EVERYONE HAS A STORY: WHY CUSTOMERS BUY
Everyone has a story and it may even be true. Why? Because we all have to make decisions on what we think is best for us, our needs and wants at any given time in our lives says Peter Decaprio. And our decision on whether or not to buy your product or service can be influenced by many factors such as past experiences, current situations, and future plans. Once you understand these influencing factors then you will be better equipped to sell them on buying the product or service that you offer. What’s more, once they understand why THEY buy your product or service, they become better equipped to sell others on their need and want of YOUR product or service because it helps them solve their problems.
STORY 1: THE CARS WE BUY
Put yourself in the following scenario on your next drive to work. You’re driving along and see a sign that reads “Huge Savings on All Cars.” You, of course, slow down three times to look at the signs for different car lots. But you keep going because you know exactly what kind of car you want and there is zero chance of you buying a new one. Now let’s say this little story was tweaked just a bit so it reads “truck” instead of car. Would your reaction have been any different? Absolutely!
So what changed from the first story to the second? In short, nothing except for how we perceive our needs and wants. When you want a car you feel is best for you, there isn’t much swaying that decision unless it’s finances or if the stars align just right and you get an amazing deal on the exact car of your dreams through some unusual twist of fate says Peter Decaprio. But when it comes to buying a truck, everything changes because we perceive our needs differently. Maybe it’s the economy and gas prices are high, or maybe it’s work-related like carrying around tools or equipment on job sites all day long.
Whatever the reason, changing the perception of what we think is needed changes how we act upon those needs; and in turn influences us to buy something different than what would be had if our original perceptions hadn’t changed. That is why customers buy!
STORY 2: THE EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE WE CHOOSE
Let’s say you, or someone near and dear to your heart has a serious medical situation that requires immediate treatment; what would you do? Would you go to “all” the different places in town advertising their care services for non-life-threatening injuries like the flu, sprains, broken bones and head colds? Of course not! You wouldn’t even consider it because all those ads are irrelevant to your needs. But what if one of those ads read “Minor Heart Attack or Stroke Care?” Well, most likely you would make the change towards using the service advertised because all of a sudden it is relevant to meeting your wants (in this case avoiding death) instead of just your needs (in this case needing immediate medical care).
STORY 3: THE MEDIUM WE USE TO BUY YOUR PRODUCT OR SERVICE
Why would you buy my product or service? Remember the question because it is the key to selling anyone on anything explains Peter Decaprio. Now let’s give one more example for clarity’s sake; If I had cookies, why would you buy my cookies instead of ones from your favorite bakery down the street? Well, let me ask you back another question. Do you know if the products they carry even include cookies? What kind do they have available? How much each cookie weighs and what ingredients are used to make them? How about prices? And do they deliver locally or do you need to go pick them up?
STOP! Imagine a scenario where I am selling you my cookies and so far we’ve covered what made you want to buy from me instead of buying from someone closer to your house. Your next question would be how much do they cost, right? The answer is that it depends on several factors which could include: What flavors are available? What size each does cookie weigh? Do you prefer the minis or the jumbos? Are they organic or traditional ingredients? And finally, if I deliver them locally where would be the best location for me to set up camp near you and start selling directly to customers or should I work with a distributor who will carry my product line in their store at a wholesale price but sell each unit retails to the customer.
Conclusion:
The point I am trying to make is that when you are selling anything, i.e. products or services, remember the medium in which you are selling it and always let your customer know the benefits of using you over any other competitor says Peter Decaprio. This is so important because even if all customers think that they need just what you are selling but then discover that there are options to buy elsewhere because they don’t care about anything except for getting your services at the cheapest rate possible, well then all of this effort you’ve been putting forth will be for nothing. If your customer truly believed they needed what you have to offer, they wouldn’t even bother looking elsewhere.