Sally Field (Image via RottenTomatoes.com)
The phrase “Laws of Attraction” first appeared in the early 20th century around 1906 by William Walter Atkinson as part of the new thought movement and release of his book “Thought Vibration or the Law of Attraction in the Thought World” (Chicago, 1906). Since, this phrase has been used to help explain attraction-based theories and concepts in many areas of the social sciences throughout the 20th century and now into the 21st century. Most recently, Rhonda Byrne’s “The Secret” became a worldwide sensation in 2006 which was based on the laws of attraction principles. One powerful constant has remained throughout the 20th and 21st century – that likes attract likes.
While there is much focus given to demand generation, content marketing, lead generation, lead management, and opportunity pipeline management, recent significant changes in buyer behaviors calls for serious examinations of whether organizations are attracting the right buyers. Simply stated – is your organization even “likeable” in the eyes of your buyers? Does your organization have so called “laws of attraction” attributes that buyers are attracted to?
This is a powerful question today. For some organizations, it may feel like reality dealt a blow to the midsection when they truthfully answer the question. While others may scream like Sally Field and exclaim “they really like me, they really like me!” While strides are being made in how to adapt to new strategies for managing leads and performing lead nurturing, many outdated assumptions about how buyers look at and evaluate organizations are still in play.
Are Buyers Really Hiding?
Based upon my qualitative research, I am having a hard time buying into the recent rash of terms to explain buyers today. In talking with buyers directly, they certainly don’t describe themselves as the hidden buyer, the elusive buyer, the buyer 2.0, the invisible buyer, the secret buyer, and the many more terms that are being used. Here’s what one buyer recently said to me while interviewing:
“It is silly to hear you say that. I am not hiding from anything. If they have nothing to offer and can’t help me, then why am I going to pick up the phone and contact them? “
I don’t think buyers are waiting behind a rock to come out of hiding. In fact, I am beginning to form an opinion that this mode of thinking may even be detrimental to attracting buyers! It creates a mentality that you have to coax buyers to come out from hiding or to stop playing dodge ball with you. In other words – hurt the laws of attraction psyche meant to attract the right buyers in the right situations. The real issue from my point of view is that recent changes in technology and buyer behaviors are resulting in a manifestation of whether your organization is found to be likeable or not. New technology and newly formed buyer behaviors make it easier for buyers to say:
“If we like you, you will hear from us. If not, you won’t hear from us.”
Becoming Likeable
Finding out how to be likeable and, in effect, make the laws of attraction work for your organization is a complex issue today. It can be frustrating to get at the kernel of why buyers are attracted to organizations and find them likeable. It very well could be like asking your teenage daughter why they like something with the usual answer of “I don’t know, I just do, and stop asking me questions!”
Finding the right group of buyers today and determining what makes your organization likeable takes more than an exercise in buyer personas – and especially more than the enhanced buyer profiles with a photo slapped on it and mislabeled a buyer persona. It takes a deeper commitment to understand qualitatively how to be likeable and attractive to the right group of buyers. Here’s the premise of why this commitment today is of significant importance:
To become likeable and to attract buyers, you must first change your vision of buyers.
If your vision of buyers has not changed much in the last few years, then it is highly unlikely that knowing what laws of attraction are in play to make an organization likeable to buyers are well understood.
It’s The Vision Thing
Obtaining a renewed vision of buyers today takes a commitment to let go of long held assumptions and investing in getting to know them qualitatively. While new technologies in quantitative big data and data mining can provide some insights, this alone cannot offer the deeper qualitative insight into which attributes result in powerful laws of attractions that make your organization likeable in the eyes of buyers. Modern day techniques and efforts such as predictive buyer modeling, descriptive buyer scenarios, modeling buyer values, and etc. can go a long way in renewing an organization’s vision of groups of buyers. However, it starts with a commitment to seek a new vision of buyers and change the trajectory of the organization’s future.
Trajectory is a complicated concept highly dependent upon vision. You have to first find out where you need to be going and to see where you are going. Getting a renewed vision of your buyers and becoming likeable in their eyes gets you moving in the right direction.
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