An integral part of every sales process is to recognize and identify the buyer motives of your target audience. But what exactly are buyer motives?
Buyer motives are the psychological factors that drive customer purchasing decisions and behaviors. No matter the business model, B2B or B2C, understanding these buyer motives is the key factor behind upscaling your sales.
By identifying the buyer motives of your consumers, you can create a sales and marketing strategy that is perfectly tailored to address their needs effectively.
Once identified, you can address the buyer motives of your target market through your website content, ad copies, blogs, and sales presentations.
But, to identify the buying motivation behind a consumer’s purchase, first, you have to understand what are buyer motives and why are they so important for a successful salesperson.
Types Of Buyer Motives
Usually, the buyer motives are divided into two categories – emotional buyer motives and rational buyer motives:
Emotional Buyer Motives
Emotional buyer motives, as the name indicates, are driven by the emotions of your customers. The purchasing decision made through an emotional motive usually leads to personal satisfaction.
Most of the B2C purchases fall under this category as they tend to be driven by impulses and emotions rather than solid reasoning. Although some of the B2C purchasing decisions can also be attributed to emotional motives.
Rational Buyer Motives
Rational buyer motives are driven by cold, hard logic and reasoning. The Influences of Consumer Behavior, when it comes to rational motives, reflect through purchases that are made after thorough research. That is why most of the B2C purchases are attributed to rational buying motives.
Now that we know about the categories of buyer motives, let’s dig into the list of most important buyer motives that you have to know if you work in sales.
Comfort And Ease
Not all purchases are driven by needs. In fact, most purchase decisions are driven by a need for comfort, pleasure, or convenience.
It may seem like a particularly B2C inclined motive, but that is not entirely the case. Many companies like to invest in tools and services that improve the convenience of their operational processes.
To appeal to the customers with this buying motive, highlight the features of your services or products that offer convenience.
Your sale strategy should address this buying motive if your product or service adds value to the customer’s life in a way that can be considered as an add-on rather than a bare necessity.
Fear Of Loss
Fear of loss or fear of missing out (FOMO) is among the biggest triggers behind customer purchases. Consumers whose buying motive is fear of loss do not indulge in risky purchases.
People with this motive tend to buy things that make them feel safe or protect something that they already own. For example, buying insurance to cover any future damage or employing the services of a watchman to secure a property are the decisions influenced by fear of loss.
Address this buying motive in your strategies if your products or services provide safety, or protect the customers from potential harm or liability.
Desire For Gain
Customers who have a strong desire for gain want to invest in products or services that promote their growth in one of the following ways:
Financial Gain: Financial gain is the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about this sort of buyer motive. Most B2B decisions are made to yield higher profits or productivity.
Personal Gain: Purchasing decisions influenced by personal growth can look like buying exercise equipment (bodily gain), enrolling in an academic course (academic gain), etc.
A selling strategy tailored to address this sort of buying motive should highlight all the product or service features that promise growth and advancement.
For B2B customers, communicate how your product or service can yield higher profits and productivity. While for B2C customers, communicate how your product or service can add to their quality of life, skills, or resources.
Pride And Vanity
This buyer motive falls under the emotional category since it’s completely driven by the sensation of purchasing an exclusive or luxurious item.
Many B2C customers succumb to the label mentality that urges them to buy things only because they have a certain label attached to them.
Customers with such a mentality seldom rationalize the price they have to pay for a product. They are far more interested in owning an item that is considered a status symbol for the masses.
To sell to such an audience, tap into the emotions that appeal the most to them – that is pride, enjoyment, and vanity.
Highlight the most extravagant and exclusive features of your products or service to garner the attention of this particular target market.
Gratification Of Emotions
If you sell a product or service that tends to invoke an emotional response in your consumers then addressing this buyer motive in your sales strategy would be a good idea.
An emotional response can be categorized, but is not limited to, as follows:
Surprise: Think surprise gifts. A box of chocolates, a fancy dinner, or a new car. All these items tend to pleasantly surprise people. That is why they should be marketed as such.
Approval: A primary example of this particular emotion could be that of an engagement ring. Jewelers tap into the need for this emotion in their customers to garner higher sales.
Need For Security
Similar to the fear of loss, individuals with a strong need for security and protection tend to invest in products or services that avoid the possibilities of danger, harm, or any potential threats.
Focus on this buyer motive if your product or service solves a security issue for your clients or customers. Firewalls, cybersecurity, and anti-viruses are some of the commodities that address the customers’ need for security.
Identify, Execute, and Excel
Once you completely understand the primary buying motives and their influence on consumer behavior, it becomes considerably easy to tap into the motives of your target market and tailor your sales strategy to address those needs. Addressing consumer needs effectively is bound to convert more leads and generate higher sales. Understanding and identifying your customers’ buyer motives can also help you forecast future sales patterns and plan accordingly.
