Winning the Zero Moment of Truth-Jim Lecinski

My first review…more pressure to pick something cool than I had expected.  All self-imposed, admittedly.

I want to give readers something interesting, maybe provide a topic of discussion-if not with other people, then at least an internal discussion.  I love when I read something that gets me thinking.  I know something is good when I find myself reaching for a notepad to start jotting down thoughts or ideas.  This ebook accomplished that so it gets the honor of being the first book in a series of (5 years, 52 weeks a year…) 260 books. Wow!  Now, onto the book.

What is a ZMOT (zee-mot)?
Zero Moment of Truth (ZMOT), according to Google is the online decision-making moment.  It is where we, as consumers, now make our buying choices or get at least 75% of the way there.

For example, I want to buy a new printer.  Way back in the olden days (7 years ago), I might see a commercial on TV, (anyone remember TV commercials?  Thank you DVR!), maybe ask a friend or co-worker about their printer to see if I could get a recommendation and then head to the store.

At the store, a salesperson would likely provide some additional information, I would find myself influenced by the packaging, product placement, accessories and price.  After thoughtful consideration, I would cross my fingers and hope for the best as I made my final choice.

Fast forward to 2011.  Those influencing factors (I count seven of them) have now turned into 30 plus-and that’s without ever stepping foot into a store. Here’s what I mean:

I want a new printer so I:

  1. Google “best printers”
  2. Go to Amazon.com and search for printers with the most ratings
  3. Check out YouTube for product reviews on the best printers
  4. Post on Twitter: “Looking for a new printer, what’s your favorite?”
  5. Get on Facebook and ask the same question
  6. Write a blog post about shopping for a printer and ask my readers for their suggestions
  7. Read my favorite tech blogger’s printer reviews
  8. Read my second favorite tech blogger’s printer reviews
  9. Read 3 more printer reviews from  tech bloggers I haven’t heard of
  10. see above
  11. see above
  12. Read the reviews on Consumer Reports website
  13. Visit cnet.com to read printer reviews
  14. Choose the features most important to me (fast printing and vivid color) and search for reviews based on those criteria
  15. Select my top 5 based on research thus far
  16. Post my top 5 to Twitter and ask for feedback
  17. Do the same on Facebook
  18. Head back to YouTube to watch video reviews on all 5
  19. Google “printer reviews forum” and include the names of my top five
  20. Read through the forums
  21. Post a question to someone who raves about the color quality of one of my choices to ask about speed
  22. Narrow selection to 2 and visit company pages to watch demos and read product information
  23. Search for the best pricing on the internet
  24. Search online for coupons, discount codes, free shipping or rebates
  25. Search for and compare pricing on the printer cartridges
  26. Email my friend who refills cartridges and ask for his feedback
  27. Check out Craigslist to see if there is a good deal locally
  28. Look on ebay for either of my printer options
  29. Find the store with the best price and read customer reviews on the store
  30. Visit the store website to look at return policies
  31. Now I am ready to visit the store to make my purchase

Sorry, that got long-didn’t it?  Well, you get the point.

The buying game has changed.  And not just for big purchases like a printer, camera, bike or a car.  People are doing their homework on everything they buy-from the best laundry detergent to the best Greek yogurt.  And not just products either.  When was the last time you went out to dinner someplace new without first reading reviews online? More than ever before, people want to know exactly what they are getting-before they put out the cash.

My husband and I took a vacation to New York City last month and my Yelpapp was our best friend. You can now go to a new city where you know no one and have hundreds of recommendations for where to eat, what to see, what to do-right in your pocket or purse. The best part was, I could search within 1 mile (or whatever distance you choose) to find the best places within walking distance.  Consequently, we found the coolest Thai restaurant where I ate the BEST meal I have ever eaten (no exaggeration)!

I think we all understand that the ZMOT has huge influence over what we buy and how we arrive at our decision.  For me, I sometimes spend more time at the ZMOT than I might care to admit (really Melissa, 29 positive reviews might be enough-just pull the trigger and buy the pen.)  You can get sucked into this world of reviews and research.  Especially for those of us who already suffer from analysis paralysis.  If you are someone who needs to feel you are making the best choice-this world of endless information can cause overwhelm.  But for the vast majority, the ability to have quick and easy access to product info and user reviews is liberating.  We can now buy confidently!

So what does this mean for business?

It means you really cannot ignore this powerful buying moment.  The book provides tons of useful suggestions to take advantage of ZMOT but the bottom line is-ENGAGE!

Never before has there been this opportunity to be a part of the buying decision.  When done properly, a company can join in the dialogue that is shaping consumer choices in real time.  It does require time, effort and most importantly-authenticity.  The only thing worse for a business than ignoring the ZMOT is failing at it.  You must truly care about what your customers think and have an interest in finding out what matters most to them and why.

Seth Godin, marketing genius and respected thought leader talks about Tribes.  He suggests that companies don’t need a message for everyone. Instead, they need to find the believers (their Tribe) and then they will spread your message for you. (check out Seth’s TED Talk on the subject)

Why are we so drawn to engage in this ZMOT?

I believe it satisfies three very important needs that humans share.

  1. Community: We want to know: Are you like me?  Do you like what I like? What do you think about this or that?  I see you gave the HP Deskjet 4 stars and you said you felt the cartridges were expensive.  I agree.  I want to try refilling them. Have you ever tried that and if so, how did it go?  We build community around the products and services we buy and that makes us feel connected.
  2. Share knowledge: As stated in the book-“People have a powerful urge to share knowledge once they reach their ‘moment of mastery’.”  When we have an answer to a question someone has, we are eager to share it.  When we eat the BEST Thai meal ever, we can’t wait to tell someone about it.  After we read a really great book, we share it with our friends in our blog.  We love to tell people our stories and pass along what we know. We’ve been doing it since the beginning of time.
  3. Success: This could also be called “avoid mistakes”.  The reason we comb through the reviews and ask our Facebook friends and Twitter followers what they think can be summed up with this-no one likes to make a mistake.  We all fear making the wrong choice.  Ever bought something on a whim and then went to Amazon to read product reviews only to discover it has 2 stars with over 250 reviews?  Ouch! Anyone who has ever made a bad buying decision, restaurant choice, vacation rental-you name it, knows the familiar sting and will happily do the extra work to avoid making a similar mistake again.  We all crave success and will take it where we can get it-even at the mall.

My action plan

What will I do with my new knowledge?  As I stated in my first blog post, I have made the commitment to choose at least one action item (something I will start doing, stop doing or do differently) as a result of what I read.  So here it is:

  • I will share this ebook and the lessons from it with my readers and with my clients.
  • I will offer to help my clients identify their ZMOT and brainstorm with them ways to engage at this moment with their customers.
  • I will identify my ZMOT for my company as well as this Blog and determine 3 strategies for engagement with my clients/readers.

Winning the Zero Moment of Truth by Jim Lecinski is an ebook published by Google.  You can read it for yourself at no cost by clicking the image or title in this post.

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