Main types of customers and strategies for effective interaction with them

Today, the customer has finally become the focus of business attention, and understanding customer types allows you to more accurately formulate commercial messages, reduce decision-making time, and increase conversion without unnecessary imposition. Therefore, segmentation by behavioral and psychological characteristics helps to identify the expectations of each customer – from the analytically minded to the emotionally impulsive – in time and avoid mistakes that lead to loss of interest or distrust.

In this article, we will look at the main types of customers, their characteristics, and the most effective approaches to interacting with each. For a practical understanding of the topic, we will also analyze a real-life case that demonstrates the application of the classification in a specific business situation. To get the most out of the material, a short checklist with steps to optimize your work using customer typing is included at the end.

Conceptual framework of customer typology

Before moving on to specific types of customers, it is important to rely on general approaches that explain how and why a product or service is chosen.

The emotional nature of buying (by Dan Ariely)

Buying behavior is rarely rational. According to the research of behavioral economics professor Dan Ariely, most decisions are made under the influence of irrational factors – emotions, context, and inspired associations. In Predictably Irrational, he describes a series of experiments that prove that even the simplest actions, such as choosing a product or brand, are not guided by logic, but by a sense of value, comparison, fear of loss, or a desire to conform to one’s own self-image.

Key points:

• The emotional trigger is the first to work – the customer reacts to a visual impulse, tone of voice, or atmosphere, and only then begins to analyze the price or characteristics.
• Avoiding pressure is an important feature. An aggressive sales style or excessive intrusiveness causes a backlash: a person wants to maintain autonomy in making a decision.
• Egocentrism in consumption – the client tends to make decisions that confirm his or her own identity, status, or uniqueness. That is why personalized offers have a greater effect than universal discounts.

This approach provides the basis for a deeper typology of customers – not only by what they buy, but also by how and why they do it.

Other customer classifications

In addition to the emotional model, there are three other approaches to audience segmentation:

1. Behavioral segmentation is based on the actual actions of customers: how often they buy, how they interact with the site, or whether they respond to promotions. For example, Amazon looks at browsing and purchase history, Netflix analyzes views, and Starbucks encourages repeat visits through its loyalty program. This approach allows you to customize advertising campaigns to specific audience habits – offer repeat purchases, launch remarketing, or personalized recommendations.
2. Psychographic segmentation is based on customer values, interests, attitudes, and lifestyle. It explores the internal motives of consumers – their personality, hobbies, and priorities. The results are used to create content and messages that resonate with the inner world of each segment, such as eco-activists or family people.
3. Segmentation by interaction channels refers to the way a customer is contacted:
   • High-touch – personal consultations and individual approach;
   • Low-touch – automated services and chatbots;
   • No-touch – a completely independent purchase process through a website or app.

The choice of format depends on the type of product and the customer’s needs: complex products usually require high-touch, while routine products can be no-touch. This allows you to effectively allocate resources to support the customer and make the interaction process convenient and relevant to each segment.

Types of customers and ways of interaction

All customers have different expectations and buying styles, but they can be divided into three broad groups: by their approach to buying, by their temperament, and by the way they perceive information. This helps to build a unified system of CRM and marketing messages, with clear but flexible scenarios for each segment.

Approach to buying

Each customer starts interacting with a business with their own way of evaluating a product or service: someone is looking for information, someone is looking for discounts, and someone is looking for an emotional impulse.

The observer

The observer generally gets acquainted with the entire assortment, compares photos and reviews, but does not take a step into the cart for a long time. In communicating with them, you should focus on the visual presentation of the product: high-quality photos, gifs, short video reviews. This will «bring the product to life» and help form an idea of the end result.

Researcher

The researcher approaches the purchase systematically: he reads technical details, requests comparison tables, quality certificates. His decision is based on facts, so it is necessary to prepare clear documents: specifications, comparisons with analogues, analytical reports.

Fans of discounts and special offers

This customer responds to any promotions and coupons, ignoring standard prices. A personalized promo code with a limited time limit and a clear demonstration of savings in the «Was/Still» format increase the motivation to buy.

Savvy customer

An economical customer is primarily focused on price and price/quality ratio. They compare competitors’ offers, look for additional benefits and evidence of durability to justify the cost of the purchase.

Impulsive customer

Impulsive customers make decisions quickly, based on an emotional outburst and a sense of urgency. A minimum of unnecessary steps to payment and clear «now or never» incentives help close the sale.

Unsure customer

An uncertain customer is hesitant due to fear of making a mistake and uncertainty: he compares options, often returns to the same information, and needs external confirmation of his choice. To support their decision, you should offer clear guarantees, understandable return conditions, and real social proof.

Disappointed customer

A disappointed customer has had a negative experience – not necessarily with your product – so they approach with distrust and skepticism. They need to be convinced of your responsibility: quickly acknowledge past mistakes, provide a clear plan to correct the situation, and involve a personal manager.

Temperament

Temperament determines how quickly a customer reacts and how much information they are ready to receive in one contact. Each communication style has its own nuances of presentation that help to avoid misunderstandings and maintain interest.

Attentive questioner

Used to detailed information and asks a lot of clarifying questions. Answers should be structured in small blocks – for example, «Step 1…, Step 2…, Step 3…» – and accompanied by clear diagrams or infographics. Vague «off the top of my head» answers or long paragraphs without illustrations leave them confused and can scare them off.

Communicator

Likes casual conversation and sometimes gets off topic. Getting to the point works through stories: first, a small example from life, and then a smooth connection to the main point. Rude «let’s get to the point» or ignoring the personal factor only repels and creates a barrier to communication.

