Three Reasons Why People Buy
Sure, it’s important for sales professionals to learn how to sell by building up competencies in various areas. These include interpersonal communications, active listening, problem solving, time management and follow-up skills, just to name a few. However, these skills need to be laid on a foundation based on the understanding of the reasons why people buy. This discussion is relevant whether you’re a business-to-consumer or a business-to-business organization. After all, in both cases, sales professionals are dealing with individuals who are also trying to satisfy individual needs.
There are many reasons why people buy. The following three are a good start:
1. Want To Be Well Liked/Need To Impress – I don’t know who the Joneses are, but it seems everybody wants to keep up with them. People will buy a product because they believe it will be favorable to their social status and reputation. So, when it comes to promoting your product, make sure that you emphasize how its features add up to setting the customer apart from the crowd.
2. Seek Personal Pleasure/Desire To Own – It’s about the experience and the feeling that come with making a purchase. This can be for personal enrichment, or it can be for bringing joy to loved ones. So, engage with your customers in order to figure out what their ideal buying experience might be. Effective customer buying experience design starts with the following question: “How would you like us to sell to you?”
3. Have a Desired Outcome – When it comes down to it, there are two possible desired outcomes from a purchase: to increase pleasure or to decrease pain. Customers have a need, and they want to be certain that your product is the solution. So, as sales professionals, be specific about the benefits. More importantly, make sure to deliver on your promises.
Your marketing message needs to be compelling enough to move people to action. This would be difficult without understanding the many motivations that drive people to buy. Only when you address these “purchase drivers” will you be able to educate your customers that you’ve got exactly what they want.
