Where is Your Customer in the Buying Cycle?
Where is Your Customer in the Buying Cycle?
Research Mode
Some customers are just researching a product or service. They are not planning to buy or make the decision for weeks or months if they decide to buy at all and are just trying to gather as much information as they can. You have to provide as much information as you can to these customers to convince them of your product or service as a concept. The first sale is to convince them that they do need your type of product or service ie: foot cream rather then your specific product ie: Joe’s Herbal Foot Cream. You should also try to get them onto your email or follow up list because if you are unable to follow up with this customer, they may forget about you when they are finally ready to make their purchase. Special offers do not usually work on customers in this stage.
Analysis & Comparison Mode
At this stage the customer has now decided that they do need your product or service and they now need to know why you are different from your competition. At this stage they are interested in the features and benefits that you offer. Your unique selling proposition is important to the customer at this stage of the buying cycle. The easier you make it to compare your product with others the more likely your customer is to go with your offering.
Buying Mode
At this stage the customer is buying your product. Whether online, a phone order, or in your store they are going out to buy the product. They have typically made the decision of what they want to purchase and are now going through the process of making that purchase. This does not mean that they will buy what they intended as you are still able to convince them that they need something else at this stage. Special offers are a great way to convince them of using a different product or service.
Post Buying Mode
After the customer has made the purchase they are still occasionally not sure if they have made the right decision. With good return policies and up sell or future selling potential it is important to not ignore the customer at this stage. This is when you should firm up the relationship to ensure that you keep them a satisfied customer. At this stage buyers remorse can set in and if the customer believes they didn’t make a good decision then you will not receive future business from this customer.
Emergency Mode
The emergency stage is for the products or services that are passed due and should have already been purchased. If the need for the product is so desperate, as long as you meet the minimum criteria, the customer will make the purchase. This stage is the easiest stage to sell to a customer but does not occur in every industry.
Where is Your Customer in the Buying Cycle - To learn more about this author, visit Max Kalles's Website.
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There are several different stages that a customer can be at when making a buying decision. Because of the nature of the internet, it has now become one of the first sources that customers turn to and thus attracts customers at all stages. It is important to understand what stage an individual is in, so that you can provide them with the necessary information to becoming a customer.
Research Mode
Some customers are just researching a product or service. They are not planning to buy or make the decision for weeks or months if they decide to buy at all and are just trying to gather as much information as they can. You have to provide as much information as you can to these customers to convince them of your product or service as a concept. The first sale is to convince them that they do need your type of product or service ie: foot cream rather then your specific product ie: Joe’s Herbal Foot Cream. You should also try to get them onto your email or follow up list because if you are unable to follow up with this customer, they may forget about you when they are finally ready to make their purchase. Special offers do not usually work on customers in this stage.
Analysis & Comparison Mode
At this stage the customer has now decided that they do need your product or service and they now need to know why you are different from your competition. At this stage they are interested in the features and benefits that you offer. Your unique selling proposition is important to the customer at this stage of the buying cycle. The easier you make it to compare your product with others the more likely your customer is to go with your offering.
Buying Mode
At this stage the customer is buying your product. Whether online, a phone order, or in your store they are going out to buy the product. They have typically made the decision of what they want to purchase and are now going through the process of making that purchase. This does not mean that they will buy what they intended as you are still able to convince them that they need something else at this stage. Special offers are a great way to convince them of using a different product or service.
Post Buying Mode
After the customer has made the purchase they are still occasionally not sure if they have made the right decision. With good return policies and up sell or future selling potential it is important to not ignore the customer at this stage. This is when you should firm up the relationship to ensure that you keep them a satisfied customer. At this stage buyers remorse can set in and if the customer believes they didn’t make a good decision then you will not receive future business from this customer.
Emergency Mode
The emergency stage is for the products or services that are passed due and should have already been purchased. If the need for the product is so desperate, as long as you meet the minimum criteria, the customer will make the purchase. This stage is the easiest stage to sell to a customer but does not occur in every industry.
Where is Your Customer in the Buying Cycle - To learn more about this author, visit Max Kalles's Website.
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Staging DivaDebra Gould, aka The Staging Diva®, is President of Six Elements Inc., an internationally recognized home staging company. Inspired by many requests from aspiring home stagers wanting to start similar businesses, Gould created the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program. Gould has trained over 1000 Staging Diva Graduates worldwide to start staging businesses. Buying decorating and selling six of her own homes in four years lead to an interest in real estate staging which she turned into a career with the launch of sixelements.com in 2002. Since then she has staged hundreds of homes in addition to teaching home staging training. Gould is the author of several home staging resources including a series of popular ebooks made up of a Design Guide, Color Guide and Portfolio Guide. For more information about Debra Gould visit stagingdiva.com. - Visit Staging Diva's Website |
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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