Buyers involved in important purchase decisions want to feel confident about three things BEFORE they buy:
- Their investment will produce a better outcome than doing nothing (status quo).
- The solution they choose is the best one for them and their organization.
- They are not “messing up” by making the wrong decision (error of commission).
As a result:
The provider that does the best job of making a buyer feel CONFIDENT and SECURE in their buying decision usually wins the business.
This basic truth creates a significant opportunity for marketers that follow a two-step formula:
- Take time to understand the needs and concerns your prospective buyers have in relation to the specific buying decision they are making.
- Develop strategies, messaging, and proof points that confidently address these needs and concerns throughout the entire buying journey.
Searching for a Vacation Destination
A buying decision I was recently involved in illustrates the impact of using this two-step approach to influence a buyer’s behavior—in this case, my own. Although it is a personal buying decision, the same principles apply for earning a business buyer’s trust and confidence.
Every few years, my extended family and I go on a retreat to a tropical location – wife, kids, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, etc., there are a lot of us! It is a trip everyone looks forward to, saves for, and plans their vacation time around. Our next retreat is coming up later this year, and it was my turn to plan everything including selecting the destination, accommodations, and activities.
No pressure!
Initial Search
To start my search, I asked for advice from friends and did some of my own online research – mainly visiting travel and resort websites. Based on these inputs, I narrowed it down to three resort destinations and felt reasonably confident that each was around the same price and offered accommodations, dining options, and activities my family would enjoy. My next step was contacting the resorts directly to learn more. Here’s a summary of my experience with each:
Resort A
- Their website had a few stock images of pools, restaurants, and outdoor activities – none of the actual resort itself or its amenities.
- There were a handful of online reviews that were mainly moderate-to-positive; the resort did not reply back to negative feedback.
- When I called the resort directly, the concierge wasn’t there, and the front desk didn’t know many details about dining options or activities.
Resort B
- Their website had beautiful photos and videos of the resort – room options, restaurants, pools, beaches, the golf course, and fitness center.
- Online reviews were plentiful and included mostly positive ratings along with a few drawbacks that the resort addressed by replying back to the reviewer.
- When I called them directly, the concierge was immediately available and able to answer many of my questions.
Resort C
I had a similar experience as Resort B in terms of the website, photos, and online reviews. When I called them directly, the concierge:
- Asked me how many people were in my party, the types of activities we enjoy, and what a “perfect vacation” might look like for us.
- Answered specific questions I had including inside information on activities he’d recommend or skip.
- Arranged a time to call me back the next day with recommended accommodations, activities, and excursions along with pricing.
- Left his direct number in case I had any additional questions.
- Offered to book the entire vacation for me if we decided to stay with them (or alternatively book online if I preferred).
After all of this, we ultimately chose Resort C. I suspect you would too.
Implications for Marketers
Ultimately, Resort C understood two important things better than the others.
FIRST, they recognized that this was a “high-stakes” decision for me—not life or death, but the vacation is important to my family and there is a vested interest in making it as successful as it can be. Resort C also realized that I didn’t want to mess up by making a bad choice!
SECOND, they knew I was considering other resort options that would be difficult to compare. As I looked at different resorts, things got confusing quickly since I hadn’t been to any of them and, on the surface, they were all very similar.
Given the importance and difficulty of the decision, Resort C’s marketing and customer experience professionals did a few key things that gave me the CONFIDENCE and SECURITY I needed to choose them:
In the EARLY stages of my search:
- Resort C made relevant and detailed information available on their website and through reviews. They knew I’d do research on my own first and that I’d want as much information as possible about what an experience at their resort might be like.
- It put them on my shortlist and gave them a leg up versus other resorts I was considering.
In the LATER stages of my evaluation:
- Resort C took the time to understand what a successful vacation looked like for my family and any concerns we had (i.e., barriers to purchase).
- Provided detailed information about how the resort would meet our needs and address our concerns. I didn’t need to guess or hope they would—Resort C enabled me to SEE how they would.
- Offered honest suggestions to optimize our experience.
- Provided a buying experience that made it easy to book with them.
Resort C also realized that in a more mature market like theirs, desired outcomes are fully understood by most marketers and there is little room to differentiate on benefit-focused messaging alone. Instead, they opted to understand my needs at a deeper level and provided information that gave me the confidence I needed to choose them.
Buyer Personas Provide the Insights Needed to Build Buyer Confidence
A buyer persona, developed from interviews with individuals who have recently made the exact buying decision that you’re trying to influence, is uniquely capable of informing your marketing strategy in both the early and later stages of the buyer’s journey.
Based on the 5 Rings of Buying Insight:
- Priority Initiatives and Success Factors reveal the most compelling reason(s) that buyers begin to look for a solution like yours and the results they want from their investment. Use these insights to connect with buyers early on in the sales process by demonstrating you understand their core needs and expectations.
- Perceive Barriers and Decision Criteria reveals the concerns that buyers have about making the investment, or making it with you, and the decision criteria they use to evaluate solution alternatives. Use these insights to directly address the questions and fears buyers have, particularly in the later stages of the buying decision when buyer trepidation is at its highest.
Once understood, marketers can create strategies and messaging that increases buyer confidence in their solution. The result is more qualified leads and improved win rates.
