| 6 Key Principles For Inducing Customers To Buy Today Posted: 02 Apr 2022 07:05 AM PDT  Many entrepreneurs think that adapting to the new technologies, like smart phones and Internet commerce, are the key to attracting new customers. In fact, businesses need to adapt even more completely to the changes in the buying and social behavior of consumers. High-technology product startups, without customers, don't make a business.
Today's customer buying dynamics are all about "user experience," according to Brian Solis, in his classic book "What's the Future of Business?". This thought leader in new media asserts that every business needs to understand social psychology and rethink their business models, approach, and relationships in order to create unique and memorable experiences for both customers and employees. Solis outlines the heuristics of social psychology that are key to building positive customer experiences today. These begin with the following Cialdini's Six Principles of Influence, which consumers use to make decisions, buttressed by results from various social media surveys he references in the book: Social proof – follow the crowd. During today's dynamic customer journey, consumers often find themselves at a point of indecision. When uncertain of what to do next, social proof kicks in to see what others are doing, or have done. Survey results show that more than 80% of consumers now receive advice through social networking sites prior to a product purchase. Authority – the guiding light. Perceived authorities guide decision making, by investing time, resources, and activity in earning a position of influence, leading to a community of loyalists who follow their recommendations. Most consumers now research online product reviews, blogs, YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook, for authoritative guidance. Scarcity – less is more. Greater value is assigned to the resources that are, or are perceived to be, less available. Driven by the fear of loss or the stature of self-expression, consumers are driven by the ability to participate as members in exclusive deals. 3 out of 4 people like getting exclusive offers that they can redeem via Facebook or other sites. Liking – builds bonds and trust. There is one old saying in business that is still very true in this age of social media: People do business with people they like. We all have a natural inclination to emulate those we like and admire. Almost 50% of shoppers surveyed admitted to making at least one purchase based on a social media friend recommendation. Consistency. When faced with uncertainty, consumers tend not to take risks. Rather, they prefer to stay consistent with beliefs or past behavior. When these do not line up in the decision-making cycle, consumers feel true psychological discomfort. The result is that over 60% of online shoppers are brand loyal due to other online satisfaction data. Reciprocity – pay it forward. Perhaps the greatest asset in social capital is that of benevolence. We have an innate desire to repay favors in order to maintain social fairness, whether those favors were invited or not. Every month, over 25 billion pieces of content are shared on Facebook alone, with a major portion oriented toward reciprocity.
Social psychology in general deals with how individuals relate to one another. In today's social networks, the social economy is defined by how people earn and spend social capital. Based on the commerce of actions, words, and intentions (or actions, reactions, and transaction), people build their own standing. Startups earn relationships and resulting stature the same way. Another aspect of the social psychology of consumer buying today is the four stages where customers take actions that move them toward you or away from your startup. These are sometimes called the four moments of truth: - Zero Moment of Truth. The few moments before people buy, where impressions are formed and the path to purchase begins. It is that moment when consumers grab their laptop or mobile phone, and start learning about a product or service.
First Moment of Truth. This is what people think when they see your product and it's the impressions they form when they read the words describing your product. Second Moment of Truth. It's what people feel, think, see, hear, touch, smell, and (sometimes) taste as they experience your product over time. It's also how your company supports them in their efforts throughout the relationship. Ultimate Moment of Truth. It's that shared moment at every step of the experience that becomes the next person's Zero Moment of Truth. This one is required to generating word of mouth, advocacy, and influence.
So for all you technologists, who routinely focus their resources on a great product ("if we build it, they will come"), it's time to balance the business success equation. Learning how to craft and nurture great customer experiences around your product is critical. The future of your business these days depends on it. Marty Zwilling |
| 10 Keys To Tapping The Hidden Power Of The Best Story Posted: 01 Apr 2022 07:05 AM PDT  The entrepreneur's challenge is to effectively communicate their value proposition, not only to customers, but also to vendors, partners, investors, and their own team. Especially for technical founders, this is normally all about presenting impressive facts. But in reality facts only go so far. Stories often work better, because humans don't always make rational decisions.
