50+ passersby, 8 interruptions, 0 sales
The Pitch
Today I spent a couple of hours at the mall. Normally I leave the malls alone during the holiday season but Sear's needed to fix my leaky tire. I sat watching three 20 somethings "attacking" customers in the mall in an attempt to sell women a ridiculously overpriced hair gadget. Make no mistake these three were absolute professionals at interruption marketing. "Can I ask you a question?," seems to be one of their favorite lines to break into conversation. This was usually followed by a rapid fire of supporting questions revolving around flattery ("your curl's look great") or similar to guide the passerby to the makeup chair. Once seated, the 20 something, that never paused for breath, would do a quick demonstration at the power of the hair gadget to straighten or curl hair. Not one single time, even though a few showed interest, could the three of them close the sale.
The Failure
The problem is that not one single person who was brought to the makeup chair wanted to be in the chair in the first place. This is why interruption marketing does not work. Instead of blocking the path of shoppers, asking them rhetorical questions, and pushing them into a sales pitch, the 20 somethings needed to reverse the script. Instead of screaming for attention, where shoppers would be naturally guarded, they could earn the attention of busy shoppers. How? Show how quick and easy this can make your morning routine to look like a rock star with only their gadget. In other words, offer a solution not a product.
The same can be said for printers. Offer customers a solution, rather than printed sheets.
photo by: Beige Alert
