154 • 100 GREAT BUSINESS IDEAS
willingness to fi nd out more, to a passionate need to explore
the offer. Whatever the customer’s motives or situation, the
information needs to be clear, useful, and specifi c. Inevitably, the
market size will have shrunk as some “aware” customers fail to
pick up the information, through either choice or circumstance.- Help customers prioritize. Customers weigh up the benefi ts
and then prioritize their expenditure. For example, they may
consider whether this is something they want to buy now, at
this price, and in this form. They may also evaluate alternatives.
Clearly, some people will not make the move from having the
information to making a purchase. - Help customers purchase. Having decided to buy, the next step for
the customer is to complete the transaction. It is important to
enable the buyer to move as easily as possible through the process.
Purchasing should be easy and satisfactory—even enjoyable. - Support the customer’s use of the product. This is a stage that is
often forgotten, hidden in the shadow of the purchase. A sale is
not the end of the process, because customers have to use and
value their purchase. If they don’t, then the product may be
returned, customers may stay away in future, and the resultant
poor publicity and a declining reputation are likely to adversely
affect future sales. - Promote reuse. This is when the product or service (or one of its
components) is bought again. This generates additional revenue
at a higher margin (without the cost of customer acquisition)
and highlights customer loyalty to the product, resulting in a
stronger sales process. - Encourage advocacy. This stage is highly prized by sellers: it
occurs when customers are so impressed with their purchase
that they tell others about it (Harley-Davidson is an excellent
example of this). Advocacy increases awareness of the product or
business and feeds back to the fi rst stage of the process.