Most people care the most about the things that touch, move, and inspire them. They make decisions based on emotion, and then look for the facts that support these decisions. Thus it behooves every entrepreneur to learn how to craft stories from their personal experience and the world at large that make an emotional connection, as well as tie in the facts. I like the point from the classic book "Tell to Win: Connect, Persuade, and Triumph with the Hidden Power of Story," by Peter Guber, a thought leader on this subject and long-time business executive. He asserts that everyone today, whether they know it or not, is in the emotional transportation business, and compelling stories are the best way for you to move your business forward. More importantly, he provides the insights and guidance that we all need to do this effectively. I have extracted these ten basic principles for telling the right story, at the right time, and telling it right: - Select the right story for the right audience. The most successful story tellers are also attentive story listeners. They understand that it's more important to be interested in their listener than to appear interesting. What does the audience want and need? Armed with this insight, you can tailor a story that will achieve both your goals.
- Choose when the listener will be receptive. Getting to know your audience also means figuring out the place and time where they will be most receptive and least subject to interruption or distraction. They need to be able to give you your full attention, so you need to look, listen, and locate their optimal context.
- Finding the source material for good stories. The key is not to expect to find a story fully born, perfectly framed, and read to be told, but to constantly stockpile fragments and metaphors that have the potential to become stories. The most effective story material comes from firsthand experience, infused with your personal feelings and emotions.
- Make sure your call to action resonates. Every story needs something that will move the audience emotionally to hear your call to action. This may mean finding a hero or a villain in the story, showing your real passion and emotion, or describing the excitement and fear of others.
- Get in the right state for your story. Getting in state isn't just a mental, emotional, or physical process; it's all three. This state is vital to telling a story because reading your intention is what signals listeners to pay attention to you. Intentions speak louder than words. Train both your body and your mind on your clear intention to succeed.
- Tell the story with authentic contagious energy. Like intention, authenticity and energy cannot be faked. If you are telling a story you don't believe in, your audience will sense it instantly. The good news is that they will pick up just as instantly on your genuine enthusiasm and conviction.
- Demonstrate vulnerability and perseverance. Everyone has something in common with every other person, so open up and expose your fears and concerns, allowing others to do likewise. The trick to perseverance is not to eliminate fear, but to use it to ramp up your energy, heighten your passion, and intensify your sense of urgency.
- Make the story experience interactive. You can make any business story more memorable, resonant, and actionable by asking for input or a response during the story, or getting an emotional interaction. Engage the audience physically or verbally, which makes them feel like part of your story, and that they have a stake in the outcome.
- Engage the senses of your audience. Scientists tell us that words account for only the smallest part of human communication. The majority is nonverbal, more than half based on what people see and more than a third transmitted through tone of voice. The more the audience feels the story in their bodies, the more positive they will react to it.
- Listen actively with all your senses. Even when you make the story a dialogue, rather than a monologue, how you listen as a teller is as important to your success as the actual words you speak. You must listen to gauge emotions, attention, and interest – moment to moment. More engaged listeners will be more likely to heed your call to action.
Examples of great storyteller entrepreneurs include Howard Schultz, founder of Starbucks, and Chad Hurley, founder of YouTube. Both demonstrated many times the ability to turn "me" into a "we," by being able to tell a story that shined the light on an interest, goal, or problem that both the teller and the listener shared. That connection ignited empathy, secured trust, and gathered commitment to the call to action. Stories have been used since the beginning of time to share knowledge, history, and ideas. Sure they contain facts, but often emotion is what makes them work. How often do you get beyond the facts in your pitch to customers and investors? If you want to kick your business up a level, maybe it's time to add some stories to your message. Marty Zwilling |
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