You know your clients are people. Even if you sell to a company, you’ll be dealing with humans to do it. You know that everyone has their interests, their tastes, their own way of being and a personal history that conditions them. It happens to all of us.
We know you don’t like to generalize with people. They all deserve the respect of being treated as individuals, with their own ideas and feelings. But sometimes, for example, when you’re thinking about the focus of your business or the needs of your potential customers, you’ll have no choice but to generalize a little.
8 factors that influence consumer behavior the most
In this article we will know, in abstract, some factors that influence consumer behaviour. Let’s see some of them.
Age
It is undoubtedly an essential factor. The reaction, as a consumer, of an 18-year-old teenager has nothing to do with that of a 68-year-old veteran. The needs are also different. With regard to the latter, there is a curious phenomenon. At the moment we are born, our requirements are usually very basic (food, care, etc.). As we reach adulthood and enter into it, our life becomes more complex and with it our needs become more complex. In recent years, however, old age brings us back to more fundamental demands, such as those of our childhood.
Culture
This is another essential factor. Culture (and education as part of it) largely determines the individual’s way of being and the decisions they make. The purchasing attitude of a person educated in the Caucasus mountains has little to do with that of a person trained in technological Tokyo. Their needs will also be different. It will be something you have to bear in mind, especially if you want your products to reach a large number of people living in different parts of the world.
The socio-economic level
Some entrepreneurs, for example in the luxury goods sector, know well what we are talking about. Nothing has anything to do with how a wealthy person buys with someone who has difficulty making ends meet. Both the products and how to approach one group or another will differ greatly. Some will be reached through factors such as aesthetics and exclusivity, and for others conditions such as durability or price will be more important. But don’t forget, everyone deserves the same respect.
Perception
We humans are sensory beings. We have a series of receptors (commonly known as senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch) that serve us to move around the world, and of course to make decisions.
Marketing and advertising are well aware of the importance of perception as one of the factors influencing consumer behaviour. Concepts such as sensory marketing, or even emotional marketing have been developing over the last few decades on the knowledge of the influence of perceptions in making the purchase decision. However, it is worth remembering that there are many factors that influence people’s perception of a product or service, such as brand image, customer experience, etc.
Attitude
There are needs and needs, and to each their own. It has nothing to do with buying paper towels or having a cup of coffee with buying an anniversary present or a home. Some purchases are routinary, almost thoughtless, as a habit, but people can spend days or even weeks trying to decide about others. The attitude with which your potential customers approach your products or services will depend on what they are. Think about this when planning what you want to offer and how you want to do it.
Trends
Either we like them or not, trends exist. Some people get off – to a greater or lesser extent – their influence, while others are so convinced of their importance that they get to call themselves “fashion-victims”. Trends are an expression of market trends, that powerful force that every businessman would want to be able to foresee. Whatever your sector, you’ll have to take them into account if you want to survive.
Personality
It is undoubtedly the most difficult factor to differentiate. The personality of a human being is influenced by factors such as those we have already seen (age, culture, socio-economic level, etc.), but also by many others. Education, or life experience are crucial. But also genetic and biological conditioning factors. It is very difficult to know in depth the personality of human beings. Even self-knowledge is not an easy task. But there is no doubt that personality is a determining factor when deciding on the purchasing process. That’s why it’s so important to know your customers as well as possible.
Experience
It is undoubtedly a determining factor. People have memory, and they also use it when they are shopping. That’s why customer experience is so important in the purchasing process. Getting the customer to have a good memory of your products or services is as meticulous a task as it is important. If you don’t succeed, it will be difficult for your company to survive for a long time. If you do, they’ll be more likely to come back to you and speak well of your business to friends, family and acquaintances.
These are some of the factors that influence consumer behaviour. Remember that they are free and their will is sovereign. What can you do to make them decide to buy your products or services? A good start is to offer excellent customer service.
There are many ways to do this, and tools that can help you, such as Pandora ITSM.
Pandora ITSM is a software that, among other functionalities, includes an incident management system that can help you improve customer service in your company.
We would be delighted if you could take a moment to get to know Pandora ITSM. You can do it here.
Thank you very much!
Pandora FMS’s editorial team is made up of a group of writers and IT professionals with one thing in common: their passion for computer system monitoring. Pandora FMS’s editorial team is made up of a group of writers and IT professionals with one thing in common: their passion for computer system monitoring.
