Is your marketing losing the cookie factor?

Is your marketing wasting a lot of money down the drain, because you don’t have a cookie factor?

What the heck is a cookie factor anyway? And how can you apply this simple marketing strategy and this psychological principle to make a lot of money? You buy $ 30 to go, get free Coke and Wontons

My smile was bigger than the Great Wall of China the first time it happened. We were regulars at this Chinese take out, but this time there was something unusual. When we paid the bill, a 6-wonton 2-liter bottle of Coke came out.

Confusion reigned and the dollar signs sprang into action. Was he paying for something he hadn’t asked for? Was there a communication gap here? My furrowed brows must have revealed my bewilderment quite clearly. Before I could blah, the little Chinese lady behind the counter raised her hand, smiled, and said the words that forever fascinated me.

“You buy $ 30 to go, you get free Coke and wontons”

He trained us like lab rats …

Before that day, we had never bought Chinese takeout for more than $ 25. Yet magically when we crossed the $ 30 mark, this enterprising woman made sure we knew the value of instant gratification. Every time we hit the $ 30 mark, the treats came out. Every time we didn’t, we got our order and big smiles, but little else.

Now we had a choice. We could eat the usual or order a little more and be rewarded with all the extra goodies that go with it.

What do you think we did?

Yes, just like you and everyone else, our greed took over and our purchases hit the $ 30 mark as the sun hits the Caribbean.

Say hello to the cookie factor!

This is, in short, the cookie factor. You create a demand for the product with something so attractive that the customer forgets about the product itself and focuses mainly on cookies. Psychologists call this second interest psychology. This effectively means that people shift focus to treats and end up buying the main product based on this little incentive.

How far can you take $ 5?

Quite a long way, I would say judging by Marie’s success. Marie, a friend of ours, is self-employed and is called when there are specific jobs to do at various design firms. Like clockwork, he lands at work with a box of delicious and delicious chocolate chip cookies. (My mouth is watering, just writing this!)

It’s weird, I know, but customers who make over a hundred thousand dollars a year drool like puppies at the prospect of free cookies. $ 5 in cookies gave Marie a red carpet treatment and more work than she could imagine. Without a doubt, his work was exceptional, but so was the work of his competition. The only turning point in the game was the cookie factor.

You may not think that sensible grown-ups would be stupid enough to fall for what seems like pretty obvious bait. Look around you though, the cookie factor is okay, alive and bouncing off the walls!

Look mom, there are cookies everywhere!

Look at the air points and the points you collect every time you fill up the fuel. Why the hell would you fly on the same airline, despite those crazy schedules? Why fill up gas at that disgusting gas station? Or buy pizza at the same pizza place every time? It’s all thanks to the cookie factor. It is greed to go into action and want something for nothing.

You can see the cookie factor in different dimensions. Here are three main avatars.

1) As an incentive: Get that vacuum cleaner in motion!

People buy for the added factor. They always have and always will. As long as they perceive themselves as getting something for nothing, they will be drawn to it like flies to honey. The cookie factor makes indecisive shoppers staunch believers. Deep within the human psyche is the need for justification. The bonus they receive fills that space and makes the credit card heat up once again.

2) As a retention tool: Stick like glue!

The cookie factor is magic for retention. Imagine you have a law firm and you have these free educational training sessions for your clients on a regular basis. What you are doing is giving away something for nothing. You’re giving them back like the pizzeria does every time. This is a powerful retention tool to get customers back to your airspace. Induction and retention factor may look and feel the same, but there is a little difference. Induction is instant gratification, while, as with retention, it is a slow-moving process that shows results in loyal customers.

2) As a deterrent

This is the dark side of the cookie factor: the Darth Vader! 5-year rentals and leases fall into this category. The cookie factor is used so that the customer enters at a low rate, but keeps them hooked on the product or service for a long period of time. When you buy a refrigerator or computer, you can get an additional 5-year peace of mind by purchasing additional warranties. There is very little real user benefit here, but it does exist, if only in the dark alleys of your marketing strategy.

Are you mixing the cookie factor with the hot spot?

If so, that is fine. A key point in selling is figuring out what the buyer is most interested in and then pursuing that interest, often basing the entire sale on that factor. The cookie factor is a small change from this thought process.

Let me give you an example

If you were selling a home, a hotspot would be the proverbial cherry tree. The buyer loves cherry tree, has always wanted a cherry tree and the sale of the house is based on this hotspot. The cookie factor is slightly different. It is a deliberate act of setting cookies to entice the potential buyer into their pockets for a new mortgage. I’ve met people who have bought houses based on the premise that they have the sofas, the desk, or the artwork on the mantelpiece. I’ve met smart real estate agents who have set this cookie factor as part of the deal and created interest where boredom exists.

This is the bait, the cookie factor! It attracts the customer and tilts it in their favor. In effect, the cookie factor becomes the hot spot and is on its way to a definite sale.

Where is your cookie factor?

If you analyze your business and your marketing strategy, you are sure to find one. When tested online, it was found that sales increased by more than 30% by introducing a bonus to the product. If you are in services, you can offer two or three add-ons at the time of purchase. If you sell a product, put a label on a quilt at a bedding sale or on a stamp box with a pen.

The relevance of your cookie factor is extremely important. A recent restaurant chain offered a free dessert with a dessert order. Does that really appeal to you? If you’re going to have a cookie factor, dispense with the stupidity. Make it relevant and valuable and your customers will respond in droves. If your cookies are stale or crumbling, find a trash can that you can call home.

And finally, remember that it is not difficult to find a cookie factor in your business. Provides you with extra ammo to make the customer happy. And guess what happens when customers are happy?

Yes, they buy!

Go out there and find your cookie factor. Life is sure to get more chocolaty once you do!