Breaking Competitive Accounts

Breaking Competitive Accounts

The last group of buyers are called mismatchers. If you have clients who are in this group, you may get frustrated that they are constantly trying new products. They need change and are constantly seeking it. We have to realize that there is little that we will do to keep this group. They are the first to buy new products, even before many other consumers know about it. These people only represent 7% of the population.

So how can you tell? If you asked these groups to compare a horse, a helicopter and a locomotive, they may respond like this:
Matchers: "They're all forms of transportation." (they will compare them based on sameness)
Matchers with Exception: "They're all forms of transportation, but two are on the ground and one is in the air.” (They will first look at how they are the same and then how they are different.)
Mismatchers with exception: "Two are on the ground and one is in the air, but they are all forms of transportation." (They will first look at how they are different and then how they are the same.)
Mismatchers: "They're nothing alike". (This speaks for itself. They look at how they are different.)

It's unlikely that we would ask our potential clients to compare these things. It doesn't matter what you ask them to compare. You may ask, “How is business this year over last year?" The way that they respond will give you significant clues about brand loyalty and the likelihood of change.

In approaching potential new customers, realize that as hard as it is for us to change habits, it's equally difficult for some of our customers. In approaching potential new accounts, however, if you have pre-determined that they are brand loyal to the competition and will most likely not change, you could be missing a lot of new business. Through the study of neurolinguistic communications, we realize that people make buying decisions differently based on the way that their mind sorts information.
If you’ve ever hesitated calling a new account, consider this. Only 6% of all buyers are truly brand loyal and most likely won't change. We call these people matchers. They typically are the last to buy new products and get very upset if modifications are made to existing lines that they're buying. If you have customers who are matchers, you would have to make drastic mistakes to lose this group.
Another 42% of the buying population consider change somewhat difficult, but will consider changing vendors if it won't rock their sense of security. These people are called matchers with exception. In approaching these accounts, we need to first present how your product or service is similar to what they've been doing and then how it is different.
Yet another group of buyers fall into the category of mismatchers with exception. These buyers not only accept change, they strive for it. If you have customers who are mismatchers with exception, you will need to present changes in your products or services to them first or risk losing them to another vendor. Marketing companies have recognized this for years and thus the birth of the "new and improved" product lines. This group represents roughly 45% of the population.

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