UNDERSTANDING TYPES OF CUSTOMERS (This is just one aspect of this course)
In retailing (at least), shoppers can be categorised into the following four groups:
- Economic Shoppers: Most interested in prices, value, product quality & economic factors. Not so interested in treatment by staff, decor of the store, location etc.
- Personalising Shoppers: Enjoy the interaction with sales staff, preferring to shop with sales staff they know & like.
- Ethical Shoppers: Avoid large chain stores or companies that tend towards monopolies or deal with products which are judged unethical. Don’t shop at big supermarkets because “they are putting the small man out of business” Prefer to buy food from the biodynamic shop because it hasn’t been treated with chemicals… etc
- Apathetic Shoppers: Don’t like shopping, and go to the most convenient supplier.
Through an understanding of things such as this, a sales or marketing person is able to better manage their marketing effort, and conduct their work in a more efficient and appropriate way. This is just one of many aspects to this course.
COURSE STRUCTURE
There are eight lessons in this module as follows:
- People as Consumers
Understanding the types of psychological “rewards†gained by a person through buying. Distinguishing between consumers, customers and buyers? - Market Segmentation
Understanding market segments and applying the concept of target marketing. - Internal Influences –Perception & Personality
Consumer self image, difference threshold, trait theory of personality, etc. - Internal Influences –Motivation and Awareness
Customer satisfaction, the way complaints are dealt with, stimulus generalisation and stimulus discrimination, etc - Social Influences
Family Influences, Social groups, Developmental Influences, Peer Group Influences (Work and Leisure), Social Class and Culture - Consumerism
Deceptive advertising, sensitivity to consumer needs, variation between perception and reality. - Communication and Persuasion
Message Evaluation, Selection & Execution - Deciding to Buy
Why people shop, or do not shop; surveying the market place.
