Storytellers

This is the second installment of a three part series on the approach to marketing which identifies three decision gates through which a customer journeys before buying, and the marketing work that goes into making the story a successful one.

 

In this continuing story of the Optrian Marketing Methodology, a way to establish the foundation for the marketing strategy that addresses journey people take through decision “gates” before they buy, there are three premises in the methodology:

 

Premise #1:  People buy products or services that have the features they need

Premise #2:  People buy from people they perceive to be like them

Premise #3:  People buy on emotion

 

The marketing strategies, whether its product marketing, identifying the right product or service; channel marketing, motivating and equipping a channel to sell; or marketing communications, branding and positioning the product, have to address the premises.

 

The Optrian Marketing Methodology builds marketing strategies and go-to-market plans that address the decision-making journey of the person who is buying and the needs of the people selling to your intended customer.  Customers will journey through three gates before they decide to buy

 

In the first installment, the first gate, the Logical Gate, was addressed.  In this chapter, we continue with the next gate, the Similarity Gate.

 

Gate #2: The Similarity Gate is 60-70% of the Buyer’s Decision Criteria

Commonly, businesses overlook the Similarity Gate.  Some nail it – fashion and automotive for example.  Buyers see themselves in that dress or behind that wheel. Those products, and their brands, become extensions of the customer’s psyche. They relate. They are similar. They buy.

 

This Similarity Gate tackles the second premise – people buy from people they perceive to be like them.  That’s why in the Optrian Marketing Methodology, the Similarity Gate is the big guerilla in the room.  We place the decision-making importance to a customer of this gate at 60%-70%.

 

If the Logic Gate affects the product definition, the Similarity Gate affects the buying experience.  If you see yourself as a champagne and caviar person, you look for high-brand products and high-touch experiences and buy in luxurious places. So to craft the marketing storytelling for the Similarity Gate, we dive deep to understand the business – what are the resources, abilities, tools, channel, support, identity, branding, etc. available to prompt a successful Similarity Gate decision.

 

It’s exhaustive but immensely fun and satisfying. At the end, your go-to-market strategy has to shape everything for similarity to the customer – the person – to whom you want to sell.  Words, images, packaging, how a phone call is answered, a web page, a uniform, a sales person, a color, how an order is taken, how a bill is presented -- everything matters.

 

You may have a killer product or service, but if the channel and marketing doesn’t support the experience your customer expects, you aren’t similar and they won’t pass through that gate. How important is this?  The Similarity Gate is 60%-65% of the decision making process.  It’s how you connect with the right customers and, especially in commodity markets, how you differentiate from the crowd.

 

The last chapter will address the third gate of the Optrian Marketing Methodology.

 

Contact Creor Group at solutions@creorgroup.com or 877-774-4312 to arrange a complimentary consultation for your business.