There can be few who haven’t opened a kitchen cupboard, found an item they haven’t used for years, and wondered, “Why on earth did I buy that?” It is proof, if that was needed, that customers do not buy with carefully constructed logic. It might have been an impulse buy or it could have been as a result of a carefully constructed email marketing campaign.
There are many motivators for buying products but the research tends to support the belief that people buy on emotion. This can be exploited by email marketing, with personalised triggers in images and copy in the email. However, there’s a bit of a downside to it as well.
The ways to convince a customer to buy depend on both the product and the customer. Take a car. It is a truism that different people buy them for different reasons. Please excuse these crude classifications, but we know a youngster might want one that allows him to stand out while fitting in. Parents will want convenience allied to a degree of safety. The commuter . . . well, you can work that one out.
A sensible salesperson, looking for repeat custom, would not try to convince a parent to buy a coupé, even if they had a few too many in stock. As with email marketing, if the purchaser is happy that they were fully informed, and bought on good advice, they will, most likely, return in the future.
Understanding what motivates a customer is a way to increase your sales figures. You have masses of data which can be used to indicate what might trigger them to buy. With your knowledge you could convince them they need your product, it will make their life easier, not to mention more convenient, well mention it anyway. You could point out how their friends will be impressed by their choice.
You have sufficient data on the subscribers to your email marketing lists to be able to target your emails precisely even convincing someone that buying your latest product will enable them to present themselves as successful to their friends. After all, they’ve bought from you before without regretting it so they’ll trust what’s in your email.
As with all sorts of power, it needs to be exercised with care. I am not talking about responsible marketing for the sake of moral behaviour, although that too should be of concern. You must not lie, cheat or deceive your subscribers by trying to sell them something that does not fulfil the promises in the marketing email. Individuals on your email marketing list are more valuable than a single sale. The next time a disappointed subscriber receives a marketing email, you can expect an unsubscribe.
Trust is the most important aspect of email marketing. There is nothing that is so valuable to you. You should pick products that the subscribers to your email marketing lists will find useful and will enjoy using. They must do what your promised it would. That way you will get them coming back for more. Abuse your information, and you will be bitten.
