If you are introverted, shy or self-conscious (or know someone who is), then you can probably relate to Rob Horning’s comments in a recent blog post:
“I just started to ride my old bike…and..realized that I need a few things for riding in New York City—mainly a helmet and new handle grips. Even though there is a local bike shop five blocks from my apartment, I find myself procrastinating about going over there. Maybe I spent too much time in record stores as a teenager, but I have this unshakable paranoia that the people in the bike shop will laugh at me. They will see that I am not a “real” biker; riding a bike around is not my lifestyle, it’s not my brand.”
I doubt that any large retailer ever set out to cater to the introvert demographic, but it makes clear that the anonymity provided by the big box (and big bank) retail experience suits some people just fine. But how many people? Enough to constitute a valid target market?
Perhaps there is a segment of the population that doesn’t want a personal relationship with you and your brand. For them, an impersonal relationship with your brand is right on the money.
Via Murketing
Photo by: {Guerrilla Futures | Jason Tester}
Interesting. I’m not sure that the biker’s fears are driven by introversion. For all we know, he could be completely extroverted and outgoing. He’s just afraid of looking like an idiot, or looking foolish, or being made fun of for being “a poser.” I think the guy feels intimidated, not introverted.
Many people will have these same kind of intimidating fears when they go to speciality stores — auto parts, outdoors/sports, etc. Certainly for some people, their introversion drives their fear of talking to a sales rep. But for most people, I’d assume they are afraid of talking to a sales rep because they don’t want to ask a dumb question, or look stupid in front of other (more seasoned) customers. So maybe they do some research online or talk to some friends before they head to the store. Or maybe not. Maybe they just walk in, grab the first thing that looks like it will do the job, then get the heck out of there.
However you want to look at it, financial services firms could learn a lot from this psychology though. People feel intimidated, and are afraid to ask questions. How do you help them feel comfortable enough to ask the right questions… so they end up with the right answer/solution/product/service?
Regarding “financial relationships”… Personally speaking, I have zero interest in having a “relationship” with any financial institution. As long as they don’t screw up and don’t annoy me, I’ll do just fine. Banking doesn’t interest me in the slightest, so the less time I spend doing it, the better. (Note: It’s almost impossible to have a relationship with an entity that one spends no time with.)