Increase Your Sales By Understanding The Customer Type

Everyone is different and so is every customer. If you have got a business, you must understand the customer type. When you understand the customer type, you can customize your services accordingly. Understanding the customers helps in making a better decision, making your products/ services better.

When you know which type of customer you are interacting with, you can easily adjust your behavior accordingly. This ultimately works in favor of the customer as you are providing better services. It increases their satisfaction level, which results in more sales.

Every customer is different, and when you are handling each one the same way, you are making a big mistake. Without further ado, let’s dive into deep about customer type.

The Probable Customer

This one is a good product fit, but their interest varies. They are new to your website and don’t know the way around. You can observe they are spending more time on product pages and checking various sections, reading FAQs.

This type of customer needs help but is unwilling to ask for help. They haven’t yet bought from you. Since they have no affiliation with your brand, they need definite reasons to choose you. Try to make a strong first impression, it can be a deal-breaker.

Solution:

• Be accessible on contact channels, especially on Live Chat Support.
• Reduce the effort they are spending on the website, especially when they are not familiar with the site.
• Guide them through the initial steps.
• Highlight the value your product can provide them.

When someone has come to your site via referral links, treat them like prospects.

The Newbie Customer

The first-time buyer might have an account, but they need navigation guidance. They are going to ask simple questions; they are not familiar with your site.

If the first impression is good, it can lead to buying. After purchasing, they need validation for their decision. Here, you can back it up by giving evidence/ data and you can make a loyal customer. However, an unpleasant experience can become an enormous blow to the business.

Solution:

• Make sure you provide a great user experience.
• Mark the next steps, like providing the delivery status.
• Go in-depth about understanding the newbie’s preferred communication channel.

The Loyal Customer

The loyal are repeat customers, these are your ideal customers. They have an account, deep buying history and often log in. You can see from the pages they visit, they will be absent from the FAQs pages. Their questions are detailed and not the basic ones.

They expect based on the quality of support, efficiency, and response speed. The good news is that they won’t abandon you after minor issues, but you will have to provide them with new products. They expect you to remember the last interaction and you can’t treat them like a newbie. It can lead to estrangement.

Solution:

• Follow up on their preferred contact channels
• Remember the previous interactions/ purchasing to make the bond stronger
• Everyone on the team should know your best customers
• Assign a personal point of contact if they are important to your business
• Give some bounties for being a vocal supporter of your brand.
• Treat them as VIPs, they are low maintenance and provide high returns.

These can be very profitable for your business in the long run.

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The Dormant Customer

These are users who have an account with a few recent logins but no purchases. They can be difficult to interpret with long-standing entries. One way to deal with them is to put them under the loyal category.

They don’t ask many questions and are almost invisible. These are only around because of their inertia and uncertainty about change and the effort it takes. If they haven’t already left you, they can at any moment after getting a decent offer from your competitors.

Solution:

• Put your efforts into reactivation
• Go through the data to understand their motivation and conversion factors
• Reach on their preferred contact channel
• Offer them personalized offers and support

The Traveller Customer

They are hard to identify online, as they don’t have an account, but you can encounter them everywhere on your website. One behavior that is quite common is their random views on pages.

Don’t make advances in haste or they can go back to their shell. They might not know what they are exactly looking for. You shouldn’t lose hope because they will spend money in the future. Don’t pressurize them to buy from you right away.

Solution:

• Don’t make them rush their decision, be patient with them.
• Encourage them to open up, ask questions, read their responses carefully.
• Keep your focus on continuing the conversation and not probe directly about their intentions.
• Give them choices for direct help or leaving them undisturbed.
• Offer them something extra and then back off a bit.

The Frugal Customer

This one fits the image of a classical discount shopper who is always looking for a bargain here, some offers there. It is easy to misinterpret this type because any customer can look like a discount hunter temporarily. However, these are always looking for the perfect deal.

