Putting Together A Customer Profile As They Walk In

[Zwielicht]

I got the idea to write this up from my yard sale thread.

I used to prefer selling in person when I had to as I've had many successful yard sales in the past. The climate is different now, although I've found that some things stay the same.

When you're selling in person, it's important to know who you're dealing with before you even speak to them. This helps me to set expectations and also know what to mention about any merchandise someone is looking at.

Using the yard sale as an example, I first judge someone based on how they approach. With yard sale shoppers, they usually fall into one of the following categories:

• In a car: Potential customer, but how good of a customer they are depends on the car they're driving.
  • Beat-up truck: Nearly always a Mexican gardener looking to resell stuff in Mexico. Pretty much guaranteed to haggle. This is actually quite common where I live.
  • Beat-up sedan: Cheap and more likely to haggle.
  • SUV: Usually an older wealthier woman, sometimes with her husband. They're unlikely to haggle, but have higher expectations for quality. Often looking for art pieces.
  • Van: Families who look over everything (these are my favourites). Can haggle, but not too badly.
  • Newer sedans: They're willing to spend more and less likely to haggle.
• On a bicycle: Casual browser.
• On foot: Casual browsers or Jehovah's Witnesses.

I then judge them based on how many people I see getting out of the car.

• Solo: This is common. They do a once-over with everything.
• Couples: They tend to look at things in more detail as they show each other things they're interested in.
• Families: They tend to browse the most and like the most variety. Kids in particular will like the tech whilst the adults look at clothes and appliances.

As they're approaching my driveway, I already have a pretty good idea of what I'm dealing with. However, I next take a look at their age, and these always follow stereotypes:

• Old: Honestly, they tend to be casual browsers out on a stroll who waste my time.
• Middle-aged: Interested in exercise equipment, clothes, and appliances. These are the most ideal shoppers.
• Youth: Interested in tech and clothes. Rare around where I live.

Next, I always judge them based on their ethnicity. Some people say it's racist, but I say these stereotypes exist for a reason. It's not that they're universal, but it does result in what I'd describe as the "common" experience.

• Hispanic: Most likely to haggle. Tends to shop for clothes, appliances, and furniture. Since they usually come in trucks, they buy larger items
• Caucasian: Very picky about clothing. Less likely to haggle, but sometimes expects a small discount.
• Black: More likely to haggle for a small discount.
• Asian: Rarer in my area, but they tend to be less likely to haggle, but also less likely to buy.

Finally, I judge them based on their clothing.

• Worn out sloppy clothes: They tend to be a sloppy buyer who haggles. Often shopping for more clothes.
• Neat clothes: I'm talking they ironed everything this morning. Usually casual browsers who don't buy anything.
• Average, somewhat worn clothes: Common buyer; the target market, really.

I judge them based on other details, such as age, sex, weight, gait, etc. I'm not going to list everything, but the main factors above help put together a picture of who I'm going to be dealing with and how I can even persuade them into getting something I think is worthwhile to them.

Using some of the common combinations, you often get the following types of people and the following expectations as a result:

• Middle-aged solo Hispanic in worn-out clothes driving a beat-up truck: Usually reseller who wants the lowest possible prices. They do not understand any items they're looking, so you cannot persuade them to pay more with specifications or details. They're great if you want to off-load larger items and get a little bit of something in return. Sometimes it's an old nana getting clothes for herself or her grandkids.
• Caucasian couples in average clothing in an SUV: These are some of the more ideal shoppers for yard sales. They tend to be picky, like I mentioned, but otherwise, they'll pay more than others without much, if any haggling.
• A family in a van with average clothing: These are my favourites and the real target market for yard sales. They will look over everything, consider everything, and often leave with a bunch of stuff. You can often talk to them about the details of items and they'll be interested.

 

[Preying Mantis]

Next, I always judge them based on their ethnicity. Some people say it's racist, but I say these stereotypes exist for a reason. It's not that they're universal, but it does result in what I'd describe as the "common" experience.

• Hispanic: Most likely to haggle. Tends to shop for clothes, appliances, and furniture. Since they usually come in trucks, they buy larger items
• Caucasian: Very picky about clothing. Less likely to haggle, but sometimes expects a small discount.
• Black: More likely to haggle for a small discount.
• Asian: Rarer in my area, but they tend to be less likely to haggle, but also less likely to buy.

See bro when people read that anyone does that they think you're racist but then Amazon and other big corps do this on the regular.

You see it with the ads when they put more black guys in it and play bassy hip hop music.

 

[Zwielicht]

See bro when people read that anyone does that they think you're racist but then Amazon and other big corps do this on the regular.

You see it with the ads when they put more black guys in it and play bassy hip hop music.

I've had that come up a few times, but only really ever online.

It's not obvious online, but because my parents and grandparents are all different races, I'm all of those races I listed and more. I don't identify as any one of them in particular and usually just say "mixed" when asked, but people can't tell if I'm Hispanic, black, or Filipino. Nobody guesses the Caucasian part because "light brown skin = only brown races' in their heads, but that's all there.

I've seen others get described as "self-hating" if they say something that seems "against their own race". I've not had that come up, but I have seen it happen.