Don The Idea Guy
Ideas that mean business... and MORE business!
  • Home
  • Brainstorming
  • Speaking
  • About DTIG
    • Interviews
  • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosures and Disclaimers
  • Get Free Ideas
buying decisions

Buying Decisions

Don The Idea Guy June 11, 2020

Do you know why your customers buy stuff from you?
Do you know why you buy stuff from other people?

Most people will begin to answer this question by referring to psychologist Abraham Mazlow’s Hierarchy of Needs, affirming that any buying decisions can be explained by the levels within Mazlow’s pyramid of human needs.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs impacts Buying Decisions
Image use licensed under Creative Commons.

At the widest basic needs level people will buy water because they’re thirsty — but they may decide to buy La Croix sparkling water because mentally they may be in the middle of the pyramid and seeking a feeling of belonging or friendship and buy this popular beverage brand because it will help them fit in with everyone else.

That middle area of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is where I think most of the buying decisions are made.

There may be a real physiological need (the wide base of the pyramid), there may be a desire to achieve one’s potential (the narrow top of the pyramid), but the emotional need to connect with other people and to feel like you belong to a group (the middle of the pyramid) is where I think that emotional decision to buy is confirmed.

When I first got started in sales I recall one sales trainer saying that people will almost always buy based on emotional reasons and then use logic to justify the decision. Fast-forward 30-some years later I have to say that it’s a statement that has held true in my experience.

I decided to buy yellow chucksFrankly, I catch myself doing the exact same thing on most of my own purchases. I needed new shoes — that’s a safety and security need I can logically justify. But did I need bright yellow Chuck’s? That feels more like an esteem or prestige need if I’m going to be honest about it.

How do you position your product or service in regard to your customers?

Is it a must-have or a nice-to-have?
Where does owning it fall on a personal Hierarchy of Needs?

There is nothing wrong if what you sell sits in the top half of the pyramid, especially if you’re focused on attracting the type of customers who have the money to invest in things that make them feel better about themselves and their personal potential — but I’ll bet you can make them feel better about their buying decisions if there is a nugget of logical affirmation built into your product/service that will help your customer justify their investment with the more fundamental needs of safety, security, food, shelter, and rest.

 

Care to share?

  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
Every Problem Is A Marketing Problem Will You Achieve Your Goals? (Don’t Ask Me, I Don’t Know!)

Related Posts

the end

Insight, Inspiration/

The End.

This is the end of my blog posts. It’s been a good run. It has been rewarding for me and I hope you’ve found some information of value buried amongst the poor self-editing and (probably) way too many words used to attempt an explanation of my ideas. I made a commitment to myself at the […]

Care to share?

  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
opportunities

Insight/

Job Duties vs. Opportunities

“That’s not my job.” I’ve heard this phrase uttered way too much in the workplace during my career. The sentence is usually being shot off like a gun intended to blast anyone else in the vicinity of the person’s ire. People tend to have a narrow view of what their job duties entail, and they […]

Care to share?

  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
don't lose your head

Ideas, Insight, Rant/

Don’t Lose Your Head

There are people who drive you absolutely bonkers (I feel your pain), and make you lose your cool at work. They don’t “do the work” and expect other people to cover for them, they’re constantly running their mouths all day instead of actually doing their work, they play their music through speakers instead of ear […]

Care to share?

  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)


What kinds of ideas are you looking for?

Better Questions = Better Ideas

BUY 100-Whats of Creativity

Cool Stuff For You

dragapp


Recent Articles

  • The End.
  • Job Duties vs. Opportunities
  • Don’t Lose Your Head
  • More Fuel For The Tank
  • Don’t Make It Complicated

Categories

  • Featured
  • Ideas
  • Innovation
  • Insight
  • Inspiration
  • Rant
  • ThinkLinks
  • Uncategorized

Archives

Tags

action advertising attitude book brainstorming business creativity curiosity customer customer loyalty customers DTIG gitomer goals Ideas Innovation Insight Inspiration kickstart leadership links loyalty marketing media money motivation networking persuasion podcast productivity products projects Rant revenue sales selling service social media speaking success trends web work writing zombies

Idea Guy Projects

  • Big Yellow Sticky
  • Find Your Fries
  • SalesToys
  • Stop Selling At Me!
  • Super Action League

Let’s Connect

Another unusually creative project from Don The Idea Guy
© 2020 - All rights reserved. Do not use content without permission.
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.