September 2009 – WhosChrisHughes.com

There are 7 steps that your customer goes through in the buying process. Sometimes, the process is impulse and the sale is quick…othertimes it seems to drag on forevvverrrr You need to remember that you are NOT in control in this situation, sad but true. Whoever your prospects and customers are, that’s where the control is. Guess what these guys care about? Yep, all about themselves and their needs! It sucks for you and me, but think about it… you and I do the same thing when we buy stuff, we look around and buy what we consider the best. This “process” begins at the point in which a prospect becomes aware of something that they “need” in their life. 1) Recognition When your prospect doesn’t quite grasp all the issues surrounding this need, your ability to influence him or her is at its peak. Now is your chance to frame the issue in a way that projects your strengths and minimizes your weaknesses! The cool thing about this is that by helping them frame their needs/problems, it allows you to have more influence than normal AND this lays a great foundation for you in your future long-term relationship with this customer. Once you reach this, your customer could care less about the price or the pitch. They just want to know HOW this will meet their needs that were identified. 2) Researching Your prospect starts to see what else is available and who else is offering it. This is when your prospect wants to learn about product features, options available, price range and everything else you can imagine. The thing you need to focus on is the BENEFITS that your solution provides. 3) Refine and Reflect Your prospect begins to get rid of those products aren’t in the top. Also they look to see who’s got the ideal product for the prospect… is it you? This is the point that you start to lay on the premiums! Your guarantee, your customer service, incentives for making the purchase right now…this is the time to move your prospect towards the purchase. 4) Reach Out This is when your prospect looks for other buyer’s opinions and reviews of the product to see how it’s helping others. Prospects will check you out in online forums, asking friends, and looking for other peoples input on whether or not THEY should make the purchase. This is where your Social Proof and your reputation come into play. 5) Resolution Many times people abandon the purchase in the shopping cart. This sucks but you can prevent it. This is the point where the purchase decision has been made!!! Woohoooo! The prospect has finally made their decision. Guess what, deciding to buy is different from actually buying… 6) Purchase- “now I own it” You need to have a strong Thank You page or process for your customers to go to after making a purchase. You want to congratulate them, remind them of the benefits that they are getting and show to them your commitment to making their purchase one of their bests. Answer common questions that people ask BEFORE they can even ask them! It’s a great time to show your trustworthiness and willingness to help! 7) Reconsideration of purchase “Did I make the right choice?” is often a question that people ask after making a purchase. You need a MONEY BACK GUARANTEE and a strong stick-strategy. The only thing that most buyers want is to know that they *can* get their money back if they absolutely need to. Also, you're just reselling the buyer on the benefits that they are getting. This also reinforces the buyer that they CAN contact the seller and that the seller is willing to help if any questions arise.