How People Buy

Like many women, I’ll openly admit that I like to shop! However, it wasn’t until I started working at Neural Networks Concepts (NNC) that I truly understood what was behind my buying decisions and how crucial this process is for all salespeople to know.

Being a fairly rational and practical person it would be nice to say that my buying decisions are motivated by having a logical need.  But if you get right down to the nuts and bolts of it….they are purely emotional.  Let me give you a classic example on purchasing a pair of shoes.  I’m nowhere near Imelda Marcos, but I do have one side of my whole closet taken up with different types of shoes – thongs, sandals, high heels, sneakers, canvas casuals, boots....the list goes on.  Now if I was completely honest, I would have to admit that I probably only wear about five different pairs regularly.  In fact, I still have some new shoes hidden in there that I’ve never actually worn!  So what is it that compels me to keep buying them?

It’s more than just the logical features and benefits that many salespeople cling to.  It’s all a matter of understanding my emotional buying criteria at the time.  How much taller and more powerful will I feel?  Will my legs look longer and slimmer?  Will they look cute with that outfit?  How sexy and feminine do they make me feel?  Are they warm, supportive, comfortable etc. etc. etc…..? 

And where does price fit into the equation?  We may buy based on emotion, but we justify our decisions with logic, and this is what my husband hears when I get home carrying another shoebox under my arm; “They were half price…”, “I needed them for work…”, “They are good quality, so they’ll last me for ages…”  Realistically none of those rationales had anything to do with the underlying reason I bought the shoes. Sometimes we need that logic to get us over the line and to talk ourselves into (or out of) making that final decision.

So, if you’re working in a sales environment, stop flogging products based on features and benefits, expecting these to motivate everyone in the same way.  Spend time exploring what the emotional buying reasons of your customers are and you’re much more likely to have sales success.

If you’d like to know how NNC can help you or your organisation become more effective salespeople, call us on (03) 9555 7955 or email us.