The silent man

Answers laconically and rarely initiates a conversation. To get a clear response from him, you should ask closed questions with specific options («Option A or B?»). Open-ended questions without options or intrusive conversation often leave them in a «lost» state and slow down the dialog.

The conflict client

Such a client may choose an aggressive tone, and it is important to respond with maximum restraint and factuality. In-depth arguments («We understand your concern – here are the documents and test results») demonstrate professionalism. Any emotional counterattacks or personal insults will only exacerbate the tension.

The expert

An expert checks every technical nuance and is not satisfied with general promises. Detailed reports, white papers, or invitations to a private briefing with the developers are prepared for them. Slogans like «we guarantee the best» without specific data and open documentation are perceived as empty advertising.

Conservative

Values stability and proven practices. Success stories of large companies and data on the sustainable market since 2015 help to convince them. Innovations without guarantees and abstract promises of «we are something new» do not inspire confidence.

Skeptic

Combines criticism with a desire to see a real result. Acknowledging his doubts and providing specific cases and figures («We understand your questions – here are the test results and examples of use») help to overcome the barrier and build trust. Empty praise such as «take our word for it» only increases skepticism.

Perception of information

Customers perceive content in different ways: some people just need to look at a picture, others listen to a podcast, others read emails, and some want to try the product themselves. Below are four main formats and tips for each.

Visuals

Visuals respond quickly to images and graphics: photos, infographics, short videos. Concise text with vivid illustrations creates the right impression.

Audience

Audiences are better able to perceive voice information: podcasts, webinars, voice messages in messengers. The feeling of a live conversation increases engagement.

Discrete

Discretists appreciate asynchrony: email or messengers where they can think about answers. Clear step-by-step instructions and the ability to respond at a convenient time create a sense of control.

Kinesthetic

Kinesthetes want to «feel» the product with their own hands: demonstrations, samples, or test versions. Practical experience helps them make a final decision.

In reality, one client can combine the features of several types, but the dominant profile always manifests itself. To quickly identify it in CRM, use a simple anchor plate with signs.

Case study: Email segmentation at a sports retailer (2024)

A sports retailer with a base of about 36,000 subscribers faced an important problem: although emails were opened (~25% open rate) and customers clicked (~7%), there were no sales from the email channel. The company decided to change its approach: from general mailing to personalized segmented campaigns.

They developed the following strategy.

1. We added a personalized message: testing the subject line with recipients’ names showed an 8% increase in open rate due to personalization alone.
2. We divided the database into gender segments: men and women by name. For example, an email for women contained a banner with women’s products, and for men – men’s + general.
3. We introduced holiday targeting: by March 8, women were offered promotions for gifts, and men were also paid attention to, but additionally emphasized the possibility of a quick return to reduce the barrier of uncertainty.

Results:

1. Subject lines with a name increased the open rate by 8%, but without sales.
2. Thanks to gender targeting, 41 orders were received:
   • 33 from women,
   • 8 from men (who responded to the reminder for the first time).
3. The effect was noticeable: email campaigns began to generate real revenue even before the need for a personalized approach.

We drew several conclusions. First, that personalization in the subject line is a good start to increase engagement, but opens alone are not enough. Second, dynamic blocks and segmented emails have become a catalyst for real sales. Thirdly, not only promotions are important, but also convenience (for example, simple return conditions and solving customer pain). And finally, that starting segmentation is a quick way to revitalize email marketing and make it a source of real revenue.

Checklist: how to optimize your work with customer typing

Customer typing is a working tool that allows you to establish targeted, effective communication at every stage: from the first touch to after-sales service. When integrated into everyday processes, a company gets a steady increase in conversion, a decrease in churn, and a strengthening of loyalty. To make the launch process simple and manageable, you should rely on six basic areas.

Labeling customers in CRM at the start of the interaction

It is advisable to label customers in CRM during the first interaction. To do this, you can use a simple set of diagnostic questions or reactions that reflect the type of thinking or behavior. We’ve already reviewed examples of questions for each type of customer in the table above. We would like to emphasize that system tags will help the team to quickly navigate and adapt the approach.

Prepare content in the right format

Prepare content in different formats, according to the perception of each segment. At the same time, it’s important to integrate universal «trust anchors» into all communication channels – blocks with reviews, guarantees, before/after comparisons, and short FAQs.

Automate communication by tags

If your CRM already reads behavioral patterns, you can set up email or SMS chains depending on the customer’s tag. Managers, in turn, should have access to updated scripts where phrases and arguments are adapted to the main types of thinking and emotional response.

Multimodality in digital channels

Landing pages, presentations, and newsletters should include various information blocks: textual explanations, visual elements, social proof, and expert references. Such a content structure allows you not to lose the attention of customers with different mental structures – everyone will find their own key trigger.

Updating scripts and scenarios

Managers should use scripts that take into account the behavioral and communication characteristics of customers. In such scenarios, you should use adapted phrases, arguments, and triggers that match the type of customer perception.

Regular hypothesis testing

A/B tests of headlines, formats, arguments, and content structure help determine which approaches work best for specific segments. This not only improves the performance of individual campaigns, but also helps to adjust the strategy based on real data.

Taken together, these actions form a flexible, adaptive communication system that reduces conversion losses, shortens the decision-making cycle, and improves the quality of the customer experience without significantly increasing the workload of the team.

Serhii Ivanchenko

CEO

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Olha Tyshchenko

Editor

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