Hersh Marketing

How the consumer buying decision process works

Audrey Sendrowski-Breuer — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 18:03:00 GMT

Question: What's the best way to know when to advertise?

            A. Intuition
            B. Use a crystal ball
            C. Understand the Consumer Buying Cycle

If you chose C, go to the head of the class. If not, don't worry. Most people don't know there is such a thing as a Consumer Buying Cycle. The Consumer Buying Cycle refers to the consumer buying decision process. And once you understand it, knowing when to advertise gets a lot easier.

Here's how the consumer buying decision process works:

The average Consumer Buying Cycle is about 120 days. That's for everyday purchases, not big ticket or luxury items like buying a house, a cruise vacation, or a ferrari. Those have a much longer buy cycle of months to years rather than days.

Consumers move through the 120 day cycle starting as a Future Buyer and ending as a Now Buyer. Future Buyers need to be motivated and persuaded to know and remember you. Because they haven't made up their mind about what they need or who they'll get it from, you have a chance to influence them. This is your window of opportunity for becoming Top of Mind. Trying to persuade them to consider you by the time they're a Now Buyer is pretty much an exercise in futility. The Now Buyer will identify those vendors or service providers they are familiar with or have already done business with. Thinking you can squeeze in with a great offer at the last minute and get noticed is a gamble and a good way to waste your ad budget. By the time they are close to the point of purchase, they're going to choose from a short list. Two, maybe three vendors.

Don't believe it? Ok, try this: when you're ready to go to lunch, how many places do you think of? Burger King or McDonald's. Pizza or Chinese. Subway or Applebee's. You don't think of six or seven or even four or five places to go. It's almost always between two or three choices. And they're always choices you are familiar with.

So if you want to sell something, you want to get on that list. But first, you have to get into the mind of the consumer before they're ready to buy.

You have to start talking to them when they are Future Buyers. BEFORE they become a Now Buyer.

If you haven't, chances are you won't be on the Now Buyer short list. Now matter what great offer you throw at them.

So the answer to the question, "When is the best time to advertise?" is: all the time.

Remember, people go where they know. Do they know you?

Best,

Audrey

Consumer buying behavior - when does your customer buy?

Audrey Sendrowski-Breuer — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 21:14:00 GMT

Quick, when is your customer ready to buy?

It's a trick question. Because the answer's not about when (Time)...it's about Who. And how they behave when it comes to buying.

Understanding Consumer Buying Behavior helps you understand how, why and when your customers buy. When your customer is ready to buy is based on who they are: a Now Buyer or a Future Buyer. Understanding them means the difference between success or failure (and wasting money) regarding your advertising.

Who are Now Buyers and Future Buyers?

Everyone of us is both a Now Buyer (NB) and a Future Buyer (FB).

The Now Buyer is already motivated and ready to buy. They've done their research and they are interested in one thing: information. They've made up their mind and just need to know what the best deal is and where to get it.

The NB wants information. Print is informational.

The Future Buyer needs motivation and isn't interested...right now. But they can be persuaded if you get in front of them before they become Now Buyers.

The FB needs motivation. Electronic media motivate and persuade. (Did you just get an "A-ha!" moment when it comes to advertising?)

Now Buyers and Future Buyers pay attention to your product or service very differently.

Running an ad to motivate a Future Buyer is a waste of time. If they don't need what you are offering right now, they won't pay attention to your ad. They won't even notice it. Don't believe me? Try this: if you read a newspaper this morning, watched tv, surfed the net or read a blog that contained links to other resources, name five ads/links you remember seeing, including what the ad/link was about. Chances are, you can't. And it's got nothing to do with faulty memory. The ad or two you do remember has everything to do with the fact that you were interested in the product or service in the first place. Which means you are a Now Buyer. If you didn't notice an ad, it's because you were a Future Buyer. And the ad was wasted money if it was intended to influence you, the FB.

Understanding the Now Buyer (NB) and the Future Buyer (FB) makes a big difference in how you advertise (what medium).

Use informational media (print and internet/your website) to reach the Now Buyer
Use electronic (radio and tv) and social media to motivate and persuade the Future Buyer

Now you understand more about Consumer Buying Behavior and how your advertising affects your customers. Understanding when you advertise is all about the Consumer Buying Cycle - or how the consumer buying decision process works.

