So I am in the dressing room, naked from the waist up, glasses-less, and the saleswoman brings me in this bra. “It’s the #1 best-selling T-shirt bra!” she crows (or crows as much as a 4″11″ 65-year-old sales clerk in orthopedic shoes can.)
Wow, I think, Dillard’s really has it together. They keep their sales staff apprised re sales figures and specific styles to recommend to customers. Way to go, Dillard’s!
So I buy the bra. To be specific, I buy 5 of them. Who likes getting naked in dressing rooms?
Then, at home, I cut off price tags, manufacturer hangtags, and so on and lo and behold, what’s this I see? Why…a sales pitch from the manufacturer. It’s not that nice (albeit short) lady giving me one-on-one advice (It’s our #1 best-selling T-shirt bra, honey, I know, take it from me! ) that little tag is a SALES PLOY. And notice something else: that tag doesn’t even say “best-selling” does it? For all I know, the manufacturer was simply labeling the bra as #1 to distinguish it from #2, #9, and so on. The saleswoman (and I) did JUST what we were primed to do: we fell for Implied Approval. If it’s #1, it must be #1 best-selling. And if it’s #1 best-selling, it must be BEST.
And I fell for it. A lifetime of retail knowledge and practice, and I fell for it.
Here’s another example of Implied Approval: Target uses little round 
stickers on their merchandise to increase sales in a specific category, books.
Another example: Bookstores use “Staff Suggestions” stickers and displays. Makes ME stop and consider the purchase of a book. Hey, if Staff likes this book, it could be great…maybe I should shell out for it. I never even question if Staff is a person of discerning taste, do I?
So, as Alert Resale Shopkeepers, how can we use this newly-clarified ploy to help our businesses? I’m thinking rack signage. I’m thinking shop hang tags.
I’m thinking a once-a-week shop blog entry or even (God help me) a Twitter: Kelly’s pick today is a giant green purse from Balenciaga. Click here to see on our blog!
Note: they ARE very nice bras. For all I know, those books could be great reads, too. And so, I might even like Kelly’s taste. As if.
Madras shorts shot borrowed from gotstylemenswear.com. Thanks!
Auntie Kate The Resale Expert 
[…] on creamy card stock and punch a hole to attach it to some great finds in your shop). It’s implied approval, tongue firmly in […]
I like the idea of a picture of an employee with “today’s pick” – gonna try that.
One of our employees came up with an idea for “pick of the week”. Each employee picks her favorite item, writes a little blurb about why it is her favorite, and hangs it on a cute little ribboned tag with her name on it. I’m changing it to “pick of the day” because they never ever last a week. So far they haven’t lasted long enough to photograph and twitter about. What is it about someone’s favorite item that makes it a best seller?
And every single time I’ve twittered about a specific item, it sells before closing time. Every single time.