Sell More by Getting in your Customer's Head
As business people, we need to have as much clarity as possible about how and why our customers choose to buy from us.
Since we're all consumers, we should be able to recognize and identify with the Buying Decision Process on a personal level.
If you can isolate the specific reasons you buy products or services - whether it's status associated with a brand, analysis of a specific product benefit, or your relationship with a salesperson - you will be more in touch with what can strongly influence your potential customers to buy from you.
Smart companies really want to understand their target consumer's complete decision experience. They want to know how their customers came to learn about their product to begin with, specifically why they chose it, how they use it, and even how they dispose of it.
Getting answers to the core reasons why someone buys, provides incredibly valuable information.
Consumers pass through 5 distinct stages in the Buying Decision Process:
1. Problem Recognition
2. Information Search
3. Evaluation of Alternatives
4. Purchase Decision
5. Post-Purchase Behavior
The way people make buying decisions depends, of course, on the complexity of the problems they are trying to solve and the complexity of each step in the decision process.
The time span of the buying process could be years or 3 minutes, depending on the product. And of course, our different personality styles contribute to how much detailed analysis we do, how quickly we buy, whether we are driven by emotions, data, salespeople, etc.
The next time you make a substantial buying decision, become aware of the thoughts and feelings you experience as you go through each of these stages.
1. Problem Recognition: You know this feeling. You see a problem or feel a need. Maybe it's as simple as feeling sleepy and wanting a cup of coffee. This would be an internal stimulus. Or perhaps your problem recognition comes from an external stimulus. You see a commercial for the newest model of your favorite luxury car, and all of a sudden the car you currently own loses favor.
2. Information Search: Once you believe that you have a valid problem or need, you want to investigate further. You have what's called heightened attention. This is characterized as openness to receiving information about a product or service. Later you move into active search, where you proactively visit stores or surf the web to learn about a product. Maybe you ask family or friends about a particular service you're considering.
3. Evaluation of Alternatives: This is the stage where you look at competitive companies or brands and make judgments about them. Most buyers consider several factors about a product that's most important to them. If you're buying a laptop computer, for example, you might be most concerned with its memory, size, price, and local service options. You eventually form a preference among a couple different brands you're considering or among a couple models within your favorite brand.
4. Purchase Decision: After you have some preferences in mind, what triggers your final purchase decision? This is a really important point in the buying process. It's a complex period because there are 2 sub-stages to the Purchase Decision stage:
a. Purchase Intention
Laura Adams is the host of the popular MBA Working Girl Podcast. The content combines brainy business school theory with real-world business practice from her career as a business owner, manager, consultant and trainer. Subscribe for FREE to this top-rated show and get the useful MBA Essential Tip at
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