That's our next blog.

Best,

Audrey

Understand the Consumer Mind - think like a customer

Audrey Sendrowski-Breuer — Tue, 31 May 2011 19:42:00 GMT

Wouldn't it be nice if we could read minds? We would know what people want without them ever having to directly tell us. What an advantage!

You may not be able to read your customer's mind, but you can gain the advantage if you understand the Consumer Mind. The Consumer Mind is a busy place. It's on information overload most of the time. You have about 3 and a half seconds to get its attention. And pretty much all it's interested in is the answer to these two questions:

Why should I listen to you?

What's in it for me?

The 'What' is pretty obvious - that's your offer, product or service. But more specifically, it's about how your offer, product or service will benefit them. Make their life easier. Simpler. Faster. Slower. Quieter. Fun. Adventurous. Richer.

You answer the 'What' not with what you are selling but what it will do for the customer once they have it.

The 'Why' may not be so obvious. Again, it's not about how great your offer is. It's about a compelling message. Something that stands out (addresses real problems) and gets their attention (offers real solutions). A compelling message is written with interesting, dynamic words. It isn't so careful and cautious not to offend anyone that it's boring. It has impact.

You answer the 'Why' with saying something different, unexpected, out of the ordinary that addresses the problem and offers the answer.

Remember: to get the Consumer Mind to pay attention to you, answer the all-consuming 'Why' and 'What'. Here's how:

Don't sound like everyone else (see next)
Pay attention to your competitors' messages - be different, not the same-old, same-old
Craft your compelling message - make it provocative, throw me off course, if you have to!
Use a thesaurus to get more dynamic versions of the words you want to use
Make sure you (potentially) fix my problem and make my life better

Next Consumer Mind blog will be about the Consumer Buying Cycle - when is the right time to advertise?

Good luck!

Audrey

Find out how well you connect to your customer...

photo source (consumer mind) http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=2155
photo source (what why...) http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=721

Blog or newsletter - which is a better marketing strategy?

Audrey Sendrowski-Breuer — Wed, 04 May 2011 00:54:00 GMT

Blog vs. Newsletters

Remember when newsletters were the rage? They're still around but more and more small business owners are opting for blogs over newsletters. Makes sense - blogs reach a wider audience, Google LOVES them, and you get known without having to jump through SEO hoops. That's because once you've written and published your article, most (if not all) blogging software tells the search engines that new content is ready to be indexed.

Blogging and writing newsletters are two important tools in an effective marketing strategy. They both help you get found, become a voice of authority, make an impression on the reader, and turn that reader into a lead or a customer.

What is "indexing"?

Indexing is a process where search engine indexers, or "spiders" crawl the web, looking for the search words/phrases a user typed into Google, Firefox, Safari, etc. They find relevant pages on your website or your blog and then remember the list of keywords/phrases that were found to find your content again when someone does a search using those keywords/phrases.

Blog software, like Wordpress, automatically notifys the search engines that new content is ready to be indexed the minute you publish your article. You don't have to be an SEO expert or lift a finger (except to hit the "Publish" button).

Newsletters only reach a select audience.

There's nothing wrong with newsletters. Newsletters are informative; you can pack a lot more detailed information and offers in a newsletter than you ever would do in a blog. Think of it as the difference between a magazine and a postcard.

Newsletters have weight. Blogs, by their nature, are meant to be short, sweet and to the point.

Publishing a newsletter is a bigger commitment than writing a blog. A good newsletter will give more in-depth information to subscribers about topics they are expressly interested in. Which is why they signed up for your newsletter in the first place. Newsletter subscribers tend to be more invested in what you have to say/sell/offer than blog readers.

Bottom line: blogs are available to everybody. You don't have to subscribe to get the benefit of the information.

Newsletters are directed to a select audience. If you want to capture a select audience and provide more in-depth coverage of specific topics relevant to a targeted, opted-in group, newsletters are a great medium.

Either way, you can't go wrong. Both are effective marketing tools and part of a strategic marketing plan. Both can help establish your positioning, your USP, your image. Just pick one that suits you and that you'll stay committed to. It's getting interesting, relevant content consistently out there that matters most!

Best,

Audrey

Your Marketing Bridge connects you to your customer. Is your Marketing Bridge as strong as it should be? Find out now!

