Before mobile devices pervaded modern society, people had a different kind of interaction with each other. Not so long ago, a person would have waited at least one day to get an email response from a remote friend, or a few hours for an SMS reply. That was the norm and nobody expected otherwise.
But now, all communication is instant. You send a message on WhatsApp, and it shows you if the other person read it, so you can see what’s happening in real time. You tweet, and the next second someone retweets your message. You share something on Instagram, and you get an instant reaction. Facebook, the same.
In short, you receive instant gratification.
As humans, we all crave for different things and feel the urge to satisfy that craving. When we manage to do it fast, it means the gratification is instant, and we get a sense of temporary joy.
Social Media has been skyrocketing precisely because it satisfies your need of getting pleasure NOW. Many other businesses also flourish as long as their business’ model allows people to instantly get what they need: from fast food to fast sex (the fruitful idea behind the understandably successful Tinder, right?).
The fact is we got so used to living in the fast lane that we have become reluctant to be willing to wait long for anything. That means businesses need to catch up with the concept of NOW and run their activities with the customers’ urge of instant gratification in mind. Whether you sell physical products or you simply provide a service, your business will thrive better if you manage to connect instantly and cater to your prospects’ and customers’ need.
Here are a few ways to use use instant gratification to fuel your marketing efforts:
- Make a Powerful Promise
Nowadays, people want instant help and resources. They are not going to come to you (or turn to your assistance) if you don’t “read” their needs right away and answer accordingly. If you can promise, let’s say, that your fitness program can make an adult woman lose up to 5lbs in ten days, that’s a powerful message that can turn her from prospect into a client. As long as you keep a perfectly good and credible promise to her, she will get her instant gratification (you can agree that in the business of weight loss, ten days translates into instant).
Providing a period is crucial for customers, and you only have something to gain if you incorporate the urgency principle in your business. Make a powerful promise, deliver, gratify.
- Offer Close Contact
Providing stellar customer service can satisfy any prospect who wants information as soon as possible. If a person has heard of your services or has questions regarding one of the products you sell, he or she will feel the urgency to inquire from you immediately. And if that person can’t reach you soon enough, he or she might change his/her mind and look for something else.
A 24/7 hotline – such as chat service or email support – offers around-the-clock feedback that might increase your costs, it’s true. But if your customer base shows demand, it’s the ideal instant satisfaction strategy.
- Start Selling Online
Online sales are like a water well for the thirsty: if your products are readily available before the client even needs to leave home, that means you quenched their thirst. In other words, you’ve offered instant gratification.
What’s more, if you conduct a type of search marketing in Central Canada you can incorporate this strategy with the option for customers to download a product with just a few clicks, you can increase your rate of instant feedback. Downloadable products are just another efficient instrument to provide immediate gratification.
Conclusion
The time for “thank you for your message, we’ll get back to you as soon as possible” is long gone. If you want your business to do well, you must learn to provide a definite and truthful timeline, and deadline for that matter. As long as you cater to the customers’ needs correctly and in due time, using the power of now upon interaction can only yield benefits.