Why We Love Buying Tools (And the lesson)

OK, let’s face it…

Us bloggers and online marketing types love to buy tools. We love to snag deals on tools. Even if we end up not even using them. Just buy that bad boy “just in case”, right?

Guilty?

Yep, me too. Although I will say that I’ve gotten a hell of a lot better at this.

But, “shiny object syndrome” is pretty rampant. Especially when you have all these tool creators running deals and special. This last Black Friday week probably had a bunch of you buying various tools and software. Will you ever use it? Who the hell knows.

But, why does that kind of stuff work so well? Why are we happy to snag a deal on some software tool or a plug-in… even if you might not use it until way later down the road?

Here’s the thing to keep in mind…

Tools = Instant Solutions.

A tool or a plug-in is designed to solve a problem and do so quickly and easily.

It isn’t like an online course, which carries with it the inherent promise of more work. Courses are often sold with big promises, but you have to actually go through the training, do the stuff, etc.

Tools, on the other hand, have this feeling of just being instantaneous. It does the work for you. That’s the idea. And that’s why we love ’em so much.

Now unless you plan to get into the software creation business, how can we apply this same idea to our own information-based businesses?

Well, ask yourself this question…

How can you create a solution that is as near instant as you can, even though it is training-based? What is the quickest possible path you can take your customer/student on to get them to the result they want?

We do this with lead magnets all the time. If you go through my simple training on creating lead magnets, you’ll see that I emphasize creating something that is pretty specific, gives a solution, and does so quickly. It needs to be consumed quickly and then get out of the way.

Now, with a course, we’re not trying to have a 5-minute thing here. But, we can’t lose sight of that goal. In the end, your customer wants the end product. They want the solution – and they want it FAST.

You can also sweeten up your offer with bonuses that bring that instant-solution vibe to the package. Maybe have the training core of your product be whatever it needs to be, but you have a package of shortcuts and aids that go along with it to help them quickly and easily solve typical problems that your student might have.

To do this, you need need to have real empathy with the people you are serving (or intending to serve). You should really understand what the problem is for them, how it feels, and be able to view it from their perspective. When you can do that, you can begin to customize and tailor your offers so that it will really speak right to them and make them really, REALLY want it.

This is true for almost any market. And that’s because the desire for solutions is pretty universal. And it is a rare bird who says “I want that solution and I want it to take a really LONG time.” Nah… people want it FAST.

So, take your own blog. Your own online business. Regardless of whatever stage you are in right now. And look at the content, the lead magnets, the offers. Are they designed to offer up specific solutions and do so rapidly? And you overwhelming them… or are you simplifying and speeding things up? You want to aim toward simplification and speed.

This is why we love buying software tools. They’re supposed to make things simpler… and faster.

But, instead of being out there just buying crap willy-nilly because of this, let’s turn it around and apply that to our own businesses so you can make money, not just spend it.