The palace of intrigue in buying behavior
Look at some of the last offers that made you buy. What was included? What were the one or two things about it that set you into buy-now mode? What was it the seller said or did that really convinced you that you were getting a good deal? That there was far more value in excess of what he was asking for? Was it the on-going training? The coaching? Was it something else? What caused you to pull the trigger and buy?
While we’ve covered this before, people buy to feel good, to solve a problem or both. They also buy for status. We’re always looking to increase our status within the group. If you can position what you sell as a status boost, you’ll sell more units. The last time you bought, you may have bought for one of these reasons. We not only buy for how we perceive ourselves. We buy for how we wish to be perceived. What type of person do you wish to be perceived as? Your purchases and those of your customers will follow accordingly. This is why it is important to always have a loftier status among the stuff you sell. Include tiers: good, better, best. You should include pricing tiers because around 20% of the people will always buy the top priced one. They buy this one because that is how they perceive themselves: to always buy the top products for themselves. Some people always want to buy the best. You should have something to sell to these people.
Look at how you buy. Look at your last 5 purchases. Analyze them. Why do you think you bought those items? Did you solve a problem? Did you enhance your status among the group? Did you just want to feel good about buying something? Did you look to impress your friends or family? Did you look to impress yourself? Was there something more there?
The tough thing about analyzing buying behavior is that much of it is unconscious. We do not think about the things we buy — we simply buy. We don’t think much about the groceries we buy, the household bills we pay, the cars we drive, the clothes we wear, the vacations we take, even the retirement accounts we save for. We just buy them all without much thought. I challenge you to think more about them, think of the true reasons why you buy. What is it that motivates you to do so? What is behind these purchases? You’ll become a better salesperson and marketer by knowing your reasons, and those of your prospects and customers. Buying motives are powerful factors. Learn them and know them and use them to sell more.
Always offer more value than what the prospect expects. Your offers should be so good that you can hit them over the head with it just to get them to say Yes. Make them as compelling as possible. Give them those bonuses. Give them that free training. Give them the cheat sheets and the shortcuts. Give them everything you think they’ll need in order to be successful.
