Why Smart People Buy Dumb Things
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I was at Pier 1 Imports the other day browsing with my sister for some amenities for her new place and stumbled on something I thought was astounding. I stood there in shock, scratching my head. I really COULDN’T be looking at what I thought I was looking at, in my mind that was just absolutely impossible.
I stared at this mysterious item for the better part of 2 minutes really trying to understand, or to find any real rational explanation as to why anyone on earth would ever buy something like that, but then I remembered what I keep telling you guys…People aren’t rational.
What I was looking at was a bag of rocks.
Literally, rocks, like the kind you find outside…in a bag…for sale.
Why on earth would anyone ever *BUY* those??? I have no clue, but apparently people do because they’ve stayed in the store for quite a while.
Now I realize this store in particular is predominantly for people wanting to decorate their home, so I assume they would use rocks to decorate their home…what specifically they would use them for in their home, I have no clue.
But see, that’s the beauty in it.
Pier 1 understands something that I don’t – their client base. For some crazy reason, the people that shop at their store sometimes like to buy bags of rocks.
Maybe they want the convenience of not having to go outside and bend over to pick some up. Maybe they think the rocks that come packaged in a bag for sale are special somehow, like the magical beans of the rock world. Or MAYBE, decorating your house with premium priced rocks is like the new trend or something…
The awesome thing about that though, is that it DOESN’T MATTER why they buy, because they buy. Pier 1 knows that it’s client base will buy a bag of rocks at premium prices, so it has them their for sale.
Pier 1 understands their customer at such a fundamental level that they can populate their store with seemingly mundane and average items. When these items are packaged in a specific way, they understand that not only will their customer buy these things, but utilize them for decoration.
Even though you don’t see advertisements for a “BUY ONE GET ONE FREE BAG OF ROCKS!!!” or a sign out front that says “WE SELL BAGS OF ROCKS HERE!” they understand that they can turn a boring and average piece of nature into something that can be used by their customer base.
So, How Do You Get Smart People to Buy Dumb Things?
You get smart people to buy dumb things by understanding them, and talking to them on such a level that they look to you for guidance.
Pier 1 is a perfect example of this.
No one seems to go into that store for a specific item. Instead, they go into the store to browse and buy things they think are cool. On top of the big ticket items like desks, bowls, vases, and really weird tribal masks, they sell accent items…like a bag of rocks.
See, the secret is to explain your customer’s problem better than even they can. Explain it so plainly and perfectly that their fascination turns into an infatuation. At that point, you have a customer for life.
It really is that easy, so now it’s your turn. Did someone you know ever buy something that you thought was stupid and useless? What do you think was the core reason behind the purchase?
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