Consumer Behavior

Do you know how, when and why your customers buy?

Ever notice that car dealers ALWAYS have a sale urging you to buy now and letting you know that; "This is the one sale you don't wanna miss"? There's a reason for that. 100% of the car buyers in any given area are not in the market for a new car 100% of the time. Most people when they are not in the market will ignore most car ads and promotions. However, if their current vehicle is starting to act up or looses the appeal that it once had they start thinking about getting something new. This is when consumer start paying attention to the ads. Initially on a sub-conscious level, then on an action level. Granted, consumers are more savvy than they were 10 years ago but this event based marketing has an impact nonetheless.

This same philosophy can paralleled regardless of industry but more importantly it needs to be done on what I will call "long life" consumables like appliances, vehicles, furniture etc. You may have a washing machine that is 5 years old and are completely happy with it. Not a lot of people think too much about their washer and dryer. But then an appliance store has a "No interest for 3 years sale" and all of a sudden the consumer transitions to "consideration" mode.

So the question is...How do you transition a consumer not ready to make a purchase to a customer who is ready to make a buy? Provide real incentives and advertise, advertise, advertise.

It's quite simple. When business is good you should advertise and when business is bad you should advertise. A clear and consistant marketing plan will increase your likelyhood of capturing more business when potential customers make the transition from a passive consumer to active consumer.

It's not just a coincidence that I brought up appliances. I had an ulterior motive. I just got some appliances from Direct Appliance and TV in Cedar Falls, Iowa. They were great to deal with and they carry the top brands like GE, Toshiba, Amana, and others. Check them out on the web at www.directapplianceandtv.com