Understanding the buy decision

I write a lot about the sales-contracting process, and how to make it easier for customers to sign contracts.

One of the best explanations of how companies and individuals buy is the one given by Bob Moesta of The Rewired Group, and it’s part of the “Jobs To Be Done” approach. The picture illustrates how it works.

The top two arrows (green, going right) are the forces pushing towards the Buy decision. They are existing pain points (the push of the present situation) and the attraction of a possible fix (the pull of the new solution).

The bottom two arrows (purple, going left) are the forces pushing against the Buy decision. They are better-the-devil-you-know (the habit of the present) and the risk of the new (the anxiety of the new solution). This is another way of phrasing Kahneman’s loss aversion.

A good sales-contracting process is part of minimising the anxiety of the new solution. It’s designed to make it as easy as possible for the customer to buy, whilst at the same time protecting the seller’s key interests.

23 April 2024