Reaching The Decision Maker

Reaching the Decision Maker

With the holidays upon us, I'm sure you are seeing several advertisements for children's toys. These advertisements are geared toward their target audience - children - even though children typically have no buying power. But, what they do have is influence over the buyer, or the decision-maker. The decision-maker is ultimately the person you want to reach through your marketing efforts, whether directly or indirectly.

As the toy example illustrates, the consumer is not always the decision-maker - and the consumer does not always have influence over the decision-maker. Let's use a nursing home as another example. A woman is looking at nursing homes for her elderly mother. In this case, the daughter is the decision-maker and the mother is the consumer. The daughter is looking for a nurturing environment for her mother, a place where she will receive compassionate care. The mother, of course, has needs too, but the decision-maker will ultimately go to the places that appeal to her first. So, nursing homes that use the words "nurturing," "compassion" and "caring" in their advertisements are ones that will catch her eye. To go one step further, the daughter may be influenced by her mother's doctor's opinion. So, an influencer helped a decision-maker make a decision for the consumer.

Do you know who makes the decisions when it comes to buying your products or services? If not, I recommend you find out. If there is any way I can assist you in this endeavor, please Contact Us at SolidOakConsulting.com.