Blackberries aren’t black to start with.
Or sweet for that matter.
In fact, blackberries start out quite green. And quite sour.
Then they turn reddish. And then black.
And that’s when the birds start to eat the blackberries.
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Which brings us to the most interesting part of consumption.
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And how a blackberry can teach you just how to keep customers
coming back.
You see the blackberry bush keeps the birds coming back.
And it does so, by staggering the ripening of the blackberries on
the bush.
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So first, a few bunches ripen.
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Then after a few days, a few more ripen.
And so it goes on. The ripening (and consequent attraction),
unfolds in a cycle of sorts.
This is to ensure that the birds keep coming back time and time
again, instead of stripping the entire bush all at one go.
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That’s not the case with buffets…or your business for that matter.
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Your business tends to be like a buffet. So it doesn’t really
matter if you’re selling products, or services, or are a trainer.
You’re going to want to run a buffet.
You’re going to want to dump all your information; all your skills;
all your blah-blah Powerpoint slides on your customer at one go.
And like a buffet the customer is going to eat hungrily.
Then go from hunger to greed.
From greed to indigestion.
Forty five burps later, your customer is now sick of your ‘buffet’.
========================================
This wasn’t the plan, was it?
========================================
You wanted the customer to keep coming back.
But instead of creating a situation where you staggered the
consumption, you actually created over-consumption.
When in fact, staggered consumption could have been sooooooooo much
better!
========================================
So how do you create staggered consumption?
========================================
Staggering involves giving out products, services and training in
steps.
Of course, esto es un problema grande, eh?
It’s all very fine for a blackberry bush to do staggered ripening,
but how do you create staggered consumption?
If you’re selling a book, you can’t very well give out a few pages
at a time, can you? If you’re doing a training program, you can’t
give out just a few bits and pieces can you?
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No you can’t. Because it would be unethical.
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But the blackberry isn’t unethical too.
It’s treating each bunch of berries as a package.
And asking you to do the same.
So when we get customers to buy a book, for example,
the Brain Audit, we then make sure they get the ‘rest of the package’ later.
========================================
We do this by staggering consumption.
========================================
Which means that the customer gets the book with all the pages, but
then we send out additional packages; additional goodies.
So when you buy a Brain Audit book, it gets followed up with some
goodies.
These goodies are in audio or notes. These goodies point out something
you may have missed in the book.
They point out something to advertising and marketing out there,
and show you how to identify concepts of the Brain Audit in radio
ads, for instance.
========================================
These packages ‘ripen’ as the days, and weeks pass.
========================================
iTunes does this by sending me a free download ever so often (and
then I buy some iTunes anyway). istockphoto.com gives me a free image
ever so often (and then I buy some pictures from them anyway).
You see, I’ve already bought into the product. I’ve already signed
up for the service. I’ve already done the training.
========================================
But smart marketers know two things…
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1) They know that customers take time to work things out. That
customers need time to wrap their head around a new product, or new
service, or new information given at a workshop.
They know that staggering consumption is the way to go. That
customers can be encouraged to use their product or service long
after the product/service has been purchased.
2) They also know that consumption leads to increased consumption.
That if I keep going back to iTunes, I’ll find something I like.
That if I keep going back to istockphoto, I’ll find a photo I like.
That when we help you put the Brain Audit to use with more
examples, you’ll create new business that will encourage you to buy
more products.
Smart marketers aren’t dopes. They know you have to give to
receive. And to keep giving. And giving whole-heartedly–without
strings attached.
========================================
And blackberries don’t attach strings either…
========================================
Their sweet berries are eaten by birds, who then…um…poop out
the berry seeds in where it can find soil to grow anew.
The birds keep pooping. And they keep coming back to eat some more.
Poop.
Eat.
Poop.
Eat.
That’s staggered consumption.
And what you can do to ensure customers keep coming back time after
time, after time.
Next Step: Don’t forget to look at the recommended Psychotactics Sequence Of Marketing Products and Services.
©2001-2009 Psychotactics Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Article written by Sean D’Souza.
Wouldn’t you love to stumble upon a secret library of small business ideas? Find simple, yet electrifying ideas, on copywriting, public speaking, marketing strategies, sales conversion, psychological tactics and branding. Head down to http://www.psychotactics.com today and judge for yourself.
February 9th, 2009 | Tags: alpacas, blackberries, branding, business, library of small business ideas, marketing, Powerpoint, psychological tactics, Psychotactics, sales, sales conversions, staggered consumption, the Brain Audit | Category: Business Matters, Marketing/Sales | Leave a comment
Signs Are An Essential Part of Marketing Your Business
and how it can work to help us grow our businesses. And we need to work on our sales techniques. Alpaca breeders aren’t usually sales people by nature. So we must educate ourselves on the business of selling.
