A new iPhone, what a prize.
The sheer happiness felt all week.
All you did was share your excitement with everyone.
Friends, family, coworkers, even someone who you don't know from a stick in the mud that might need a recommendation.
The joy when the package finally arrives at the door.
Tearing the box forcefully, particles of cardboard spreading throughout the air.
Somewhere along the line, you decided that purchasing a different brand was ludicrous.
Was it years of satisfactory use?
Was it after seeing the 5th, 6th, 7th, or even 8th advertisement?
A best friend?
I'm not a mind reader.
Frankly, this isn't the Twilight Saga.
I can't tell you when you got initiated.
What I do know, along the way Apple didn't lose you.
The first decision
That first opinion, to buy your now 3rd iPhone in a row, it was made before you could even put it into words.
Humans have a funny way of justifying beliefs.
These "snap decisions".
Not just the case for cell phones.
But Rather, for all purchases.
Consumers decide that your offering is the right choice to make, and then it's on you to sway them away.
To quote Seth Godin "Humans are able to make extremely sophisticated judgments in a fraction of a second. And once they've drawn that conclusion, they resist changing it."
A tendency to justify our decisions is natural.
We wanna be right, and we'll do what we can to prove it.
For business owners, this can be a good or bad thing.
That entirely depends on what you put out into the world.
The buyer's journey
No one can know exactly where and when a customer first gets in contact with you.
A blog post?
Social Media?
A rude employee?
This could lead to some real OCD.
The curse of this knowledge could make you jump out of bed at night.
Being aware that you made the sale before you've made the sale is a powerful mindset.
The byproduct leads to a stronger more cohesive brand image and experience.
We can pre-plan and put out high-quality work in every nook and cranny of our business.
Because as quickly as an opinion is formed, so can it be shattered into a zillion pieces.
Why didn't they buy?
The golden question.
A potential customer may have reached out and left you hanging.
A mouse cursor that was hovering over that big blue "Buy now" button, milliseconds away from a purchase.
Some realization made them walk away.
Any number of things could've led to this.
A misspelling in your copy that left her anxious, a farfetched opinion on your LinkedIn, or simply her husband just didn't like your "vibe".
Unfortunately, collective consciousness is not a part of our evolution yet.
Looks like it's time for some reflection.
Something along the way went wrong and it's you as the business owner to figure it out.
Empathy helps a ton.
Putting yourself in her shoes, knowing that she was ready to buy tells you your funnel is operational, but it's leaking.
Let's see what Artificial Intelligence has to say on the matter, here's 15 reasons that might help you understand :
High Price: The cost is perceived as too high compared to the value offered.
Lack of Trust: Insufficient brand credibility or customer testimonials.
Lack of Information: Insufficient details about the product or service benefits.
Better Alternatives: Finding a better product or deal elsewhere.
Limited Payment Options: Not offering preferred payment methods.
Lack of Personalization: The product or service doesn’t meet specific needs or preferences.
Privacy Concerns: Worries about how personal data might be used or stored.
Negative Reviews: Bad reviews or ratings discovered during the research phase.
Influence of Others: Discouragement from friends or family.
Timing: Not the right time for the purchase due to seasonality or personal circumstances.
Lack of Urgency: No immediate need or incentive to buy right away.
Misalignment with Values: The product or company doesn't align with personal or ethical values upon further investigation.
Not Ready to Buy: Browsing or researching with intent to purchase at a later date.
Emotional Response: Negative emotional response to the marketing message or brand.
Changed Mind: Simply deciding against the purchase after consideration.
Is it time for an audit?
In short, It depends.
Hopefully, the robot helped ease your mind, or come to a conclusion.
If you're sitting there scratching your head, an audit may be in order.
Get a fresh pair of eyes to take a look at your site.
More often than not we'll romanticize things we do ourselves.
Fair enough, it's good to be proud of what you do.
Being the “problem” might not always be the worst.
Imagine standing at the crossroads.
A large post with two signs pointing in different directions.
The Left says "Blue haters ahead, wear red", and the right says the opposite.
A simple metaphor that you might just not be the right choice, and that's alright, it's why marketing exists.
You can't be everything for everyone.
Final Thoughts
My goal writing this isn’t to make you not jump conclusions.
It's about being empathetic.
Understanding your customers and understanding yourself.
So here’s a question to chew on as you finish
reading: Was it me or was it them?
Don’t go pointing fingers, that won’t do you any good.
Find clarity.
Did you really give your customers what they were looking for?
Or did something get lost along the way?
This is your chance to look in the mirror.
Are you pushing what you think they need, are you listening to what they actually want?
It’s easy to get excited about a prospect, but it’s crucial to make sure they’re the right fit.
Use every interaction, as a learning moment.
Lean into empathy, understand your customer's
choices, but to reflect on your own moves too.
Getting this balance right could be what sets you up for that success, and ultimately that’s what we all so desperately crave.
It’s why you clicked on this post.
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