Don’t Tell Consumers What to Do!
Fellow electronic retailers, direct marketers, distributors, inventors, entrepreneurs, brick-and-mortar retailers and, last but now not least, online retailers: People of all selling platitudes lend me your ears and your wisdom. Let me share something that I have noticed happening over the past year. It has to do with the way consumers are buying the stuff that we sell. It has everything to do with the way we “tell” or “convince” them to buy something. I know what I’m saying is true, because it has been backed up with research results I have received from focus groups that have seen two variations using different selling methods of a campaign I created.
OK, enough suspense. Here’s the observation: Since the beginning of the modern day infomercial, consumers have been yelled at, told what to buy and forced to act quickly to get a great deal. Well folks, for the most part, the suspense and excitement of missing out on something extraordinary is wearing off. However, it’s not wearing off because the products aren’t great or the offer isn’t enticing. The motivation to buy is not wearing off because of a lack of trust, market saturation or boredom either. The number one reason why consumers are not buying now is because they do not like being told what to do! The intent to buy has never been stronger. Consumers are smarter than ever and are more educated. They’re not as gullible as they used to be. What I have found is that consumers are more than willing to buy your product and even replace the same categorical products they already own if you can convince them that your product is better; not tell them that it is. It’s so very subtle. Anybody else see this happening?
Jeff Meltzer, president of Meltzer Media Production
Tags: consumers, jeff meltzer
December 19th, 2007 at 6:24 pm
Yes & while at it, please get rid of the misleading “only 4 minutes left to order to receive the price of…”, “order within 7 minutes & recieve this free key chain, a $20 value, yours free!…”, etc. spiels?