What Are The Key Buying Motivations For Your Customers And Clients?

I’m sure you’ve heard the statement before “we buy on emotion, and justify the purchase logically”, but what are some of those emotional triggers that motivate our customers or clients to buy? There are many examples but let’s look at the Pen (I’m quite a collector of Pens so I understand the emotional attachment here). If I asked you, “What is the best pen?” most would say, “It has to be the Montblanc!”

But what is a pen and what function does it serve?

Simply it’s a writing instrument for applying ink to paper. Now let’s be brutally honest here, the Montblanc won’t impart a clearer or better message on your piece of paper than will a twenty cent mass produced hotel biro.

So, why does the price of a pen vary so much?

Answer: Some smart cookies at Montblanc in Germany way back in 1906 understood that marketing can influence the way people perceive the product and how they can also massage the motivations that cause people to want to buy. First thing they did was to change the name of the pen to fit their intentions of taking their price tag uptown big time!

Yep, the Montblanc (named after the highest peak in Europe, symbolising the highest quality) was originally known as a “Simplo”. Certainly no bragging rights to shout out, “I own a Simplo!” no matter how good the pen is.

Perhaps you’ve picked up a key fact here… EGO!

You see, at a base level, economic decisions are driven by Greed, Fear and Ego. Savvy marketers and salespeople know this and massage customer motivations accordingly. Here’s the point - It’s also vital for you to know the key buying motivation for your product or service.

  • Greed motivates us to select offerings that satisfy our wants at the lowest overall cost.
  • Fear motivates us to select offerings that have the lowest associated risks.
  • Ego motivates us to select offerings that express and support our own self identity.

Action time: Go through your main product lines or service. Which of these three motivations is paramount?

Now, once you’ve identified that, think long and hard about the questions you ask during the sales process, because when you ask the right questions that support the right motivation, you are certainly headed to hearing your cash registers go “ka-ching!”

Let’s look at the Montblanc example, which I’m sure we agree is an ego driven purchase – perhaps we should be asking questions like:

“Most people who visit us see the pen as a symbol of their success; may I show you a few selections that I know you will love?”

With that one question, we’ve moved away totally from the 20 cent biro that only works for about 300 words.

Whether I end up buying the Montblanc is still open for debate, but my perception has certainly been moved up the price scale! And my perception will be further massaged by the quality of the packaging, the trappings and trimmings plus the attention to detail, etc.

After all, successful selling is theatre and increasing the perceived value of your product or service is paramount to your success in business.

Cheers,
Yale Morgan
Better Business Group
1300711743

About Yale Morgan, SME Business development specialist

Yale heads up the Better Business Group (BBG), which, as a company has proven business development products and systems, that range from "Do It Yourself" products to fully systemised Business Coaching Programs.

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