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Decision Acceleration Guidebook

Table of Contents

	What's This All About? Breakthrough #1: There is a pattern to decision making Breakthrough #2: Some marketers intuitively follow these patterns and speed the decision process. Breakthrough #3: People tend to make the easier decision. Breakthrough #4: It's relatively easy to make the decision easy, thereby strongly influencing brand choice and decision speed. Breakthrough #5: Speeding the decision process is the most important marketing objective.
	Using this Special Report
	Introduction to Decision Acceleration Why Decision Speed Determines Product Success Here's An Illustration That Explains Why Speed = Multiplied Sales How Decision Time Can Be Cut In Half The Secret To Shortening the Customer's Decision Cycle
	Re-Defining the Decision Process Different Requirements at Each Decision Stage.
	Marketing Opportunities and How to Find Them Worksheet #1: Potential Bottlenecks in the Decision Stages How to accelerate the customer's decision process in one easy lesson: How to use the following chapters.

	CHAPTER 1
	Decision Stage 1: Status Quo "Status Quo" is a State of Relative Satisfaction The Secret to Decreasing their Satisfaction with the Status Quo Why Many Ads That Attempt to Break the Status Quo Produce Poor Results Product Claims Should Relate To A Real Situation, Not to Abstractions. Don't get snookered by what customers say about why they bought the product Diminish the Distance Between Your Perspective and Theirs Customer Understanding is Not As Powerful As Customer Empathy Four Ways to Develop, Refine and Keep Customer Empathy Alive How to Break the Status Quo Your Unique Value Proposition and Positioning
	Implementation Guide to Stage 1: Status Quo Research: Prospects stuck in this stage exhibit these characteristics: Your first step is to determine the current situation. Actions:
	Decision Acceleration Plan
	Decision Stage

	CHAPTER 2
	Decision Stage 2: Deciding to Decide The main reason why people probably don't want to decide on your product. The two killers that slow the decision: skepticism and anticipated decision effort. Skepticism is water on the newly sparked interest. The Three Critical Support Elements for the Decision Process To Help Your Prospect "Decide To Decide," Here's What To Show Him: Direct Experience or "Mini-Trials" are Great Resources at this Stage. Not Everyone Can Put Their Product on a Disk, or Give Away Samples The main reason people drop out at this stage The two key ways to speed people through this stage Copy-Intensive Materials Can Be Very Effective at This Stage. Claims Still Play a Role, But Now They Need to Be Bolstered and Illustrated
	Implementation Guide
	Stage 2: Deciding to Decide Research: Your prospects: You need to Discover:
	Decision Acceleration Plan
	Decision Stage 2: Deciding to Decide

	CHAPTER 3
	Decision Stage 3: Finding Options What's Happened So Far: Either the customer will try now or search for alternative products: How to avoid the problems of both What's the Problem If He Doesn't Look For Options? How to Support The User Who Doesn't Look For Options: How to Support The Prospect Who Looks For Options: Let The Information Come From You Confrontation is Usually Best You Don't Really Want Customers Who Should Be Using Something Else Speaking Of The Competition, Are They Speaking of You? Your Product Weaknesses Can Be Turned To Advantage. Damn with Faint Praise Quote an Ex-user
	Implementation Guide Stage 3: Finding Options Research: The six symptoms of being stuck in the Finding Options Stage (Stage 3) The six things you need to discover:
	Decision Acceleration Plan Decision Stage 3: Finding Options

	CHAPTER 4:
	Studying Options: Decision Stage What's Happened So Far: High Motivation to Select The Best for Trial Can Slow the Decision Process, Low Motivation Can Stop it Completely. The key roadblock at this stage: Information Overload. The three necessary elements to speeding up the option selection and getting a competitive advantage. How to give him relevant, credible, convenient information. 1. Relevance 2. Credibility. 3. Convenience: 5 ways to cut through the confusion Word Of Mouth: Putting Relevance, Credibility and Convenience in One Package Word of Mouth: Expert Testimony for Confirmation Ways to deliver the corroboration your prospects are craving: Inexpensive Word of Mouth Campaigns Word Of Mouth Effects Are Powerful, But Almost Impossible To Trace
	Implementation Guide
	Chapter 4 Decision Stage 4: Studying Options Research: Signs of delays at this stage Your prospects: If These Things are Happening, You Find Out:
	Decision Acceleration Plan

