Are the most tangible and obvious of the three main types of customer needs.

10 things you need to know about your customer

This is the moment the consumer has been waiting for: the actual purchase. Once they have gathered all the facts, including feedback from previous customers, consumers should arrive at a logical conclusion on the product or service to purchase.

Can be broad or extremely specific, depending on the customer’s buying criteria.

Are similar to social needs in that they’re typically secondary to functional needs.

In this stage, they may browse through options at a physical location or consult online resources, such as Google or customer reviews.

This part of the consumer decision-making process involves reflection from both the consumer and the seller.

Are important because they drive revenues; without them, businesses cannot continue to exist.

This process typically takes place early-on in the conception stage, before any significant investment has been made in developing the product.

Can seem mysterious, but all consumers go through basic steps when making a purchase to determine what products and services will best fit their needs.

5 Steps in Consumer Decision-Making Process:

Is the process of presenting a concept for a product to its target market and learn from those prospective buyers whether or not the idea is worth pursuing.

2 Types of Customers

Refer to how a customer wants to feel.

Are the individuals or businesses that purchases goods or services from another business.

Customers typically evaluate potential solutions based on whether they’ll help them achieve a particular task or function.

Its value is that your organization can uncover those problems before committing any significant time or resources to a product concept.

Are individuals or businesses integrated into business operations, often existing as employees or other functional groups within the company.

Are dissociated from business operations and are often the parties interested in purchasing the final goods and services produced by a company.

The first step of the consumer decision-making process is recognizing the need for a service or product.

3 Main Types of Customer Needs

A customer need that relates to how a person wants to be perceived by others when using a product or service.

While they can be difficult to pinpoint, companies that identify those of their customers can use the information to tailor and optimize their product messaging.

The key is that it must include direct contact and feedback from people in the product's intended market.

While they aren't typically a customer's primary considering they can concern when a purchase, influence their final decision.

When researching their options, consumers again rely on internal and external factors, as well as past interactions with a product or brand, both positive and negative.

The two most common approaches to market validations are:

At this point in the consumer decision-making process, prospective buyers have developed criteria for what they want in a product.