How to adjust your business in a downturn?

written by Karolina Barnes

The Old Thinking Vs New Thinking

With so many challenges (first Brexit, then COVID and now the economic downturn), we all have to find new ways for our businesses to survive. Whether your business has been impacted yet or not, one thing is for sure - as consumers, we demand different customer services and experiences, constantly shifting our needs, wants and expectations.

What we demand in retail, ecommerce and design impacts the way we think about products and services we consume. But more importantly, we seek out companies who don’t see us as a transaction or number. Instead, we want to be treated like we are the most important customer. We want to feel understood, guided, inspired and motivated, beyond the product or service you offer.

And so, if you want to be at the forefront of this change, to show your customers and clients that you care and understand, you need to scrap everything you know about selling products and start focusing on selling emotions and stories. To get you started we created four customer groups based on their expectations and emotional needs.

THE DISCOVERY CUSTOMER

Discovery shoppers are usually open-minded but have a category-specific purchasing purpose. They have vague ideas about what they are looking for and how it should look but can be influenced if the right product presents itself. You can easily lead them to the product they want. Bear in mind though, that discovery customers want to feel empowered by the sense of achievement, so ideas that are based on discovery experiences must be hitting these emotions. Lead but let them discover.

THE COMMUNITY CUSTOMER

Community customers like the idea of being part of something meaningful - a group of people who share similar interests and values and do good things. What makes them tick is the feeling of being valued and involved in events or projects that matter to them. Selling to customers who seek community spirit is therefore based on values they share with your business.

THE GUIDANCE-SEEKING CUSTOMER

Some customers are quite happy to be left alone, others need guidance. Especially in spaces that overwhelm them. If I am a guidance-seeking customer, I want to feel understood and reassured that I’m making the right choice. It is, therefore, important to train your shop floor staff, so they know how to anticipate what each customer wants and guide them through the journey.

THE ENERGY-SEEKING CUSTOMER

Have you ever walked into a shop and suddenly your mood was lifted? Those places where you forget about everything else and get yourself immersed into a new world, their world. The whole atmosphere radiates positivity and subconsciously, it has a similar impact on you. You feel more energised as more of your senses are being stimulated. From sounds and smells to textures and visuals, every little detail creates an emotional connection and reaction. You remember the feeling and the energy for a long time. And that’s what creating energy for energy-seeking customers is about.