Recall the last time you made a
purchase of a product or service. You probably examined all of the available
choices, decided on one, paid for it, and then went on your happy way. Most of
our purchasing events aren’t overly memorable to us, yet, they actually involve
many progressive stages that are often misunderstood or simply never thought of
during the process. To understand how your customers are becoming aware of your
products/services, and making the decision to purchase them, we must study the
psychology of this behavior.
It doesn’t take spending thousands
of dollars –or- tens of thousands of dollars on consumer marketing analytical
reports to understand consumer behavior. Don’t be misled. Instead, you already
have the information, you just need to learn how to unlock and understand that
knowledge. Remember, we are all considered customers and consumers of each
other. Customers are consumers, and consumers are customers. We all have been
thoroughly trained in the art of consumer behavior
because we are the consumers.
What you do before, during and after
a purchase is probably very similar to how others do it as well. Do you
purchase things that you absolutely do not like? Probably not, so why would
others? We are not that different from each other after-all. In fact, the one thing that binds people together is the
cultures that surround them. A person buying a soda-pop in New Mexico will most
likely experience nearly the same results as a person buying that soda-pop in
Maine, except for the distinct weather differences of course. The internet has
converged our experiences, even more,
bringing us even closer no matter where we are in the world. A purchase from
Amazon will be the same experience for a person in Australia as it is for a
person in Canada. But, understanding the basics of consumer behavior will
provide you with the ability to further apply more strategic measures to
influence consumers towards your products and services.
Before you make a purchase of
something, what is the very first thing you must have besides the money to pay
for it? You probably said a need or a want of the thing, right? Yet, before
developing a need, you must know that the thing exists. How well you know about
a product or service will determine your need for it. Better yet, it isn’t
entirely the need of something that draws you to it, it also depends on having
the interest to have it, and the expectations of getting it. How many times
have you waited and waited for a new product to come out, you probably didn’t even
need, but yet, your expectations of it prompted you to desire it. Expectations
can also be viewed another way. For instance; you purchase a new Jeep Wrangler,
but now, and because everyone else has mud tires, roll bars, and a winch on
theirs, you have created an expectation for yourself to go out and add those
bells & whistles to your new Jeep as well.
In order to develop the need, an interest
or an expectation of something, consumers must be aware that it exists. This
means that awareness of your product/services is a big deal. How can anyone be
stimulated to purchase your product/service if they do not know about it? In
creating awareness we have many tools to choose from, such as marketing, advertisement, and word-of-mouth.
Your message must be clear and memorable for the consumer. For it takes more
than one message to create a memory of
something. Once the consumer has developed the awareness, they can begin to
develop their perception of your product/service. Perception is a combined
sense of what they believe to be true of your product/service, so make sure
your messages are educational and true. Consumer’s perception turns into
emotions that either motivates them to purchase your product/service, or not.
One thing that makes complete sense to
further aid you in learning about consumer behavior is to keep a journal of
your own purchasing experiences and thoughts. The next time you decide to make
a purchase, record your every thought and experiences before, during, and after the event. You can
learn a lot from yourself, which also will give you a good reference of what
other consumers experience as well.
For
more information or to develop your personal public relations campaign plans:
Contact:
Outstory Public Relations Group
A
Modern Public Relations Agency
Solving
Problems, Changing Attitudes, and Creating Understanding
It is
by design that Outstory PR Group “Protects Interests.”
Where
others see a Problem – We simply see Opportunity!
Outstory
PR Group solves business and public relations problems. We serve organizations
of for-profit, non-profit, governmental authority, and well-known persons.
Do
you have a problem? Who’s in your corner?
We develop and manage creative problem-solving
campaigns for businesses small and large, both nationally and globally.
Anywhere, Anytime.
Call Outstory PR Group Today: 704-904-3078
Website: http://outstoryprgorup.com
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