If you’re in sales, you spend a lot of your time asking other people to buy what you sell. What about the last time you purchased something? Coffee on the way to work, an app on your phone, or maybe a new home appliance?
Why did you buy it now, instead of later? I find my tipping point is often based on my experience during the purchase process.
Analyzing Your Personal Buyer's Journey
- Did the salesperson (or the website) ask the right questions?
- Did they make the buying process easy, and enjoyable?
There is a moment in every buying decision when logic and emotion meet.
Logic may have brought you to the purchase point, but good questions and the simple art of making buying fun rather than stressful are important tipping points.
You can improve your own sales strategy when you understand why people buy, starting with yourself.
Keep a list of everything you buy for a couple of days.
- Why did you buy it now, instead of later?
- Why did you buy it there, instead of somewhere else?
- When was the tipping point in your decision to buy?
- How did you feel during the buying process?
As you start to understand your own buying habits, you’ll be able to ask your clients better needs analysis questions about their buying process.
Here are some questions you might ask your prospect in your next needs analysis:
- What, if any, of your items are bought on impulse?
- What is the most important reason your customers chose to buy now, instead of delaying the purchase?
- How much do your customers research your product before deciding to visit your site or location to purchase?
- For this type of purchase, how many competitors will they compare you to before buying?
- Do you have any research about how your customers feel about your purchase process?
As you enter into these types of conversations, you switch from someone trying to sell them something, to someone who understands the buyer’s journey and can help them in selling their product.
*Editor's Note: This blog was originally written in 2014 and has since been updated.
