The Key to Understanding Digital Body Language

It has long been believed that applying warning labels to packages of cigarettes would help curb the desire for that product. As the world began to understand more and more about the health risks of cigarettes, it was generally agreed upon that we should strive to get people to stop smoking this product. What no one at the time expected was that the psychology of buying this product might be forever changed, and not in the way we had hoped.

Warning Labels Increase Smoking Desire

The exact opposite impact of warning labels on cigarettes has been felt. A study conducted by scientists at Tel Aviv University concluded that warnings labels have actually helped to promote trust in the product. This was a quote from the website thirdage.com about this paradox,

“We showed that warnings may immediately increase concern and decrease consumption,” said Steinhart. “But over time, they paradoxically promote trust in a product and consequently lead to more positive product evaluation and more actual purchases.”

What This Means

Just because this study found what it did about cigarettes does not mean it applies to every product. It does however show us that there are important factors to consider when marketing a product. Sometimes, things that you may not have considered can weigh on the minds of consumers and perhaps encourage them to buy when they might not have otherwise.

Over the past several years, the buying cycle for products and services has moved to online. The evolution of Web 2.0 environment with its easy access to competitive product information and peer feedback has transformed how you should be marketing your products and services. Salespeople get less face time with clients. Buyers are more educated and have greater leverage in the negotiation process.

When making a buying decision there are any number of factors that go through a customer’s mind. They are not necessarily making their selection only based only on price, but they will obviously consider this as one of the many factors that they have to weigh before making a purchase.

You have to incorporate a strategy for understanding digital body language and the psychology of buying into your inbound marketing process.

Businesses that cannot track and analyze the behavior of their top prospects are likely to find themselves at a competitive disadvantage going forward. The question is not whether you need to consider investing in technology to help in this effort but whether it can afford not to make the change.

As Jill Konrath, Author of Selling to Big Companies, states that “Information is the price of admission in today’s hyper-competitive market. It is simply too hard to get in the door now without good data on your clients.”

Keep this in mind and look to see what kind of things encourage your buyers to buy more. The content and words you use are important. For example, when selling to the nonprofit industry, you may want to use softer words to describe the same result of increasing revenue. In other words, instead of improving sales, you should be talking the nomenclature pertinent to your audience like donations. 

Contact us if you would like to know more about the software automation tools and strategy you need to understand the psychology of your potential customers  and how to best be found and find them in the digital world today.