What ACTUALLY influences a buying decision?

You have to focus on the outcomes. You have to focus on the after state. Then give them the tools to help them get there

Selling the after state

What influences a buying decision? And the answer to that is not by selling the modalities. Not by selling the features and the benefits, but it’s by selling the after state. And what do I mean by the after state? Like we understand that a protein powder is a good protein powder, but nobody is buying the protein powder to have the protein powder. But they’re buying the protein powder to utilize it, to get to an after state, to get to a different state of their life, a stronger body, a more recovery, a weight loss. And the protein is the tool.

And so another example would be a car, but we don’t just sell cars. We sell different brands with different features, not because we’re buying quote unquote, just the quote unquote car we’re buying the after state that comes with it to social status, that convenience, a car that drives itself. The cruise control that’s adaptive the tech inside of it. But what that’s really doing, isn’t just giving us a benefit of the car. It’s giving us a benefit in our life. It’s allowing us to do something, so when we think about this buying decisions are not logical, they’re emotional. Tools are logical. You know what a hammer does, but it’s just a tool. You need a plan and a carpenter to build the house. And so when we think about it, what people want is they want to buy the house. And then once they’re clear on buying the house, then we give them the tools that help them get there.

So when I go into selling the features. It has this and this many modules and this many of this, and this many of this, what I’m actually doing is what Jonah Berger calls and creating reactants. I’m pushing people further away because I’m, over-complicating it. And I’m making it logical and removing it from the emotion I’m taking it from their heart and into their head. But all the decisions, even where they give us attention. Nobody follows you on Instagram because you tell them that you’re going to post an image every day at X time. It’s what’s in the image that they’re pursuing you posting daily is what creates consistency. But that’s not what they’re after. That’s not what they’re following you. They’re not following you for your consistency. They’re following you through what you’re posting. And one of your modalities is consistent content to help them.

And so when we think about this, you have to look at your business. You have to look at your marketing. Heck, you have to look at how you lead your team. And you have to focus on the outcomes. You have to focus on the after state. I want you to realize that what influences the decision, a buying decision, a buying with attention to buying with a credit card or buying with an email, whatever it is, I consider them all buying. What influences that is getting somebody enrolled into the after state, not telling them the tools that will get them there. And so your job in your business with your team, with your customers, with everybody, is to focus on the outcome. And sell them the outcome and then give them the tools to help them get there. And so think about the benefits. Think about the after state, think about the person on the other side and give them the path of least resistance to get there.