Understanding Buyer Psychology
Why do people buy some things but not others. The answer is - complicated. It seems like understanding how buyers think and what drives their decisions is a bit of an art, really.
Some people are evidently so naturally good at reading people that they can almost predict whether a sale will close or not, while others have to learn it the hard way. In my experience as a fashion sales professional, buyer behaviour always depends on the context, even when they’re trying to solve the same problem or meet the same need. The way I see it, there might be similarities that make buying certain things seem predictable, but buyer behaviour is rarely ever universal.
Knowing why your customers buy, what they really care about, and how they evaluate their options before making a decision can help you tweak your sales pitch in ways that position your offering as something that solves their need. It’s true that customers won’t always know what they want or need from you - and it’s fairly normal for them to hesitate with a bunch of different brands trying to get their attention. At the same time, it’s crucial for you (or your sales team) to present information in a way that’s clear and easy to understand while also being helpful and supportive enough for them to make sense of it all without feeling pressured.
The key thing I’ve noticed here is that this can only work if you’ve established trust before pitching something. And since trust takes some time to build, it helps when you educate buyers about the solutions available in the market and reassure them about the choice they’re making by picking your brand over others. For anyone who wants to close more sales faster without feeling like you’re manipulating buyers into making decisions, prioritising meaningful engagement over clever marketing strategies would be my best recommendation.
More or less.
Building Trust and Credibility
How do you build trust in a world where everyone is a little bit suspicious. Everyone wants to be the good guy in the sales game, but are we. I suppose to build trust and credibility in sales, you need to start by being trustworthy and credible. And often, that’s about doing what you say you’re going to do.
If you make an appointment or say you will call them at 3 o’clock, make sure you do it - it’s these small acts of truth-telling that add up to people knowing they can rely on you. To build trust with buyers, you have to understand their emotional state as well as their needs. Sort of.
Empathy goes a long way. Put yourself in their shoes - when they’re making their decision, they need to believe in the product and the person who is selling it. Show them the testimonials and other real reviews from your customers so they can see social proof of what it is you’re selling. You can build further credibility by referencing your experience and knowledge but do this with humility - if your buyer sees you as a teacher, then they are more likely to learn from you and trust your judgment.
By providing value throughout your sales presentation (rather than using hard closing techniques), your client will value what you have to say and come to trust what you offer.
Leveraging Social Proof
Could it be true that most people want what other people have. The way I see it, social proof is slightly simply the psychological force behind the desire to follow the herd or the trend, and you can harness this force of people when selling to potential customers. Even online, people can tell if you are making up stories or just trying to sell them something.
Seems Like it’s important to keep your social proof honest. Consider all the possible forms of social proof, such as testimonials from your happy customers, case studies about how people are using your product or service and getting positive results, and online reviews in the hundreds on sites such as Google, Facebook, Amazon, Yelp, TripAdvisor, and more. But if you’re a new business just starting out and you haven’t received any of these yet, don’t panic.
You can use social proof of other sorts for now. For instance, think about quoting statistics from reports in your industry or from around the world that are relatively relevant to your business.
This gives you credibility as an expert in your field. Share video testimonials from customers who share similar values as your brand – this is social proof from people that your target audience will relate to. Making room for social proof in your sales strategy can help convert those leads into happy customers.
This is because you are showing them proof that there’s value in what you offer.
Creating Urgency and Scarcity
I Doubt what happens when you miss a sale because the buyer took too long to think. Sometimes there’s a genuine reason - maybe they were feeling pressured or weren’t sure about what they wanted. And sometimes they just didn’t sense enough urgency to buy from you.
You know how you always want to feel like you’re getting something exclusive when shopping. The same goes for your buyers. You don’t need to be manipulative or go around saying 'limited edition' or 'one day only' all the time. That said, a little clarity about how rare (or not) your product is does help buyers take that next step faster.
I read somewhere that adding countdown timers and stock alerts is quite effective in e-commerce but it’s different if you’re selling physical products in person. In that case, sending alerts on WhatsApp or text can be quite helpful. Not everyone reads emails and Instagram Stories vanish after 24 hours, so texts work best when the offer is only valid for 2-3 days at most.
If you’re offering some sort of promo or special discount, try keeping it short and simple so potential buyers don’t get tired of waiting for prices to drop even further. A lot of people buy on impulse but it does seem like more and more shoppers are looking for discounts at least once before purchasing a product. Doesn’t make them cheap - cost-of-living crisis and all that - but do make sure your discounted pricing strategy isn’t making it hard for people who’d pay full price if they could buy later.
Simplifying the Decision-Making Process
Ever wondered why you still have those pair of pants sitting in your cart for months. That’s because decision making is nearly always much harder than it appears to be. When it comes to buying, one wants to make sure that they get the best of everything - quality, design and price. And with all these demands, a good business's job is to simplify this process.
By reducing information overload and presenting clear options, buyers can make quick decisions about what they want, how they want it and when. Instead of bombarding them with fifty different colours and options, opt for a minimal set of alternatives for them to choose from. Not only does this allow customers the time and space to think about their purchase, but also speeds up the checkout process.
It doesn’t stop there though. One must also ensure that their payment gateway options are clean and straightforward so that there’s no confusion at the end of the buyer's journey. A great way to do this is by displaying badges on your website or store that shows which payment method you use so customers know exactly what to expect when checking out. Perhaps one of the most important ways to ease your buyer's decision making process is evidently by providing transparency about your products or services.
This instills confidence in a consumer as they know exactly what they’re buying without any smoke or mirrors involved.
Following Up Effectively
Strikes Me As do you remember being really interested in something, then forgetting about it after a few days because nobody asked you about it again. Well, when you're selling to someone, no matter how interested they seem during the sales pitch, chances are that the moment has passed for them by the end of your conversation. It can feel tedious or awkward to follow up but, if you’re serious about winning them over, you’ll have to do it. Following up after a meeting or sales call not only shows them that you’re serious about working with them but also helps build trust and a genuine relationship.
And if a client feels like they can trust you and the business you represent, they’ll be more open to taking action on your offer. Now, this is where things get tricky. Because unless your customer seems genuinely excited and ready to jump on board immediately, there’s no way of knowing how many times is enough and how many times is too much when following up with a lead. The way I see it, to add to this confusion is the fact that people are distracted with work and responsibilities all day long and just going about their daily routines will leave them with little time to get back.
If you've had two or three previous conversations and things look promising, make sure you have a closing timeline in place. This will include how often you'll follow up with your lead (it could be every two days or once every week). It seems like the point here is not to push so hard that your customer feels overwhelmed but also not be so casual that they lose interest. Once you've laid down the ground rules for follow-up emails or calls, it's important to make every interaction personal.
Send out reminders if they don't respond within your pre-decided timeframe but make sure these reminders don't sound generic or robotic. Instead of reminding them of deadlines or offers on the table every time you reach out, check in on them as people who're trying to solve a problem they have. Ask if they're having difficulties with anything relating to your project and assure them that you're there to answer questions and support their decision-making process.