How Trust Drives Loyalty and Sales: A MERCURYcsc Pulse Report

Fear is a tremendously powerful emotion. The fear of missing out, the fear of being disappointed or the fear of feeling stupid, all of which have become common fears in stable and affluent societies, may seem silly or superfluous. Yet, fear continues to drive human behavior, especially when it comes to making a purchase.

By Maclaren Latta

In our latest report, The Pulse from Think T+O, we wanted to explore why Experience Seekers "consumers who love travel and the outdoors" are addicted to getting online and in-person advice before they buy something, and what that means for marketers.

I seek out advice from store employees since I am not an expert, and I want to make sure I better understand what I am buying. In addition, I want to make sure I am not missing something that I missed when doing research on my own.
-Michael, Chicago, IL

Working with the Think T+O Forum, our proprietary panel that consists of more than 1,500 Experience Seekers, we discovered that there are some powerful dynamics at play. Their innate curiosity, combined with the intense relationship between fear and trust, drives them to read online reviews, get local advice and purchase in-store.

In lower risk situations, they are inclined to do less due diligence. But the greater the risk, the greater their fear and the more they are inclined to seek out advice.

– For hte full story: http://www.mercurycsc.com/blog/2015/10/26/report-do-your-customers-trust-you/#sthash.yKQQM8i2.dpuf