People Are Not Stupid

Ten Ways to Exploit Behavioral Patterns without Insulting Anyone’s Intelligence

Here is a lesson that aspiring internet marketers should know: people are not stupid.

They will not fall for lavish giveaways with obviously onerous contingent propositions. They will not be deceived by rehashed content whose hunger for hits is concealed by extravagant titles. They will not be inclined to sign up for membership in exchange for garbage that is packaged as gold.

People are not stupid and they will see through your master plan. Don’t get me wrong. Your plan is not flawed. It is just a victim of years of abuse by those who came before you.

Remember your moments as a novice in this vast world of online wonders? When various cyber businesses offered you with products or services of seemingly amazing value, like for example, free web hosting? But once you have signed up, you discovered that the bandwidth was spread too thin among millions of people that your site cannot even accommodate two visitors without trying their patience. Or perhaps this common practice as of late, when an e-book, or an online article, tried to win your attention with flamboyant titles like “10 Surefire, Magnificent, Totally Stupendous Ways To Make Your First Million Online,” only to discover, after reading its pages, that it is a mere derivative work of something you’ve already seen before.

The behavioral patterns of consumers are a primary catalyst for changes in market trends. Knowing what makes them happy has become of equal importance as knowing what they want. If you would launch a half-baked marketing campaign to win people over, you might just end up driving them away.

To help you develop a healthier relationship with your customers based on mutual respect, here are some things to consider in your dealings with them:

1. Give benefits to strengthen relationships instead of merely sustaining interests. People in general do not want to be treated as mere customers that can be dismissed once purchase is made. They likewise are displeased if they are treated as profit sources whose e-mails you could spam just to compel them to buy your newest product. If you are to give them some incentives for their continued support, do so with the purpose of rewarding them for their loyalty.

2. Do not forget your existing client base. Sometimes, our attention is consumed by our desire to win new customers, and we tend to forget about those who have decided to stick with us the past months. Keeping your existing client base happy should also be given priority. After all, they are there because they chose to, and if harvested properly, they could potentially provide for a steady flow of income for your business.

3. Be transparent about the processes involved in your business. People still value trust, and letting them know how your business works would make them feel trusted. They will repay this in kind, by lending more support for your endeavors.

4. Avoid undue hype. Embellishments to promote a product for more than it is actually worth may come back to haunt you. Once your customers would realize the true value, or want thereof, of the products you have exaggeratingly marketed, they might not be willing to trust you again on your succeeding offers.

5. Quality over quantity. If you are to distribute benefits for your clientele, choose quality over quantity. It will always be better to give them a few things they would be proud to own, than bombard them with many freebies that are practically useless.

6. Consultation to adapt with change. Many studies have attempted to analyze consumer behavioral patterns, but all of them have done so in vain. The fact of the matter is there is no medium more fickle than the internet. The convenience of surfing from one site to the next has created a phenomenon called media attention deficit disorder, that is, people have less patience when it comes to online affairs. This makes pinpointing definite behavioral patterns an impossibility for any artificial system. The best targeting system, really, is you. By consulting with your clients on a regular basis, you will get to know first hand what their needs and preferences are, and you will be able to predict for yourself some changes in the market trends that you could capitalize on.

7. Build personal connections. One of the advantages of a small business is that people can relate to them more. As such, it is not uncommon that friendships develop between small businesses and their clients. This relationship is so much stronger than any seller-customer connection. It is sure to survive rough sailings and the test of time.

8. Be jovial without being giddy, be tolerant without being condescending. Business owners are expected to adapt to the clients. Try to maintain a cheerful disposition to make your customers feel at ease. If they are difficult to deal with, try to exercise patience in explaining to them your policies. In both instances, make sure that you don’t overdo them, as they would just seem as feigned attempts which your clients would most definitely observe.

9. Make your clients feel important. They have feelings too, and it would serve you well to acknowledge them. Having a solid customer support system would go a long way, as people would get to know your business as reliable, responsible and responsive.

10. Be reactive, not predictive. Your site may have generated 10,000,000 hits the past month, but this doesn’t mean that you should rest on your laurels. Past statistics do not establish a predictive pattern in the online world, as it is a very fickle field. Be reactive instead, and always prepare yourself to respond accordingly to changes in your market.

This article is written to provide accurate and authoritative information with regard to the subject matter covered in it. It is provided with the understanding that the author and publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, or other professional services. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.