Retailers are convinced beyond a doubt that an aggressive approach is the best way to make the sale. And for many people this approach must be effective, otherwise why would it be so widely practiced? I'm sure that there are reams of data showing that this is the way to go in the retail world.
So, for an introvert like myself, visiting the mall can be a nightmare of having to duck and avoid overly friendly salespeople who feel that if they can just engage you in conversation and lead you towards certain products they will increase their sales for the day. Clearly I am at the other end of this spectrum because the more I am hounded by salespeople, the more I want to escape the store as quickly as possible. And don't even think about rolling your eyes when I say "no thank you, just looking".
To be fair, it is not the fault of the salesperson, whose manager no doubt has trained him/her to approach each customer within a certain length of time after they have entered the store. But by the time I have to wave off the second or third saleperson I am ready to bolt. Even if I had wanted to look around longer, nothing gets me out of a store faster than feeling harassed (I know, I know, they are just doing their job...) by overeager or over-friendly staff with fixed smiles and eyes that follow my every move.
I am pretty sure that I am not the only one who feels this way and would prefer to shop in peace and quiet, being allowed to take my time looking over the merchandise and deciding which, if any, I will purchase. In fact I would imagine that there are legions of introverts for whom the worst case scenario is to walk into a store only to find themselves the lone shopper--- and therefore the centre of attention for a crew of bored salespeople who are being exhorted to get out there and look busy!
Retailers might do well to take a more sophisticated approach to dealing with customers who might not wish to engage with their staff more than is absolutely necessary. Salespeople should be trained to read their customers and give them more space if that is what is desired. Don't assume that every customer will respond the same way to an aggressive sales approach. Managers: allow your staff the latitude to judge when to push, and when to back away. It might just keep your quieter customers from running out the door seeking other shops or bigger stores where they won't have to interact with anyone until they are ready to do so.
