AIDAS strategy?

The AIDAS theory of selling is one of the widest known theories and is the basis for training materials across numerous organizations. AIDAS stands for Attention, Interest, Desire, Action, Satisfaction. The AIDAS theory simply states that a prospect goes through five different stages before finally responding satisfactorily to our product. thus he should be led comfortably through all five stages. 
Attention – Gaining attention is a skill and and just like any skill, gaining attention can be improved upon with practice. A common phrase applicable over here is “First impression is last impression”. The initial attempt of the sales person must be to put the customer completely at ease. Casual conversation is one of the best openers after which the sales person can gain customer attention by leading him onto the sale.

One of the key factors which contributes to customer attention is your sales pitch as well as your conversation abilities. The sales person needs to establish good rapport as soon as possible. Thus the sales person can use 3 main techniques to get customer attention

 

1) Have a ready sales pitch – By a sales pitch i mean you should have an idea of what you are going to speak, along with the normal conversation starters. It shouldn’t be that you have a 500 word speech ready and as soon as you are in front of the customer you start reciting it. A sales pitch should greet the customer, ask him for his free time and then proceed. gauge the customer reception and remember – if the customer is irritable, it is best to postpone your pitch for later or vary it on the spot according to the customers mood.

2) Try to relax the customer – The customer will have expectations from you. Thus having a calm conversation with him, asking him about his business and interests and his future prospects and than later on connecting YOUR product to his vision is important. In this manner the customer slowly relaxes and is more prone to asking questions by himself and if not, than at least he will be open to conversation. You can then lead him onto the product presentation stage and gain his interest.

3) Do not appear too eager – Enthusiasm in sales is important and if you have confidence in your product, your enthusiasm shows. However it is necessary not to appear too eager because eagerness in itself can be a turn off and the customer might lose interest. Your approach towards the customer needs to be in accordance to the customer. Sometimes direct, sometimes subtle. Remember – Shouting gains attention for a minimum time period whereas talking stays in the memory. You therefore need to talk to your customer rather than shout.
2. Interest – Once you have gained attention, it is very important to maintain interest. Some sales people are very good in the opening but as the technicalities take over, they become uncomfortable while explaining the product. Whereas others who are strong in the product department might open bluntly but create interest in the second stage. 
 

Customer interest is crucial to the sales process. Gaining attention can be done in the initial stages but interest in the product needs to be maintained throughout the sales process. Once you have gone through the process of gaining customer attention, maintaining customer interest and then kindling desire is important.

There are numerous techniques for maintaining customer interest towards the product mainly depending on the technicality of the product. One of the major reasons for using such sales techniques is to induce desire in the prospect which ultimately results in action as mentioned in the AIDAS theory.

1) Present yourself as a professional – Besides the basics of personality and communication of a sales persons, the most commonly used techniques is to maintain catalogues, brochures or some presentable material. In highly technical products, sales persons carry their laptops along with presentations as well as technical data to answer any queries on the spot. This helps in maintaining customer interest.

2) Catch hints – The prospect himself drops hints during the opening stage and a smart sales person should catch those hints. Such as if you have a portfolio of 4 products, the customer might ask a question on 1 of those products. This might mean he has an above average interest in that 1 product and the sales person can than start the pitch by showing the advantages of that single product. A sales method used especially by a shoe salesmen.

3) Probe / Ask the prospect questions – Probing is a very important technique. Clear out his attitude towards you product and than proceed with your presentation. Your questions should be smart and should answer basics like Does he need your products? Does he have a preference for any specific product? Has he used your kind product before? Has he heard about your product? etc. These questions can help you determine how much convincing you need to do.

A sales person needs to understand basics such as customer motivation, body cues, hostility, understandibility as well as customer preferences to maintain interest towards the product. Customer interest is an integral part of the AIDAS theory of selling.

