No matter what kind of business you own, it’s important to know why your clients come to you. Knowing what makes clients want to buy your product or service has several benefits. First, it can help you make your offering more attractive. Second, it can help you when you’re trying to communicate value to clients, whether that be in an email, meeting, or advertisement.
While the specific reason that a client chooses your product or service over everyone else’s varies for each business, there are the top 10 reasons people buy which are outlined in Copywriting Secrets by Jim Edwards.
The rest of this blog post is going to summarize each one so that you can use this knowledge to grow your business.
#1 Reason People Buy: To make money
The need to make money is a pain we all have in common. Business coaching is a $15 billion industry because people want to make money and are willing to pay to make it happen. If your product or service can help with this, great! Help people understand how you can help by providing real numbers and testimonials.
#2 Reason People Buy: To save money
After all of the effort it took to make the money, people want to spend it on things they want to spend it on and skimp on whatever they can skimp on. Hence the success of Walmart. Offering discounts is one of the oldest marketing tricks in the books, and there’s a reason for its success. Another way to incorporate this one into your business is to show how you are more cost effective than your competitors. You don’t necessarily have to be cheaper, though that helps; you just need to offer more bang for their buck.
#3 Reason People Buy: To save time
As cliché as it sounds, time is our greatest asset and something that cannot be replaced once it’s lost. Most people recognize this and try their best to maximize use of their time. How can your product or service help them do this better?
#4 Reason People Buy: To avoid effort
We’re all lazy at heart. That’s why Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, is the richest man in the world. People buy when you make it easy for them to buy, like with Amazon Prime and 1-click. The way to incorporate this knowledge into your business is to make sure that clients have a smooth, simple time buying your products or working with you. (AirSend can help with that. Check us out here.)
#5 Reason People Buy: To escape mental or physical pain
Obviously, we don’t like being uncomfortable. The majority of modern technology was invented to reduce mental and physical pain. (Think AC, television, ibuprofen, massage chairs, etc.) What pain does your product or service solve for your client? If you can answer that question, you’re already halfway to success.
#6 Reason People Buy: To get more comfort
$30 candles smell good. $100 spa days feel good. $500 sushi tastes amazing (I hope). People pay for things and experiences that bring them pleasure and comfort. The difference between this one and #5 is that one is the stick and the other is the carrot. When you’re communicating with clients, you can incorporate both to maximize the effect. Always ask yourself, “What pain am I moving my client further from and what pleasure am I moving them closer to?”
#7 Reason People Buy: To achieve greater cleanliness or hygiene
The saying “cleanliness is next to godliness” exists for a reason. Cleanliness ties into many of the reasons we’ve already discussed. Saving time, avoiding effort, seeking comfort. There is something fundamental about craving cleanliness and organization.
#8 Reason People Buy: To gain praise
Many spend their entire lives pursuing praise and avoiding criticism. If your product or service can help clients gain praise, let them know since this can be a great motivator.
#9 Reason People Buy: To feel more loved
It should be no surprise that one of our most basic drives as human beings is on this list. If your business sells a service, this one is all about the quality of your customer service. How are you making your clients feel special and cared for? If you sell a product, this is about both your customer service and how you’re marketing your product. Think about how your product could increase the love in your clients’ lives and how you might be able to communicate that increase.
#10 Reason People Buy: To increase social status
Have you ever seen an ugly fashion item made by some luxury brand that costs ten times more than it should and wonder why anyone would ever buy it? The answer is to increase their social status. Unfortunately (or fortunately for you), the popularity contest that started in high school hasn’t ended for some people. So if you’re able to associate your product or service with high social standing, people could become your client for no reason other than to show off to their peers.
Now that you know the top 10 reasons people buy, you can use these drivers in your communicate with clients to grow your business.
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