Note Pad and Pen image source: www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=989

Inbound or outbound marketing - what's the best marketing strategy?

Audrey Sendrowski-Breuer — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 17:28:00 GMT

I teach a marketing and advertising workshop for the City of St. Petersburg. My "students" are local small business owners, many of whom have virtual businesses. One of the questions that comes up frequently: 'Is inbound marketing the only kind of marketing you need?'

The answer, in my humble opinion, is "no". Although you cannot rely solely on traditional means anymore - radio, print, tv - customers are still using local media to keep connected to their community. They are also using social media and, of course, searching for local businesses online.

Inbound marketing - where visitors find and come to you via social media, blogs, video, SEO, whitepapers, etc. - is a fantastic way to generate knowledge about your business, establish relationships with customers or other businesses, and produce "warm" leads that can be nurtured to result in sales.

Outbound marketing - press releases, email campaigns, radio/tv/print ads, etc. - work well when you use them in conjunction with your inbound marketing efforts to direct traffic to your website or reinforce what you are doing with inbound marketing.

The smart course of action is to integrate inbound and outbound marketing and advertising:

build relationships with customers via social media
generate leads via free offers on your landing pages
create email campaigns from the leads you've generated
motivate the Future Buyer with electronic media
capture the attention of the Now Buyer with print

Yes, newspapers, radio and tv have lost significant market share but on the local level, where you do business, your customers are still reading the local paper, listening to their radio stations (online and off), and watching cable shows.

Understanding

Who your customer is
How advertising really works
The Consumer Mind
How to calculate your annual ad budget

is the trick to making it all work. Ultimately, it depends on what you are trying accomplish and what kind of business you have. Good marketing strategies are always unique to the needs and goals of the business they are created for. Smart business owners always work strategically.

What's The Consumer Mind? More on that next blog!

So what do you think? Is there room for oubound marketing in today's business marketing model?

Best,

Audrey

Good marketing strategies - Credit your sources

Audrey Sendrowski-Breuer — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 20:40:00 GMT

I'm in somewhat of a state of shock. Here's why: I was searching for the exact details written by someone about a small business advertising study I'd read. I found the article I was looking for. But the shock was that I found it on numerous websites (6 and counting...) and that none of the six, except one (Enterpreneur.com), credited the source of the article. One of the sites even had "Written by Administrator on Thursday, 21 May 2009 20:30" above the verbatim article. That particular website is for a graphic/web design business located in Sri Lanka. They say "...our interest is to reflect exactly what our clients want to express..." Really? Let's say I'm your client. If you don't credit sources, how do I know you won't take what I "express" and claim it as your own when it suits you? Pardon me. I guess no one will notice because...you're on the other side of the planet?

Crediting sources makes you credible.

This is the age of instant, global confirmation of information. You can't get away with what amounts to stealing someone else's work. Being on the other side of the world doesn't make you immune, either. That's what "www" stands for - "world wide web." Crediting a source that you are quoting or using is respectful, professional and a sign of your integrity. As in, you are not claiming these words of wisdom as your own. It's part of creating good marketing strategies.

Nothing is secret.

Information is all over the internet these days. You can pretty much find what you want in a few seconds. It may be enticing to just cut and paste it. But it may have taken someone days, weeks, even years of research to write a particular article. It's time consuming and sometimes tedious work. It's a courtesy that they publish it (yes, even if it's self-serving) because it's free. So it's just POLITE, if nothing else, to credit them as the source when you are relisting it on your site or in your whitepaper or ebook or any other particular document.

Let's be civilized, shall we?

A large part of being civilized is having integrity, even when you don't think anyone is watching or listening. So let's be civilized, what do you say? If we can't come up with brilliant, completely original text for our website, ebook or whitepaper, fine. Find what we need on the net. Then let's have the guts and good manners to let people know who said it first. It won't diminish us. On the contrary, we'll come out looking professional and trustworthy.

If you don't credit your source and you think no one will notice, remember one thing about the internet: there are no secrets anymore.

Poor customer service comes down from the top

Audrey Sendrowski-Breuer — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 23:52:00 GMT

This is a little story about missed opportunities and how management can lose sight of good customer service.

I recently went to a local gelato shop with friends, one of whom was new in town. I had gone out of my way to bring them to this particular shop - the best gelato, nice atmosphere, great location.

