Simon says

 

"...red, green, red, red, blue, yellow"

I always hated this game. Not because I was bad at it, but because it felt so demanding. "Press this color, and this one" and then if you don't it beeps loudly at you. Because you didn't follow the directions.

Who follows directions anymore? (or ever has)

You're customers don't. And much like the game, they don't want to navigate your experience with the fear of their misstep being alerted to others.

Seth talks about an experience like this where a customer/barista misunderstanding leads to an embarrassing ending (and a bad impression of that store I'm sure).

So how do you go about leading customers in the right direction without literally telling them what to do?

You cater to them. Listen to them. And, most importantly, you make them feel comfortable. For when they feel comfortable they will be much more prone to explore your brand and offerings with more confidence. This might relate to boldness in spending, but at the very least it will start building a consumer trust with your business, which pays back in full with referrals and future purchases.

So, which business would you rather be? The one dictating -or- the one comforting? I think you'll make the right decision. -Reed