You can find these on your sale and FAQs pages. Their queries are mostly about prices, offers, and less about product features. They will double-check about the deal and ask you to give them an extra discount.

It can be quite tempting to disregard these customers and think of them as unattractive customers for your business. But these are often profitable customers because they will spend more if you can provide them with some excellent offers. They will come more often and fill their cart with sale products.

Solution:

• Inform them about your discount campaigns and products under sale
• Send them regular updates about future discounts and sales
• Offer value-based products which match their shopping list

Some discount shoppers with zero or very poor purchase history want too much attention. Don’t waste many resources on them.

Impulsive Buyer

Everyone can be an impulsive buyer at some point. They are unique and can be difficult to gauge. These are impatient and act on urges.

Their site entry and checkout time varies. The good news is that they spend a lot without looking for offers or discounts. However, their buying is unplanned, so it is quite difficult to plan for them.

Sometimes you can upsell them, but often they will look to get the product they liked. They do not look for details or risks; it is futile to use conventional sales techniques on them. Don’t deceive them, and you can have a loyal customer for life.

Solution:

• Respond instantly provide real-time support
• Be precise in your answers
• Remember to highlight important details
• Show incentives to purchase at that time
• Provide an easy and seamless checkout
• Offer them a newsletter; teach them about product features, offers, etc.
• Use remarketing/ retargeting strategies

The Researcher

Also known as the scientist, these customers will always research before every buy. They approach the products analytically rather than emotionally and are not shy of showing their wisdom. They believe in manufacturers and not products. For every budget segment, they know exactly what they are looking for.

This customer type compares many products, reading FAQs before they will ask for customer support help. They are cautious, confident and demanding. You can expect them to ask sophisticated questions, be prepared with in-depth answers.

Share data and facts, don’t use sales techniques on them. It will not work and might irk them as well. They will double-check the data you provide and often give you in-depth remarks. Once satisfied, they will be loyal customers for life.

Solution:

• Use precise statements which you can verify with facts.
• Don’t set unrealistic expectations.
• Admit when the product won’t support their desired features.
• Back up with facts, reviews, comparisons.
• Show features that make you better than your competitors.
• Don’t educate or use value-based selling techniques on them.

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The Doubtful Customer

These behave like scientists but are quite indecisive. Similar to the previous ones, they spend a lot of time on product pages and comparing features. They don’t want to feel buyer’s remorse and will do anything to avoid mistakes. Don’t trick them into poor deals, avoid using pushy sales techniques.

They will reconsider purchases many times before making the payment. These customers spend more than average time on checkout pages and support pages. You can easily identify them by their shopping cart abandonment rate.

They will need more encouragement than other types as they believe in “better safe than sorry”. However, if they trust your business, they are quite profitable for you.

Solution:

• Don’t push them into buying.
• Use caution and approach carefully.
• Focus on building a long-term relationship.
• Try to find out what’s stopping them from buying & solve those issues.
• Tell them about refund policies, support availability, and more.
• When they are confused between two products, try to solve their confusion.
• Provide reassurance about their choices and use value-based selling.
• Educate them about your products for boosting their confidence

The Offensive Customer

This type of customer comes in all shapes and sizes. Some can be subtle others can be quite direct in their behavior. They might provoke you to exert power, vent out, they might be clumsy who mean no harm at all. Do note down that they will buy from you, so tread carefully.

Solution:

• Don’t take it personally; sometimes it's because of a grim mood or other myriads of issues. Often it happens due to negative perception framing.
• Recognize anger signs and distance yourself, be stoic.
• Try to find out the reason for their anger.
• Understand the reason behind their vagueness, often a quick answer can be perceived as rude.
• Be assertive and polite at the same time
• Refuse service as a last resort.

Conclusion

Please remember that the type of customer wouldn’t be so clear to you in actual life. Most of them will be a mix of characters, use your discretion. Take cues from the above profiles and deliver the best experience. When you provide customized, personal and efficient service, your business will grow.