Most people make the mistake of selling what they offer to the wrong people, because they don’t truly understand WHO their customers are and WHY they buy.

But that’s just the beginning…

Did you know that your prospect makes their decision to buy, or not to buy from you within the first few minutes (at most) of meeting you… yet they won’t necessarily know it themselves?

This all happens at the subconscious level.

Of all the articles I’ve read on the subject, I think Michael Gerber explains it the best in the ‘E-Myth Revisited’ – if you want to read the full version, then you can find it on page 218, but this is the gist of it:

Picture your customer standing before you – neither happy nor sad, not frowning or smiling – he is completely neutral.

But the odd thing about him is that there is a sensor on an antenna sticking out of his head – a bit strange I know, but stick with it…

The sensor is collecting all of the data from its surroundings – colours, shapes, sounds, smells, your office, your shop, the restaurant where you are meeting – ALL of the surroundings.

The sensor is also taking in data from you: how you are standing or sitting, the colour of your hair, how your hair is brushed, the expression on your face – is it tense? Are you looking directly at him or avoiding eye contact? – the crease in your clothes, the colour of your shoes – are they polished? Are they worn? Are the laces tied?

Nothing escapes that sensor as it takes in everything around it.

Nothing escapes your customer as he absorbs the information he uses to make his decision to buy or not to buy.

But this is only the first step in the buying process. It’s what the sensor does with the information that’s of interest here.

Now, think of the sensor as your customer’s conscious mind – (the bit where you are aware what you are thinking). The job of the conscious mind is to gather the information it needs through decision. But most of what it says – most of the way we think about things – is subconscious. It is automatic, habitual.

So even though this sensor is collecting all of this information, your customer is completely unaware of most of it.

Fortunately the conscious mind doesn’t need to be aware – it’s not your customer’s conscious mind which has to make the decision. It’s your customer’s subconscious mind where all the action is – where all the decisions are actually made.

So how does this influence the buying decision?

Because the subconscious mind compares everything that happens – feelings, sights, sounds, everything – with the expectations set during the customer’s life.

The expectations are created from the accumulation of all his experiences since his birth until now – his reactions, perceptions, attitudes, associations, beliefs, opinions, inferences and conclusions.

The conscious mind feeds the subconscious mind and as long as the “food” is compatible with the expectations, the unconscious mind says “yes”. If it’s not, the unconscious mind says “no”.

The decision happens that quickly… in an instant.

So here’s how this relates:

• In a print ad, tests have shown 75% of the buying decision is made by response to the headline alone.
• In a TV commercial, the sale is made or lost in the first three to four seconds.
• In a sales presentation, data has shown, the sale is made or lost in the first three minutes.

All that happens during those few opening moments is that this decision – the “yes” or “no” – is passed back to the conscious mind to confirm (logically) the decision to buy.

So when a client says “I want to think about it”, it’s not actually true – he’s not really going to think about it.

He’s already done all of the “thinking” he’s going to do – he either wants it or not. The decision has already been made.

When your client tells you he wants to think about it, he is really saying one of two things…

1. either he is emotionally incapable of saying “no” because of the fear of how you might react if he told you the truth, or
2. you haven’t provided him with the “food” his subconscious mind needs – you didn’t give it enough benefit/value against the expectations to be able to pass back a “yes” to the conscious mind.

This is why targeting and understanding your “ideal client” is so important.

If you understand “WHO” your customer is, you can then work out “WHY” he buys, which means you can create your marketing message to appeal to his subconscious – to get a positive response against his expectations.

This means you can approach it scientifically rather than guessing why you think people want/need what you are offering.

Remember – a “no” or an “I’ll think about it” mean the same thing… you haven’t understood your customers wants and needs to be able to appeal to their subconscious in the right way.

Understanding your customers better means you will understand WHY they buy better and you’ll find your business will grow.

Now onwards…

… to your success!

Jez