Decisions, decisions… marketing is all about helping customers make better decisions

Every day, we make decisions. Some decision are big, such as the person we are going to marry.  Others are seemingly small such as what to have for breakfast.

“What!  Donuts in the break room AGAIN!  Well, don’t mind if I do!”

Isn’t it amazing how a series of seemingly small decisions can suddenly add up to a lot!

“Hey!  My sweat pants still fit.  Why can’t I zip up my jeans this morning?”

We make hundreds of decisions every day.  When we don’t need a lot of information to make a decision, it’s usually because the end result isn’t WORTHY of a lot of introspection.  When we make a decision to purchase products and services without needing a lot of information, those are known as “Minor Sales”.

When the end result is more important, and the decision is worth the investment of time on the potential customer’s part… those are known as “Major Sales”.

For example, when the alarm went off this morning, you made a decision. You could either jump out of bed, or you could choose to hit snooze for another few minutes of sweet, sweet slumber. At that moment, your decision whether or not to hit the snooze button is based on the information available to you at the moment. If you set your alarm to go off a full 45 minutes before you absolutely have to be up and moving, you can feel relatively confident that hitting the snooze button once or twice won’t do much harm… until that fateful morning when you’re unexpectedly confronted with an unanticipated delay. From lost keys to an accident on the freeway, there are a thousand unexpected variables that can affect whether hitting the snooze button this morning is a good idea.  However, the REAL key in accurately access whether hitting the snooze button this morning lies more in the potential end result rather than the variables which may affect whether you’re late to work or not.

If your boss has issued the ultimatum “If you’re late one more time, you’re fired!” then the decision to hit the snooze button takes on increased significance.  If yours is a more relaxed work environment, then hitting the snooze button is a relatively minor decision to make.

Most days in most situations, the decision whether or not you hit the snooze button on the alarm isn’t an important one. It’s one of a hundred small decisions you’ll make without too much thought.

However, there are other decisions that deserve greater attention.   The importance of these decisions is a direct result of the impact they will have on our lives.  When it comes to these important decisions, the more we know about the factors and variables that affect the end result, the better our decision making process will be.

This is why potential CUSTOMERS need LOTS of information about certain products but not others.

It’s important to keep in mind that as you’re creating your marketing/advertising messages that your potential CUSTOMERS are faced with decisions of their own. Advertising/marketing/ web sites are all about providing the information potential clients and customers need to make better decisions.

Which is why, I ADORE blogs as the “web site of choice” for most independent service professionals.  Because many times, your potential customers need LOTS of information about you before they decide to do business with you.

• The CPA’s potential clients need to know the he/she really DOES know the tax code and its implications for the their business.
• The Chiropractor’s potential clients need to know that he/she really DOES know the cause of the symptoms of pain and really can provide treatment which relieves the pain.
• TheRealtor’s potential clients need to know that he/she really IS looking out for their best interests.

How will this person’s services help me?

• Will I find myself in the middle of a messy IRS audit if I use this CPA?

• Will I find myself in worse pain than I was before if I allow this guy to crack my back?

• Will I find myself being pressured to buy the “wrong” house if I use this Realtor?

A blog helps you to communicate with people who are your potential customers.  Through your blog posts, you should seek to answer those unasked questions on their mind.

The thing about blog posts is that, done correctly, they provide a window through which potential clients/customers can observe.  That’s why I write about some of the “horror stories” I’ve come across in my practice.  It helps me to point out to my own clients how well they are being taken care of while allowing potential clients to see what it’s like being a part of my “flock”.