I’ll freely admit that sales type functions are not my forte. I have tried to read up on this recently and learn at bit more, but it seems that every article tells me that people don’t buy what I’m selling, they buy how it makes them feel.
And that’s the way it is. No ifs, ands or buts.
Because of this, I have largely given up reading sales and marketing articles. That’s not how I buy.
For those who are going to play devils advocate, let me head you off here: I’m not saying I have never and will never buy something for how it makes me feel. I’m saying that the largest proportion of my purchasing choices are done by conscious choice.
Take my article at Modern Mummy Mayhem on the latest iPhone as an example. I do love my Apple products, but only because I dislike Microsoft more & don’t have the enthusiasm to delve deeper into the Linux world. Yes, it’s cool that a new phone has come out, but no, I’m not going to be first in line to buy it. I want to see how it goes after a little while on the market, I want the errors and faults to be known and fixed by the time I buy it.
Surely I can’t be the only person who buys this way? Is there a name for people like me?
Why do you make a purchase? Please tell me I’m not the only person who thinks rather than feels before a purchase!
I am similar to you, but if I see something that I really like I will just buy it. If I can afford it. 🙂
Haha that’s the real deciding factor in the end: can I afford it!
Big things get a LOT of thinking time. Other things – supermarket shops, clothing shopping sprees – get a list written beforehand. Anything not on the list needs a minimum 24-hour thinking period. (With some exceptions. Like the red ankle boots that were marked down from $150 to $24. Last pair. My size. I can’t walk past that!)
I try to write lists but so often I’m doing food shopping on the way home from work when I haven’t looked in the pantry for a day or two …. and bargain $24 boots!
I wait and wait and wait until the price drops (and read Choice for all the recommendations). 😉
I do that too for some things. It also makes me realise I probably didn’t want it in the first place.
Great question. I grew up very poor so my purchases were always “need” motivated. However, I absolutely hated receiving “need-only” gifts for my birthday and Christmas. Growing up in a large family of 8 kids that’s what you get. Need a pair of jeans? Birthday. New running shoes for school? Christmas! So now I mostly do want those occasions to be “want-only” gifts! Now that my husband and I have a bit more money that when I was a single girl I occasionally do buy because of how it will make me feel, but it’s rare and because I’m so frugal I keep that in check.
I always research the hell out of any big ticket items I buy. I look at the pros and cons and weigh them up against the price. I also tend to vary wildly between impulse buying and carefully considered purchases. I am a marketers worst nightmare lol.
I am with you.
I would love an new iPhone but I’m not rushing out the door; I’ll get one when I need to.
I do occasionally have an impulse buy because something is on sale, but I usually regret them. I think a lot more about every purchase these days. I just can’t afford not to.
Bahahahhahaha I’ve never had a smart phone, so that should tell you something about my tech buying habits!
I agree in waiting a while when it comes to technology based things, there always seems to be some sort of update that needs to be done not long after release. As for other things I think a lot about them at the moment. Currently I live on the road so lots of thoughts goes into what we really need as well as the space and money factor.
Leaving lots of fairy wishes and butterfly kisses from #teamIBOT
Anything techy, I make my husband research it. It doesn’t worry me if I’m not the first kid on the block, I’d rather see how they go first.