I decided to try one of the gorgeous looking concoctions featured in a poster on their wall. When I got it, I was disappointed because it didn't contain all the ingredients shown on the poster. I asked the employee who made it about this and was told that because I chose three flavors of gelato instead of the one in the poster, I couldn't have some of the remaining (and best) ingredients that made this dessert appealing.

I was so surprised, I was sure he was joking. He wasn't. He nervously said that's what they were told to do. I suggested that next time, it would be better to let the customer know about this "sacrifice for substitution" policy up front. At least they'd have a choice. Then I sat down with my friends and continued eating my dessert. What happened next was a lesson in how bad customer service can start at the top.

Within minutes, we were approached by the owner. To our astonishment, he seemed put out, almost annoyed and asked if I wanted my money back. "Asked" is being nice - he seemed ready to do battle.

Here's the thing. I didn't want my money back and said so. I would have been happy to hear him acknowledge how I felt and again suggested it would be better to let customers know up front about substitution policies so they're weren't disappointed. We all waited for his reply.

This was his Customer Service Solution: he announced he would make sure no one ever had that problem again, marched up to the offending poster, ripped it off the wall, and disappeared into the back of the store.

None of us could believe it. I don't know what he thought he accomplished.

Here's what he missed:

The opportunity to build better customer relations
The possibility to increase positive word of mouth
The chance to teach his employees about good customer service
Happy customers
Proud employees

What a shame. What in the world was he thinking? As for me and my friends, we'll just go somewhere else next time. But I'd say that store owner destroyed a lot more than a wall poster that day. The pity is, maybe he doesn't care.

How does it impact you when the owner of the business gives poor customer service? What do you think?

Marketing Strategy - What Small Business Needs to Know

Audrey Sendrowski-Breuer — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 22:00:00 GMT

Small businesses need marketing strategies. Marketing strategies are made up of many marketing tools. In our previous blog, I talked about one of the most important marketing tools and one of the most important steps in beating your competition: a USP.

So, you figured out what's new, better or different about your business and you have your USP, ready to go to work. Now you need Tool #2: the PAS - Preemptive Advantage Statement.

A PAS (aka positioning statement) is your USP distilled down to its essence. It's a consumer magnet. It states what you're going to do for your customer, optimally in six words or less. Moreover, it allows people to identify with your business and yours alone. Here are a few you'll recognize:

Save Money. Live better.
The Ultimate Driving Machine.
You're in Good Hands.

Walmart. BMW. All State Insurance. You probably read each PAS and not only recognized the company but may have even pictured the product or logo in your mind's eye. Each one of these statements positions that company or product in a way that not only tells you something unique about it but successfully preempts the competition by detailing the how and why in a simple, memorable way.

Wait a minute. Back up. A PAS comes from a USP. What if there's nothing really unique about your business or product? Does that mean you're stuck? In a word...no. There may be nothing unique about you. In fact, all your competitors might offer exactly the same things you do.

All you need to do is find the thing no one is talking about (USP), then talk about it (PAS).

Here's a real-life example of what I mean. At the turn of the century (1900's, that is), Shlitz, then #5 in the beer market, wanted to increase their market share. They called in Claude Hopkins, a brilliant NYC ad man (and Father of the USP) to help them.

Hopkins visited their manufacturing plant, watched the beer making process for the first time in his life, and was amazed at the details involved in the process of making "pure" beer. When he asked the brewery execs why they didn't tell people about how uniquely they made their beer, they said they didn't think it was important because everyone made their beer that way. They saw nothing unique in the process.

All the U.S. beer companies were telling people they should drink their particular brand because it was "pure beer". Instead of claiming their beer was "pure beer", like all their competitors, Hopkins advertised the details of how Schlitz made the beer and in doing so, arguably created the first USP. Oh, yes, Schlitz also went from #5 to being a leader in the beer market.

In "My Life in Advertising", Hopkins wrote:

This is a situation which occurs in most advertising problems. The product is not unique. It embodies no great advantages. Perhaps countless people can make similar products. But tell the pains you take to excel. Tell factors and features which others deem too commonplace to claim. Your product will come to typify those excellencies. If others claim them afterward, it will only serve to advertise you. There are few advertised products which cannot be imitated. Few who dominate a field have any exclusive advantage. They were simply the first to tell certain convincing facts.

