As entrepreneurs there are some very basic things that we’ve all been taught. The first thing we generally do is identify a consumer need.

Then we’re usually taught to define our ideal customer.

Lastly we’re supposed to define for that ideal customer, unique selling point (usp) of our product or service.

I believe all of these processes actually work more as an integrated, dynamic flow than as a linear process.

What many times we are not taught is how do we integrate marketing our product or service with our knowledge of consumer thinking.

Consumers make purchasing decisions based on choice processes. There are generally three process that consumers go through when they decide to make a purchase and process they use is dependent on type of product or service they are considering.

Therefore, your unique selling point, identified customer need, and ideal customer profile should be integrated with one another and marketed based on a knowledge of consumer thinking.

Let’s use my latest e-book, “Micro Loans: Finance Your Dreams”, as an example of integration. First I spent time identifying a need. That need was money. Entrepreneurs need money to finance their business projects. Most home businesses and microbusinesses have trouble qualifying for large loans from traditional lending sources so I wrote this ebook to help them meet need for money.

Next, I took time to identify my ideal customer based on identified need. The ideal customer is a home business or microbusiness entrepreneur who is motivated and passionate about accomplishing their dreams. This includes both men and women who are currently making ends meet but want more out of life and want to pursue an entrepreneurial dream.

After this, based on identified need, and my ideal customer profile, I was able to create my ebook’s unique selling point. As a matter of fact, I wrote book specifically to create a unique selling point. “Micro Loans: Finance Your Dreams’” unique selling point is this: It provides instruction on how to access a little know government business program, which is funded through SBA, at an affordable price combined with tools and templates to make access to program easier.

Now, we have an identified need (money), we have an ideal customer (home business entrepreneur) and a product with a unique selling point (an ebook). These can now be factored into our marketing decisions. There are, as stated earlier, three generally accepted processes consumers use to make buying decisions.

The first is “buyer action process”. This process involves five mental steps a buyer goes through before making a purchasing decision. It is job of marketer to guide them through these steps. 1. Creating awareness – get their attention 2. Developing interest – hold their attention 3. Inducing desire – convince them they want your product or service 4. Conviction – solidify their belief that they want your product or service 5. Action – motivating them to make purchase. This process is generally engaged in when consumer easily understands features and benefits of a product or service, product is not expensive, and purchase does not involve multiple decision makers.