Please think of a product category you carry that has technical specifications. A television? Weed killer? Batting practice machine? Parquet flooring?
Imagine that the Three Musketeers stroll into your store looking to buy an item in that category. The thing is they don't come in together. First, Anthos arrives. It turns out he knows very little about the product category. An hour after Anthos leaves, Aramis arrives. He knows a moderate amount about the category. And one hour after Aramis' departure, Porthos bounds by. He's not only an expert in the product category, but is considered to be an opinion leader.
Remember how in the Academy Award winning Slumdog Millionaire, a question about the Three Musketeers played a central role? Well, today you are on the RIMtailer version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?"
FOR ONE MILLION AIR GUITAR PICKS, which of the Three Musketeers is likely to ask the most questions of salespeople about the technical specifications for that product category you carry? Will it be Anthos the Novice, Porthos the Expert, or Aramis the In-Between?
Is this your FINAL ANSWER? If so, I sure hope you said Aramis. A repeated finding in consumer behavior research is that people who know lots about a product category or know only a little about it usually ask fewer questions than the shoppers who know a moderate amount. People with little knowledge say they couldn't think of questions to ask. And those with lots of knowledge? One reason they limit their inquiries is that they fear looking like less than experts.
Experts buy the upgrades. They're profit centers. Coach your sales staff to project respect whenever a shopper flashes their expertise. Make it easy for the expert. Let's team up with them, never challenge their self-proclaimed knowledge.
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