There are two kinds of shoppers at any one time and we are both.
Sometimes we are in “commodity” mode, which means we are looking for what we consider to be "just a commodity" and our only concern is paying more than we absolutely had to pay. We consider ourselves to be enough of an expert, we can make a buying decision alone. Some might call this a transactional purchase. A good example is the difference between an oil change and actually having your car worked on. Most people know an oil change is a relativaly simple service and we are willing to let almost any car care shop change the oil. (Unless you drive an exotic car) Thus, an oil change has become a commodity and our only concern is paying more than we had to pay.
Then there are times when we are in “relational” shopping mode. If your car needs more than an oil change and you know nothing about cars, you begin to shift into relational mode. This is where you begin to ask neighbors and friends where they take their cars for bigger maintenance and repair issues. You are now officially looking for an expert you can trust.
An oil change is a one time commodity purchase from anyone. For bigger car maintenance and repair issues, we like to have a relationship with someone we can trust.
You might have noticed, most advertising out there today, is commodity or price driven. Most advertisers don’t understand we aren’t always looking for the lowest price. As business owners we need to understand the lowest price is NOT always the winner. The lowest price matters most to people who consider you a commodity.
Is that the kind of person you want to attract?
Is it your desire to be a commodity, or an expert people can trust?
