It is one of those things that people say:

‘There is nothing more irritating than . . .’

Whilst they may, without an awful lot of thought, accept it was an exaggeration, there is nothing more inclined to lose a customer than irritating them.

You might be able to understand why the shop’s sales staff approach you when you are browsing their display but that does not stop the irritation. If you had wanted help you would have asked for it. But how else are your interests to be discovered? How are you to be coaxed towards this week’s special offer?

Browsing was brought to another level with the invention of on-line browsers. A number of suppliers’ websites can be brought up on screen and prices and other aspects can be considered in slow time and without being bothered. Where are the marketing opportunities in that?

Is there no way of finding out what they are interested in and engaging in a little bit of bargaining?

You web site host will be able to provide you with details of hits and the number of people viewing specific pages and items. This will be of considerable use to you as if hundreds of browsers examined your epicyclic trunion and none bought then you should, perhaps, review your pricing. But you can go further.

Quality email marketing software will be able to tell you what those on your email list viewed. If they brought up a number of pages of mobile tracking devices, studied them at length and then did not buy, you might want to chase up a possible sale.

Why not send them a marketing email with your offer of just such an item at a price that might convince them to buy?

You will have stolen a march on your competitors by being able to do what sales staff do in a shop. You are negotiating. Further there is no interruption, no irritation, nothing forceful that might put them off. In fact they might well feel relieved.

They might believe in coincidence, whilst you believe in email marketing software.