Harnessing Behavioural Psychology For Your Benefit
Behavioural psychology is – as the name suggests – the study of the human behaviour. On the surface level, it doesn’t seem like much; in fact, it seems like something most business-oriented people would run far away from.
But that’s not the case.
In essence, behavioural psychology is what helps people understand human behaviour – how it can exist independently, how it can be influenced, and how can our actions affect it overall. Although businessmen don’t have to earn a PhD in psychology – but what they can benefit from, is an ability to harness behavioural psychology for their business practices.
Rethinking Customer Journeys
Understanding behavioural psychology helps us understand the minds of our customers better – what do they expect from a brand, how will they interact, and how will they form their opinion? You as a business owner can modify your current customer journey and enhance it to make people smile more.
One way to accomplish this is by giving people the freedom of choice – because who doesn’t enjoy that? Whether it’s them customising their own purchase, or them paying using their own methods, give your customers the liberty to make their own decisions, so that they feel more in control.
Here, the playing field is wide open; the ways you can rewire your customer journey are endless. Things you must focus on, however, are the following:
- Make sure the customer journey you model has touch points where bad experiences can be swiftly caught and fixed before they can persist for too long; this includes quick feedback and complaint systems, a helpline readily available, or questionnaires sent at the right time.
- Always finish on a strong, up-beat note – a journey with a positive, impactful end is much more memorable than a consistently pleasurable customer path
- Although most customers enjoy being surprised, it’s safer to stick to habits they’re used to. Making customers feel comfortable is a great way to gauge their affinity.
Once you’ve achieved these goals, then only the sky’s the limit.
Personalisation Is Key
One of the most basic human needs is significance – the notion that they are indeed important to someone.
Businesses can incorporate that into their practices by valuing personalisation. It is the best way to make customers feel valued – to view them not as walking-talking wallets, but as human beings with feelings.
Make it a fundamental pillar of your customer service; make it a mission to make your customers feel special as soon as they enter your store, until they leave. Your efforts don’t have to be full-fledged – studies have shown that even offering free mints has proved to increase tipping rate for waiters by 3%!
The more creative you are, the better. It helps if you know your customer a bit better, which is why customer profiles work best. Nowadays, POS software are more than capable of achieving that, and more. In fact, Oscar allows you to record valuable customer information like email addresses, contact details, product preferences etc, allowing you to look better into your customers’ minds. This way, you’ll be able to offer personalised discounts and deals you know your customer will love!
When it comes to improving your business, perhaps the best way to do that is by catering to your customers’ needs. And the most fascinating approach is to strike their emotions – not just their minds. After all, connection made with the heart lasts a lot longer.