Traffic Signal: The 90-Second Sales Pitch
Rushed for time, consumers in India's metros and mini-metros attempt to maximize every moment of their lives. But catching up on the day's headlines, while ensconced in the backseat of a car or taxi, is a universal urban phenomenon. Shopping-on-the-go is an entirely different story.
Here is an example of how sellers and buyers come together at traffic signals in a rapid transaction that we, the creators of the 90-second sales pitch (or the 20-page shop assistant training manual), can learn from. Interestingly, the popular AIDA model of marketing can also be adapted to this process.
AIDA is an acronym used in marketing that describes a common sequence of steps a person undergoes when selling a product or service:
- A - Attention (Awareness): Attract the attention of the customer.
- I - Interest: Raise customer interest by demonstrating features, advantages, and benefits.
- D - Desire: Convince customers that they want and desire the product or service and that it will satisfy their needs.
- A - Action: Lead customers toward taking action and/or purchasing.
The 90-Second Sales Pitch Begins At Red
The average waiting time at a traffic signal in an Indian metropolis is 90 seconds. The traffic intersection turns into a marketplace the minute the signal turns red.
From the moment the lights turn red, a posse of salespersons descends on the occupants of the automobile, bearing the most incredible variety of merchandise.
The seller gains Attention and creates awareness by showing the latest issue of a magazine, a rolled-up map of India and the globe, a pack of luscious strawberries, a bunch of red roses, a garland of fragrant jasmine flowers, dusters to wipe the car clean, bright balloons, pirated copies of the latest books, a pack of earbuds. The list goes on. Theirs is not a random hit-or-miss effort at snagging a buyer. Observing their sales pitch closely, I find that their 90 seconds are planned and executed to perfection.
The First Five Seconds Are Qualification
The first five seconds are crucial to the sales pitch. In those first five seconds, they scan the occupants of the bumper-to-bumper cars.
For instance, a 25-year-old woman or man is a prime magazine prospect; a 40-year-old woman returning from a shopping trip in the backseat may buy those fruits, surely, to feel healthy after a bout of spending. Infants attract the balloon-seller. A couple holding hands is a magnet for the flower-seller. The duster-seller almost never approaches the passenger in the backseat, because he is aware that the chauffeur is the one who knows if the old duster has worn out. This is the generation of Interest.
The street-seller knows precisely how much time to spend on each prospect. Should the person in the car hold his or her gaze for more than a second, the object in hand is thrust into the open window, or held against a closed one, as if encouraging the occupant to roll down the window. This is how the seller gauges Desire.
Some targets, such as the couple holding hands, are soft, and the sales spiel begins immediately. So are little children, who are immediately drawn to bright colors, prompting their parents to consider the purchase worth the price to keep them quiet for the rest of the journey. Others are not, like the smart college girl who wants a copy of Vogue for Rs 50, one-fifth the price at a bookstore.
The Close
Thirty seconds go by. It is time well spent on chasing the hottest prospect. Their hit rate is one out of a hundred, better on a lucky day.
And then someone rolls down a window and beckons. She asks the price of the strawberries. A price is quoted, obviously too high. The bargaining begins. The woman forgets she is at a traffic signal and insists on checking each piece of fruit, knowing fully well that those at the bottom are likely to be rotten. Another 45 seconds are consumed.
The light changes from red to green. The fruits are thrust inside the open window. The woman rummages inside her purse for change. The cars behind begin to honk. Her driver gets the car moving. The seller runs along. Money and fruits change hands.
Meanwhile, in a taxi nearby, a young man threads jasmine into his beloved's long hair, and she snuggles closer to him. Action is taken, and the ninety seconds are up.
Don't you think large organizations, which take months to strategize and create business plan charts, have a lot to learn from the agility of traffic signal vendors?
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