The internet is a wonderful vehicle for many online sellers who offer what they claim to be outstanding financial opportunities. These ‘too good to miss’ offers cover a variety of activities, many promising to unveil little known ‘market’ secrets that will make anybody, especially ‘you’, wealthy. Of course the intent is to entice the prospective buyer.

Many of these opportunities are using certain ‘triggers’ that are proven to generate responses. One such trigger is ‘curiosity’. “Learn the secrets of the rich and famous”. “Learn how the truly wealthy make their money from real estate.” “Let me show you how I made $74,000 profit in real estate from an outlay of just $12,000?” “You too can make an additional $1250 each week in just three hours. My new e-book shows you all that you need to know to make it happen, starting this week.” And on, and on the claims are made, and tens of thousands of US citizens part with millions of dollars each day as they optimistically ‘invest’ in the potential of a brighter future.

Such claims as those above are easily made, and they may well be true in each case. They are often unsubstantiated by verifiable testimony. But still they may be true, and this brief article is not about the veracity of the various claims, but rather about how opportunity impacts upon ‘why people buy’.

There can be little doubt that many, if not most of us, face each new day with the hope that an opportunity, in some form or other and consistent with our values, will confront us before sundown. Maybe today is my day? This is the reason people play the lottery or go to casinos or race tracks, all fervently and silently praying for lady luck to smile upon them just this once. It is also the reason people work hard, save and prepare so that they can create their own opportunities.

Opportunity is at the heart of the great American dream. The thought of what might be if my number comes up today fuels our reach for the stars. The statue of hope would have nowhere to stand if it were not for the foundation provided by our belief in the prospect of opportunity. Hence, the tremendous, in some cases irresistible influence that the promise of an opportunity plays in ‘why people buy’.

Note: In a previous article we discussed the proposition of ‘a deal too good to pass up’. Therefore we will not consider that proposition again in these paragraphs.

Significant questions that must be answered in the planning process:

• Is this opportunity relevant to all my target markets?
• How will I most effectively communicate the benefits to each target market?
• How may I most effectively include the testimonials of existing users?
• Am I able to place a realistic dollar value on this opportunity?
• How can my existing website facilitate this (campaign)?
• Would I benefit from the services of an online marketing consultant or seo firm?

Will an opportunity get a prospective buyer’s attention? Yes, provided…..

• The opportunity is communicated in a clear compelling message
• The opportunity is relevant to the buyer

What additional conditions should exist for a potential sale?

• The opportunity must be believable (I know that some people will buy any story)
• The opportunity is, or can be substantiated if necessary
• The price is acceptable
• The buyer is willing to do business with the vendor

What further conditions will maximize the chances of making the sale now?

• The claimed outcomes of the opportunity constitute a compelling reason to buy, and/or,
• There is an added inducement that makes the deal too good to pass up

In this shrinking world, but ever expanding arena of economic opportunity, one of your most valuable assets is your intellectual capital.

Related Posts

• Why People Buy (Your product fills a want) – By Leo Talbot
• Why People Buy (Your product solves a problem) – By Leo Talbot
• Why people buy – They have a compelling reason – By Leo Talbot

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 22nd, 2005 at 9:54 am and is filed under Ecommerce. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.