Qualitative analysis uncovers persuasive techniques in customer categorization during sales interactions, highlighting its implications for sales outcomes.
Key Points
This study investigates how customer categorization functions in sales interactions to enhance persuasive communication.
Analyzed video-recorded interactions from Japanese jewelry retail stores using Membership Categorization Analysis.
Identified two main categorization practices utilized by salespersons during customer interactions.
Examined both co-present and absent potential user categorizations in the context of sales.
Salespersons categorized customers based on appearance, facilitating targeted selling efforts.
Persuasive impact was amplified by the salesperson's professional expertise and experience.
In gift-purchasing scenarios, salespersons inferred characteristics of absent users from present customers' information.