The Economics Of Snobby Salespeople

May 5, 2014 in Daily Bulletin

Go to a high end luxury store and chances are you’ll get a posh assistant who looks down at you. It’s genius writes Paul Bisceglio:

  • A study has found that snobby salespeople at high end stores actually increase sales.
  • This is because of the human desire for inclusion and fear of social rejection.
  • When a salesperson clearly judges a customer as being unworthy, the customer is more likely to want to purchase luxury items.
  • This effect becomes even stronger if the salesperson is dressed in a way that embodies the brand’s value. Sloppy salespeople aren’t intimidating.
  • Those who want a particular brand the most are most likely to be influenced into purchasing things through rejection.
  • Unsurprisingly this effect is only true for luxury brands

Read more about the long term effects that salespeople standoffishness might have on sales, why some stores are trying to educate their salespeople to be more welcoming, and more over here.

Source: Pacific Standard

Via: Marginal Revolution