3.  Desire – Have you seen the commercials wherein you just have to get out of your house and get the product? Perhaps a car, an ice cream or a house. The same has to be done by the sales person in personal selling. He has to create enough desire in the customers mind such that he immediately has to buy the product. Imagine an aquaguard sales man or a tupperware sales person. They highlight the product in such a manner that you might be thinking “Why didnt i buy this product before”. Thus kindling that desire becomes an integral part of the AIDAS selling theory. Read more on how to create desire for the product.

4.   Action – Although there may be desire for the product, the customer might not act on it. He might want to buy the product but he might NOT buy it. In such cases the customer needs to be induced. There are various ways to induce the customer such that he buys the product. It is important for the sales person to understand whether to directly induce the customer or whether to push subtle reminders that you are there for a sales call 😉 . Both methods work, but you need to know your customer.

5.  Satisfaction – What would you do after the customer has given the order? Will you stand up, Point at him and shout “Fooled ya”. I dont think so. The customer has just parted with his money. Just like you part your money and expect good service, he expects the same too. So even after he has bought the product, you need to reassure the customer that he has made the right decision. The product is good for the customer and you only presented the product. It was his decision and he is right about it. These small cues post the sales process really give confidence to the customer and he then looks forward to your product rather than thinking whether or not he has made the right decision.

How to measure customer satisfaction? Perhaps the toughest of the jobs of a marketer. There are no meters to measure it; like thermometer for temperature. It is a subjective exercise but very important for marketer’s point of view. Let us see how we can do it.

Although the customer-centered firm seeks to create high customer satisfaction, that is not its main goal. If the company increases customer satisfaction by lowering its price or increasing its services , the results may be lower profits.

Tools for Tracking and Measuring Satisfaction

Complaint and suggestion systems:
A customer-centered organization makes it easy for customers to register suggestions and complaints. Some customer-centered companies-P&G, General Electric, Whirlpool – establish hot lines with toll-free numbers. Companies are also using Web sites and e-mail for quick, two-way communication.

Customer satisfaction surveys:
Studies show that although customer are dissatisfied with on out of every four purchases, less than 5 percent will complain. Most customers will buy less or switch suppliers,. Responsive companies measure customer satisfaction directly by conducting periodic surveys. While collecting customer satisfaction data, it is also useful to ask additional questions to measure repurchase intention and to measure the likelihood or willingness to recommended the company and brand to others.

Ghost shopping:
Companies can hire people to pose as potential buyers to report on strong and weak points experienced in buying the company’s and com-petitors ‘products. These mystery shoppers can even test how the company’s sales personnel handle various situations. Managers them-selves should leave their offices from time to time, enter company and competitor sales situations where they are unknown, and experience firsthand the treatment they receive. A variant of this is for managers to phone their own company with questions and complaints to see how the calls are handled.

Last customer analysis:
Companies should contact customers who have stopped buying or who have switched to another supplier to learn why this happened. Not only is it important to conduct exit interviews when customers first stop buying; it is also necessary to monitor the customer loss rate.

The company might be able to increase its profitability by means other than increased satisfaction ( for example, by improving manufacturing processes or investing more in (R&D). Also, the company has many stakeholders, including employees, dealers suppliers, and stockholders. Spending more to increase customer satisfaction might divert funds from increasing the satisfaction of other “partners.” Ultimately, the company must operate on the philosophy that it is trying to deliver a high level of customer satisfaction subject to delivering acceptable levels of satisfaction to the other stakeholders, given its total resources.

When customers rate their satisfaction with an element of the company’s performance-say, delivery – the company needs to recognize that customers vary in how they define good delivery. – the company needs to recognize that customers vary in how they define good delivery. It could mean early delivery, on-time delivery, order completeness, and so on. Yet if the company had to spell out every element in detail, customers would face a huge survey questionnaire. The company must also realize that two customers can report being “highly satisfied’ for different reasons. One may be easily satisfied most of the time and the other might be hard to please but was pleased on this occasion.