People don’t buy products and services. I hope I have your attention.
I bet you are like, “People don’t buy products and services? Then what the heck do they buy?”
People buy emotional states and identity. And then they justify with logic.
Join our Community of Peaceful Living Wellness Warriors
and receive a special free gift:
Our Top 5 Tips for Peaceful Living
Let me ask you this. Do you think that people who buy Louis Vuitton buy it because it is the most functional and durable bag in the world? No. They buy Louis Vuitton for the way it makes them feel when they carry it, when other people see them carry it. They might stand a little taller when carrying one. They might feel part of a certain group when they carry one. They might feel accomplished or more significant when they carry one. And they’ve earned the right to carry one, damn it! (That’s the logical justification.)
Same goes for people who are always looking for a bargain. Yes, that behavior saves money but that’s not all that they care about. They might be looking for a bargain because it makes them feel more responsible. Or that they are a better boss or parent because they are setting a good example. Maybe it makes them feel they are doing their part to contribute to their financial future through being frugal now. Maybe their daily discipline in this area is a huge sense of pride for them and makes them feel significant. “I spend like no one else now so I can spend like no one else later.” (That’s the logical justification.)
And you know this to be true. Think about the last time you purchased something you really wanted. What made you buy it? What were your emotional reasons for buying it and how did you justify it with logic? What was the last thing you really wanted but didn’t buy? What didn’t you buy it? Did you feel a disconnect between the emotions and identity you wanted from it and what it was able to provide? Were you not able to support the purchase with a good enough logical reason?
Related Post: Entrepreneur Hub: Building a Culture of Execution
What does that mean for you as a business owner or sales person? It means you must become a master of persuasion. Persuasion is the process of getting your customers to clearly associate their most desired emotional states and identities to your product or service. When people buy for their own reasons, they are more likely to follow through. And you don’t have to sell them on it. You are just making the connection between what you offer and the emotional states and identities they want to experience.
This means you have to know who your target audience is in general. What are the emotional states that are important to them? What identities resonate with them?
This is especially important if you are driving people to your website because your website acts as your primary sales person.
How do you figure this out? By building rapport with your audience. To create long-term impact, you must show people that you care about them, that you have their interests in mind, and that you are like them.
When you have rapport, you can find out which emotional states and identities are most important to them through questions. Asking questions is the most powerful tool for persuading people. When you understand what people believe and how they make decisions, all you have to do is show them that buying your product or service is consistent with those beliefs.
Go ahead and create 5 – 10 empowering questions you can use to figure out what’s really going on in their heads, what their real motivations are, their beliefs, and to get them involved. When you get them involved, they end up convincing themselves!
Then listen. Really listen to what they have to say. That’s how they see, hear, and feel that you really care and that you have their best interests in mind.
When you understand that people don’t buy products and services, you no longer have to sell. You simply become the guide for helping them achieve the emotional states and identities they desire most.
STACY OLDFIELD
After nearly 25 years in Corporate America, Stacy launched Minerva Management Partners as a way to combine those years of business experience with her life coaching certification and love for coaching women. Minerva Management Partners is a business coaching practice designed to support women entrepreneurs committed to launching and growing their business. Also, as a Results Coach with Robbins Research International, Stacy helps business women to focus their ideas and efforts and holds them accountable for achieving their goals. Whether it’s helping women discover creative solutions to their business challenges, coaching them to be clear and decisive, or helping them see and take action on new opportunities, Stacy guides them to achieve the business and career results they are seeking. Stacy is also the creator of the Minerva 3-Day Networking Challenge and the Network Like a Boss Lady On-Demand training program. Stacy has been invited to speak to many audiences within South Carolina including the Center for Women, Women Entrepreneurs of Charleston, the Women of the Workforce program of the Naval Information Warfare Center (SPAWAR), Charleston Women in Business, Association of Fundraising Professionals, SCANPO, graduate classes at both The Citadel and the College of Charleston (CofC), and Leadership CofC. She currently serves as a mentor through the Women of Excellence Program at Xavier University and previously served on the Board of Directors for the Beautiful Gate Center and on the advisory board of the SC Women’s Business Center.
