Imagine that the shopping cart, of all things, was initially a flop!
In the late 1930s, store owner Sylvan Goldman observed that his customers struggled to carry their goods in shopping baskets and realized that their problem was his problem.
So, he invented the shopping cart.
On June 4, 1937, Sylvan Goldman introduced his ingenious invention in his stores.
However, customers refused to use it.
Men thought it was “feminine,” and women drew parallels to baby carriages, stating: “I’ve pushed my last baby carriage!”
Goldman didn’t give up.
But instead of trying to convince his customers of the shopping cart’s superior functionality compared to a shopping basket, he focused on the psychological aspect.
He hired female and male models who walked around shopping with the carts. When customers saw that other people were using shopping carts – then the resistance disappeared.
The shopping cart became a success, and Goldman became a dollar multi-millionaire.
The story illustrates an important truth: customers don’t buy a functional product – they buy a feeling.
In our communication, we often focus on facts, features, and benefits.
We present logical arguments why someone should buy what we offer.
However, the fact is that up to 95% of our decisions are governed by our subconscious and our emotions.
This also applies to decisions within companies. People don’t become rational just because they step into an office!
Goldman didn’t succeed when he only presented a practical solution.
Success came only when he created a positive association and feeling in his customers’ minds.
The lesson is clear.
To truly achieve success, we must build “mindshare” before chasing “market share.”
We need to create an emotional connection with our customers, understand their needs on a deeper level, and communicate how our product or service makes them feel.
Here you can read more about customer behavior and what it means for a sales organization.
