MAKALE

“WHY WE ARE SHOPPING?”

Emrah Altuntecim

Why do we shop? Because we need things… We sometimes shop because we want to. Needs or desires? It is now always possible to understand or differentiate this, but everyone are shopping. And some people are selling us the products and services bought.

Salespeople also shop. As its names suggests shopping is exchanging money for goods or services! We are part of an endless cycle. Just like the entire cycle of the universe, our lives are also continuing the cycle of shopping. However, those who know the rules of this cycle get richer and stronger. And those who live their lives without knowing the rules are in majority and looking at successful people with envy. And those who do now recognize the rules lose their power and erode their existence because of the opposition that occurs between them and the system.

No matter what people buy, there are some psychological reasons as well as physiological needs in most of the products they buy. Our psychology guides our behaviours. A substantial part of human behaviours are based on psychological reasons.

We believe human psychology is the main factor that shapes purchasing and selling skills. We see the process of sales as a whole with the other factors that effect human psychology. Then, let us address those factors effecting sales both as a compilation of information and an exchange of experience. Let us start with the psychological factor first:

Motivation: You encounter this word quite often. Motivation is one of the factors effecting people’s perception, psychology, and behaviours in any field of sales. But what is motivation with its most concise definition?

A “motive” means stimulated needs. In many sources, the word is defined as: “Those forces that put one into action as a result of a need, or in other words, causes a behaviour to emerge in order to meet a certain need.” What are the motives that determine people’s shopping behaviours? These motives are meeting the need that is the intended function of a product or service, having fun, learning, having a good time, browsing around, getting information about new products, taking interest in brands, the pleasure of bargaining, keeping up with the fashion, the need of socializing, and finding the opportunity to experience products and services by means of sensory organs.

Perception: Another factor effecting people’s motivation, psychology, and behaviours within a field of sales is perception. Perception is one of the main themes of this article. It is a topic we will be addressing in a detailed way later. This is how our professors at the Faculty of Communication summarized perception: “Perception is a person’s recognizing certain stimulants around him/her with his/her sensory organs.” While motives and attitudes influence perception, perception has an influence on motive and attitudes in return.

Learning: If people already know a certain product, brand or service, they behave more confidently when buying them. If they are not familiar with the product, brand or service, their purchasing would take some more time.

Believes and Attitudes: We are not talking about a spiritual concept of belief here. We can say, “A belief is people’s defining ideas about objects and thoughts. And an attitude is an individual’s tendencies, feelings, and valuations about certain objects and ideas.”

Motivation: It is not easy for me to summarize this concept with a couple of words as a seminar speaker who has been giving trainings on motivation for years. However, I can say that motivation is a psychological state that causes a behaviour to manifest itself. Those who wish can read my previously published books to get more detailed information on this subject. 

 Those who are told off by their boss at the office rush to stores, those who want to feel more beautiful, handsome, attractive, stronger, and chic run to stores, those who want to feel wealthier go shopping, those who are bored find themselves in the market…

 Indeed, most people go shopping not for their essential needs but for psychological relief. Shopping malls are packed with hundreds of thousands of people who do not spend a single penny for shopping but wish to be attended to entering stores. That is to say, people take their way to shopping spaces to be somewhat happier.

Finding oneself trying on a new piece of clothing in a store for no particular reason can be given as an example to this. We like the piece of clothing we try on and we buy it. While our spouse dislikes the piece of clothing we buy, some of our associates like it and they also buy similar clothes. This process may get quite complicated.

 There are numerous derivatives of feelings, and it is not possible to address them all. However, scientists have made life easier for us by dividing feelings into clusters.

 “Let us summarise the main emotions that could be of importance in terms of people’s behaviours during sales:

• Compassion: Friendship, loyalty, kindness, gaining acceptance, close attention, happiness.
• Anger: That a faulty piece of glasses are not replaced with a new pair may cause anger. Getting angry, rage, grudge, resentment, wrath, exhaustion, fury, insult, annoyance, touchiness, hostility, and pathological hatred and violence, which are the least desired types of emotion. Feelings of anger are felt in a spectrum ranging from being annoyed about a certain issue to shaking.
• Pleasure and Joy: A surprising promotion or discount can be a source of joy. Pleasure, however, is a very broad concept: happiness, enthusiasm, fun, relaxation, excitement, satisfaction, delight, sensual pleasure, pride, contentment, ecstasy, caprice, and mania at the extreme end. Feelings of pleasure and joy are felt in a spectrum ranging from calmness to being over the moon.
• Fear: Being scared, anxiety, being horrified, irritability, uneasiness, apprehension, bewilderment, distress, suspicion, remorse, vigilance, hesitance, and phobia and panic if the state of fear is pathological. Feeling of fear is felt in a spectrum ranging from getting tense to violence.
• Sadness: That a product in the desired colour is not among the options can be a source of sadness. Boredom, sorrow, cheerlessness, pain, gloom, melancholy, hopelessness, loneliness, self-pity. The state of sadness can even cause severe depression when it is pathological. Feelings of sadness are felt at a spectrum ranging to mourning.
• Acceptance: Encountering a store manager who we know in another store again can cause a feeling of acceptance. Feeling of acceptance ranges to as far as admiration.
• Expectation: Like thinking as to whether the food we will be served will satisfy us or not… It is felt as a spectrum ranging from something being on one’s mind to obsession.
• Disgust: Loathing, abhorring, belittling, finding repulsive, despising, dislike, humiliation… Disgust can range from boredom to hatred.
• Astonishment: Being shocked, consternation, and surprise.
• Shame: Disappointment, humiliation, state of embarrassment, regret, state of guilt.
• Surprise: Like winning a car in a draw after shopping… It ranges from being surprised to as far as being tongue-tied.

We'll go on telling about emotions in our next articles... And also you'll find more in our new book “Opening Doors To Success.”