	CHAPTER 5:
	Decision Stage 5: Weighing Options What's Happened So Far: This is The Heart of the Decision Process Weighing Options Is A Process That Begins at Decision Stage 1: Status Quo. The Selection, Phase 1: Culling Culling Screens: The Selection, Phase 2: Evaluation Strategy How knowing the customer evaluation approach gives you a competitive advantage The Selection, Phase 3: Criteria Development and Product Evaluation The Selection, Phase 4: Verification The only two ways to provide 'real world' verification (experience) Three Information Sources, Three Powerful Marketing Functions Summary
	Implementation Guide
	Stage 5: Weighing Options What you need to know: Symptoms: Your prospects . . . If your prospects are stopping just short of the decision to try, these may be some important questions to ask:
	Decision Acceleration Plan

	CHAPTER 6
	Decision Stage 6: Testing/Trial What's Happened So Far: Why a trial is necessary, even for "untryable" products Direct Experience Is Good Evidence, But Often It Isn't Enough. The central function of a trial. Isn't This Just Part of the Numbers Game? How Can the Marketer Minimize the Risk of an Inconclusive Trial? How to Help the Customer Build a Successful Trial Even Successful Tests Won't Provide All The Experience Needed. How to avoid the disaster that occurs when small trial results are accepted without question
	Implementation Guide
	Chapter 6: Trial What you need to know: Your prospects: If your research finds these symptoms, you might want to ask these questions:
	Decision Acceleration Plan

	CHAPTER 7: What's Happened So Far: Why A Successful Trial Doesn't Necessarily Lead To Commitment. Your Customer Will Often "Sell" His Decision to His Peers. Help Him Win The Argument Why A Delay At This Stage is So Costly This is a Perfect Time For "Buy Now's." The goal of this stage is customer comfort.
	Bringing This Stage Down to Basics There are 5 Basic Things to Do at this Stage.
	Implementation Guide
	Stage 7: Committing Research: Symptoms: Your prospects . . . If this profile sounds familiar, ask these questions:
	Decision Acceleration Plan

	CHAPTER 8 What's Happened So Far: A Little Product Knowledge Can Go A Long Way . . . The Question Is, Where? The First Thing a New User Will Do: This is the Honeymoon. Don't Waste the Opportunity
	Bringing This Stage Down to Basics The Basic Goal of This Decision Stage: Ensure the Customer's "Use" Criteria Will Bring About Full Appropriate Product Use There are 6 Basic Things to Do at this Stage.
	Implementation Guide
	Stage 8: Implementing Research: Symptoms: Your prospects . . . If these symptoms sound familiar, ask these questions:

	CHAPTER 9
	Decision Stage 9: Expanding Commitment What's Happened So Far: The customer now becomes your most important marketing resource
	Making This Stage Actionable: 5 Ways To Help The Customer Expand His Commitment
	Implementation Guide, Stage 9: Expanding Commitment Research: Symptoms: Many of your customers . . . If this comforting situation sounds familiar, here are some things to look for:

	How to break the Status Quo
	How to get to the basic motivators of your customers
	How to become more customer oriented and develop customer empathy
	How to position your product
	Ways to inform clients about your competitors' products
	How to make it easier for people to try your product
	How to help the customer move from trial through commitment
	How to help the customer implement use of your product
	How to help the customer expand his commitment
	Some ways to help you develop a compelling case for your product
	Ways to make the decision simpler for the customer
	How to manage the customer's expectations
	How to get people to act, now
	How to help the customer sort through and digest the overwhelming amount of material that he will have to go through in the decision process
	How to reach the right customers
	How to launch a word of mouth campaign
	How to pick media
	How to go beyond information to confirmation and verification
	How to enhance credibility

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