Fundamentally, it makes sense to focus on the customer conversion cycle to accomplish such goals. Savvy business owners can even implement psychology to inform, sell, and retain prospects, effectively driving them through the conversion cycle to generate long-term returns.

The study of psychology and sales has seen massive growth since the 1970s. There are a variety of texts, videos, and web-based apps dedicated to helping business owners harness the power of psychology to better serve customers and improve overall business performance.

How Psychology Affects Sales

In his book “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion,” Robert Cialdini, Ph.D. provides a concise and clear overview of the basic psychological drivers behind most consumer choice. They are:

• Reciprocity
• Commitment/ Consistency
• Liking
• Authority
• Social Proof
• Scarcity

It all begins with a positive first impression. And for new customers, the first impression typically begins at the store, hotel, or property entrance.

Sales Start at the Entrance

We’ve all been there before: You enter a building, it feels unkept, and you are left feeling unwelcome or unimportant. Few situations are more damaging to the prospect of new customers and sales, which is why it’s vital for property owners to remember that sales start at the entrance of their store/property.

Bright interior decor, custom logo matting, wet umbrella bag stands, and (if the setting is right) a Greeter all make for a positive first impression with visitors and set the foundation for long-term relations. Let’s take a look at how these commercial products and best practices have a psychological impact on sales:

Reciprocity

The concept of reciprocity says if you give a customer something, they are more likely to feel the desire to reciprocate with something in return. Perhaps it’s a sale, or maybe it’s simply contact information that can lead to profitable long-term relationship. In either case, creating a warm and welcoming environment gives the customer a positive first impression and demonstrates a genuine level of care, increasing the likelihood they will reciprocate to your business with something of value.

Liking

The Liking concept is simple: Customers are more likely to give a sale to a brand or person with which they feel a general sense of linking. In this way, the entryway represents the ideal opportunity to demonstrate to visitors that your brand is likable. Keep things tidy, use an inviting color scheme, keep floors pristine, and offer extras like a place to stow their wet umbrella.

Final Touch: Making Rainy Days More Comfortable

As the retail industry saying goes, The devil is in the details. Brands can separate themselves from the competition by remaining attentive to details, especially those that leverage principles of psychology to improve customer experience.

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Shop umbrella bag stands and give potential customers a reason to pause, smile, and feel appreciated when entering your place of business. We proudly represent the finest umbrella storage and safety products on the Web. To learn more about Umbrella Bagger, contact Client Services as 855-328-8100.

Followup Reading

6 Psychological Triggers That Win Sales and Influence Customers

The post Is Your Entryway Making a Positive First Impression? appeared first on Umbrella Bagger Blog.

Before attempting to improve customer experience, it is vital for all members of the organization to share a clear definition of what customer experience means. By definition, customer experience is a qualitative value that sums each of the interactions that occur between a customer and a business throughout the lifespan of the relationship they share.

Improve Customer Experience with These Tips

The interactions that make-or-break customer experience does not occur exclusively in-store, however. Digital interactions like TV commercials, radio spots, print ads, email campaigns, and social media all make significant contributions to the overall customer experience. Businesses must be mindful of this when creating a customer experience enhancement program.

Make a Good First Impression

Making a good first impression sets a solid foundation for building a positive customer experience. In general, the goal should be to make the customer as comfortable as possible. In return, the customer can more easily be guided to an appropriate purchase that he or she will make with confidence. This can be accomplished through both in-store ambiance, as well as with well-trained customer service professionals.

• Use a color scheme that resonates with the goal of your business. If you are a travel agency, vibrant colors and earthy décor can aid in creating the “escape” experience that your customers desire. For banks and financial institutions, however, a cooler color scheme with blacks, deep blues, and graphite accents can promote feelings of safety and confidence.
• Maintain a professional appearance. Use floor mats, signs, and other safety products to promote a clean and professional appearance during business hours. During fall and winter months, offer customers an easy way to stow their wet umbrellas with wet umbrella bag stands.
• Focus on comprehensive employee training. list (clear protocol for handling specific types of customer interactions, ongoing training to improve service, training to learn about new products/ services, etc) To create an excellent customer experience, employees must be prepared to handle customer complaints—both the common and the rare.

Maintain a Safe Environment

Creating a safe and professional environment is just the starting point. Once created, management must devise practical strategies for maintaining a safe in-store environment.

• Regularly clean floor spaces along heavily trafficked areas, like entryways and elevator lobbies.
• Designate specific members of the maintenance team as responsible for reporting and responding to dangerous conditions, like puddles, faulty product displays, illegible warning signs, and other potentially hazardous elements within the retail space.
• When offering wet umbrella bags to customers on days of inclement weather, make sure dispenser stands are properly deployed and remind maintenance staffs to check them throughout peak hours, re-stocking with additional bags when necessary.

Focus on Touch Points to Enhance Customer Experience

As we’ve seen, enhancing customer experience in today’s digitally connected world requires businesses to identify and connect with customers in both real-world and virtual. While in-store promotions attract customers to physical storefronts, it’s digital channels like social media and email that often nurture customers until they are ready to make a purchase. By considering, business professionals can devise a comprehensive strategy for delivering a higher level of service that ultimately leads to a better experience, both in the store and online.

Visit Umbrella Bagger for additional information on wet umbrella bag dispensers, disposable bags, and other safety products. For order information and assistance, call toll free 1-855-328-8100.

For follow-up reading, visit this article on customer experience via Forrester, a global research and advisory board.

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