The Blink Moment
Getting Inside Your Buyer

Shopping is full of emotion-driven, spur-of-the-moment decisions. Did you ever go somewhere, see something and, blink, you bought it? Or have you looked at someone and, blink, you knew instantly you would be friends? Or, blink, you knew instantly you were not going to buy the item or the person was a foe?

Ninety-five percent of your daily life is played out from your subconscious mind. The subconscious is a powerful tool in the business world. Often people know what they want—instantly.  Blink. They see it. Blink. They want it. Blink. They buy it. However, if there is a system of marketing that requires the customer to navigate a maze of options, they may become overwhelmed and leave empty-handed.

Example: A store displayed a beautiful array of jellies—only three or four flavors. People purchased them quickly. Excitedly the store added more varieties but the sales dropped drastically. The reason? More options undermined “the blink moment.” When the shoppers were confronted with too many choices, they began to process and analyze, “Do I want lemon? Or do I want the strawberry? Blueberry? Mint?” Too many choices; they ended up not wanting any jam.

What is going on in your customer’s mind in the “blink moment”?

Connect emotion with your product by probing into the minds of your customers. Is the rocking chair on your display floor evoking feelings of happy evenings rocking their grandchild? Place dolls and baby blankets nearby. Will the candle display bring a desire for a cozy home and more family time? Put table games on a nearby shelf. On the other side, display frames showing “Family.” Play around with the wording on the tags to agree with the feelings your customers are experiencing. Create a setting that encourages their emotions about the items.

Don’t worry. You aren’t bypassing their minds. Research shows that the people who purchase from the “gut level” are happier with their purchase than those who analyze and ponder for a long time.

Study the minds of the customers. Connect their desires with the product. And, in the blink of an eye, you and your customers will be very happy.

About Lauren

Lauren Mong is a writer for Rosewood. She lives in Ephrata, Pennsylvania. Exploring the world, little kids, hospitality, people, and charity work energize her. Lauren loves the challenge of creating something out of nothing, whether it's an article, a copywriting project--or supper.