Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/360137
Why is he here? In the middle of a training semi- nar, I fired off this question: "What does the customer actually want?" The young lady in the back row responded, "He wants what we have." Way too obvious. Of course he does. I need her to go deeper. "In his heart, what is he after?" Perplexed, she responded, "A chance to have fun with the product?" Again, too obvious. According to a presentation from Yahoo, 48 percent of teenagers are addicted (actu- ally chemically addicted) to their cell phones. Why? Because the quick-hit fix from someone "liking" their post on Facebook releases dopa- mine in the brain. Dopamine is an addictive chemical, which quickly fades if not replaced again by more dopamine. That's why once we have the watch we want, we always want the next one. The motorcycle we've pined over for years is now about to be replaced by another since its acquisition just days prior. You've heard that things don't make you happy, only people can. Things are fun for now (dopamine rush), but the rush requires another fix. People, on the other hand, cause a serotonin and oxytocin rush in the brain, which is why true friendship is irreplaceable. Back to the teenagers and their phone addictions. When you become addicted to the dopamine rush (food, drugs, alcohol, gambling, or most recently… social media), you cannot make room for serotonin and oxytocin. So in addi- tion to being labeled the "most con- nected" generation ever, Generation Y (born between 1976 and 1994) has also been labeled the "loneli- est" generation we've ever seen. Don't get mad at me… that's Yahoo's data. The Deloitte Shift Index tracks things like why employees leave their jobs, why they change careers and how satisfied they are at their jobs. Recently, it cited that 80 percent of Americans hate their jobs. Eighty percent. Let that actually sink in for a minute and you'll find yourself getting sad. In my experience, that statistic is reversed in the powersports industry, as many of your employees gave up "other" careers to work in an industry they love. But think about your average customer. He gets up to go to work. He fights traffic to get there, only to sit in an office or cube with the same people he appar- ently can't stand talking to. So what does he do? He spends his time banging away on social media outlets, and getting quick dopamine hits from texting here and posting there. Then he fights traffic to come home and do it all over again tomorrow. So again I ask you, what does that guy want? Another trinket from your store? Another quick dopamine hit in the form of a GoPro and new Arai HD helmet? No, it's much deeper than that. Think about Amazon.com. Think about the one-click purchases. There's not even time to entertain any version of buyer's remorse during the purchase, as they've made it just too easy. Then it's sent to my house within two days? Amazon isn't the "cheap" outlet (some things are considerably more expensive than eBay and other discount outlets) … it's the "easy" outlet. It's so easy that nobody ever needs to go into your brick and mortar store again. Ever been to an online powersports retailer and seen the product videos? "Hey this is Anthony! We're here today to show you the new Dianese Air-Flux jacket." From there they showcase the jacket, how it fits, how it func- tions and all sorts of buyer reviews on it. Buy- ing, shipping and returning is incredibly easy and painless. Point being, if I just wanted the jacket, there are MANY, MANY other — easier — ways to get it. It isn't about the jacket. What that guy really wants is you. He's not coming in for the jacket. He's coming in for you. In his dopamine-fueled world of loneli- ness and repetition, he has nobody to hang out with. He has nobody to remind him that he's cool … that the jacket looks awesome. He has nowhere in his life where he walks in and gets the "Cheers" effect. Nobody knows his name. Unfortunately, he is simply a consumer … and just another transaction. He wants camaraderie. He wants friendship. He wants interaction. He wants someone to talk to him about something … ANYTHING other than product knowledge. Oxytocin is the feeling of belongingness. Human beings seek out "tribes" that make them feel like they belong. When the feeling isn't present, they go find another "tribe." Harley-Davidson is exceptional at understand- ing this, but the feeling often gets lost at the dealership level. Human beings seek out people and things that make them feel good. The things activate the dopamine. The people activate the sero- tonin and oxytocin. Dopamine won't create a customer for life. Create a tribe. Let the customer belong. It's why he's there. PSB Sam Dantzler is the founder of Sam's Powers- ports Garage, a membership website dedicated to best practices and all-staff training. He can be reached at sam@samspowersportsgarage.com. What does your store's customer really want? HEADROOM www.PowersportsBusiness.com SOLUTIONS Powersports Business • August 11, 2014 • 33 SAM DANTZLER Birth year of Generation Y, continuing through 1994, the "most connected" generation ever, and also the most in need of a feeling of belongingness 1976