Schlitz became the first beer manufacture to explain the process everyone used in creating a pure brew and therefore, claimed the preemptive marketing advantage over their competitors. Once Schlitz said it, no one else ever could without looking like a copy-cat. Ta-da!

Schlitz went on to create memorable PAS's ("The beer that made Milwaukee famous" and "When you're out of Schlitz, you're out of beer"), but that's another story.

Are today's advertisers paying attention to the rules of the PAS? Do too many slogans look like Walmart copycats?

What do you think?

Positioning Your Small Business and Beating the Competition

Audrey Sendrowski-Breuer — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 17:50:00 GMT

Positioning your business is one of the most important steps you can take in beating your competition. Yet, so many businesses limp along with cliches that make them sound like everyone else. "The best customer service." "The most cutting edge technology." "The best in the business." Etc. Etc. Etc. Great. What's unique about any of that? Even the worst business is going say they have good customer service if you ask them!

Don't depend on cliches! Create the one thing that truly gives you the chance to beat your competition: a USP.

A USP is a Unique Selling Proposition. It's a critical part of an effective marketing strategy. Without it, you won't stand out from the crowd, let alone beat them. So how do you create a USP?

Ask yourself three questions -

What makes me new?
What makes me better?
What makes me different?

That's the easy part. The difficult part is thinking hard and honestly about your business. Try to look at it outside the usual way you view it. This can be tough! Don't just spout the same old lines when someone asks about your business. Identify something about your product or service that is really new, better or different. That's your USP. (And it's probably not customer service - unless you're Zappo's or Amazon. Sorry.)

Now, if you can't think of anything truly unique, don't worry! A USP isn't always something no one else has. It might be something your competition has in common with you but no one's talking about it. That makes it new, better or different in the eyes of the consumer...and it can make the difference between barely being in business and being a successful business!

By the way, if you take your USP, distill it down to about six words or less, chances are you'll have the other powerhouse tool in the Effective Marketing Strategy arsenal - the PAS (Preemptive Advantage Statement)! What so great about a PAS? Just the fact that if you said it first, no one else can - without sounding like an also-ran! (Think "The Ultimate Driving Machine".)

What do you think? What's your USP? We'd love to hear from you.

More on the PAS next blog...remember, people go where they know. Do they know you?

Hersh Marketing

How the consumer buying decision process works

You have to start talking to them when they are Future Buyers. BEFORE they become a Now Buyer.

Consumer buying behavior - when does your customer buy?

Quick, when is your customer ready to buy?

Who are Now Buyers and Future Buyers?

Now Buyers and Future Buyers pay attention to your product or service very differently.

Use informational media (print and internet/your website) to reach the Now Buyer

Use electronic (radio and tv) and social media to motivate and persuade the Future Buyer

Understand the Consumer Mind - think like a customer

Why should I listen to you?

What's in it for me?

You answer the 'What' not with what you are selling but what it will do for the customer once they have it.

You answer the 'Why' with saying something different, unexpected, out of the ordinary that addresses the problem and offers the answer.

Don't sound like everyone else (see next)

Pay attention to your competitors' messages - be different, not the same-old, same-old

Craft your compelling message - make it provocative, throw me off course, if you have to!

Use a thesaurus to get more dynamic versions of the words you want to use

Make sure you (potentially) fix my problem and make my life better

Blog or newsletter - which is a better marketing strategy?

Your Marketing Bridge connects you to your customer. Is your Marketing Bridge as strong as it should be? Find out now!

Note Pad and Pen image source: www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=989

Inbound or outbound marketing - what's the best marketing strategy?

Good marketing strategies - Credit your sources

Crediting sources makes you credible.

Nothing is secret.

Let's be civilized, shall we?

Poor customer service comes down from the top

This was his Customer Service Solution: he announced he would make sure no one ever had that problem again, marched up to the offending poster, ripped it off the wall, and disappeared into the back of the store.

Here's what he missed:

Marketing Strategy - What Small Business Needs to Know

Save Money. Live better.The Ultimate Driving Machine.You're in Good Hands.

Positioning Your Small Business and Beating the Competition

Save Money. Live better.
The Ultimate Driving Machine.
You're in Good Hands.