Wait, what? Are you selling cake now? No, but I sure do like eating it! I wanted to share a recent cake buying experience with you.
Cakes That Could Sell Themselves
After lockdown finished here in the UK and shops started opening again, we headed out on a family bike ride and stopped for a break and snack at one of the local coffee shops. The cakes there are always fresh and super soft. I reckon they could easily sell themselves, to anyone that ever tasted them.
This isn't one of those cakes, but it still looks pretty tasty...
(Photo Credit: Sarah Pflug)
Whilst ordering our cakes, the server mentioned an offer they were running where you got extra at a reduced price. Said no thanks. (Now don't get me wrong, I'm fine with someone pointing out an offer or information I might not have seen). But then, we get to the too desperate hard sell. The server then asks would you like this cake too, we're got an offer on if you buy more cakes.
Who Likes The Hard Sell?
Do you? Certainly not me. I really, I mean REALLY, hate the hard sell. Both as a customer and as a seller.
Nope. Not interested in buying more cake. This is the point that I personally switch off from what someone's trying to sell me, as I don't need to be told more than once about the same offer. We went with just the cakes we originally ordered as they are delicious, but for me, some of the enjoyment of the moment was lessened by the hard sell approach. I get that times right now are hard for businesses, that those that were severely impacted by the lockdown are trying to make up for financial losses that they've incurred, but coming across as desperate can be very off-putting.
I'll Make My Mind Up In My Own Time
Were you the child that would take forever to make a choice? Yep, I was. I like to think about things, mull things over, compare items and take a good look at the details. That's why I include as much detail as I can about the products I make on my product listings, why I have loads of questions and answers on my FAQ page, that I hope will answer any question you might have (and if it doesn't I'm always willing to answer customer questions). It's particularly hard when buying online, as you can't touch and see the item in person, so you have to make the decision about purchasing by the photos, product information, reviews etc.
But You Want Me To Buy, Don't You?
Of course! But I also want you to be happy with your purchases too! If a business is being pushy (aka the "hard sell"), then a customer is going to feel rushed into purchasing (either because the discount is for a very limited time only or some other such tactic) that encourages you to be hasty and make a quick decision. Then you are more likely to realise it's not what you really want when you actually receive the item in person and have had time to think things over (aka "I'll make my mind up in my own time"). Do I have offers and discounts, of course. But I don't do the flash sales, the very short limited time offers, so you can take your time to choose items and purchase when the time is right for you.
Now I've Made You Hungry
I've made myself hungry for cake now too. Sorry about that, but I couldn't talk about cake and not add a picture of some tasty looking cake!