

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Thus, all segments of society, of any solvency, are subject to the sale syndrome to varying degrees. Large retail chains today rely on the assumption that failure of a modern person is strongly associated with monetary losses, and success with profit. And in that, and in another case for self-affirmation, a person can go to the store and feel significant, gaining something.

- Which news feeds about the sale works best: explicit or hidden?

- Agree, a sale in a large department store or retail chain is one thing, and in a boutique it’s completely different. The same news about discounts and nice prices affects different audiences in different ways. Of course, a wealthy buyer also considers money, but in the end, he comes not so much to save as to receive confirmation of his right to a discount. After all, he already chose a store at a certain price level, which corresponds to his purchasing opportunities and level of claims. Today, owners of discount cards and without warning know that in the sales season they are entitled to certain bonuses or gifts. But for the “heating up” of mass demand, dotted (dates, places, percentage of discounts) advertising in the media, in public transport, as well as extensions, signs, respectively, decorated windows and interiors are suitable.

- There is a question about the behavior of the seller during sales. What should be his attention to visitors to the store: elevated or moderate?

- Selling is considered rather an intimate process. Therefore, the best option is a one-on-one confidential conversation with a client. If you see that the buyer is not looking for communication, but focuses on himself, it is enough to greet him and unobtrusively provide information about discounts, creating an excuse for further communication. If a dialogue is established, instead of praising the shoes, you should pay attention to some detail of the model or its feature, knowing which the buyer will be able to “flash” in the future, talking about the purchase. It is worth holding a conviction, and using courtesy, because a quality product does not require confirmation of its elitism. At some point, just admire the client’s choice, sincerely approve with the words: “Perhaps you have chosen what really suits you.”

- In which color palette is it more worthy to design showcases and signs of sales?

- As a rule, it’s better to display the windows of pre-holiday sales in the colors of the holiday. The buyer is used to them, they excite his interest and cheer up. During traditional seasonal sales, it is worthwhile to turn to the golden-yellow, sunny-orange shades, pleasant to the eyes, or the greenish-light green and beige colors most comfortable for perception. In Russian climatic conditions, especially in winter, warm colors and halftones are more suitable for window dressing. But black with all its graphic clarity should be avoided.

- Which music to prefer: calm or dynamic?

- A selection of light, familiar and unobtrusive music is a special art. No matter how much they talk about the beneficial effects of classical music, modern rhythms still appeal to more buyers. This is especially true for the younger generation. Those who bet on broadcasting in the store of FM radio stations are mistaken. Any FM format has its own characteristics and will rather distract from purchases than stimulate them. Fortunately, the world of music is inexhaustible, and its best examples, from Viennese waltzes to rock compositions, are presented in numerous interpretations and treatments. A win-win option may be, for example, the recordings of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, with masterpieces of classical music in rock processing or piano compositions in the rhythm of popular music, ragtime. The main thing is that aggressive singing or recognizable performers do not distract attention.