Terms

Consumer

A consumer is an individual or group who purchases goods or services for personal use, acting as the final user in the economic distribution chain. While often confused with a "customer"—the person who buys a product—the consumer is specifically the one who ultimately uses it, a distinction important in both legal and business contexts.

Importance of Consumers in the Market

Consumers are the engine of any capitalist economy. Their demand for goods and services is the primary motivation for producers to create and innovate. Without this consumption, the entire economic cycle would stall.

Beyond just purchasing, consumer preferences directly shape market dynamics and trends. Businesses compete to meet these evolving needs, leading to better products and services. This influence extends from product design to marketing strategies, placing the consumer at the center of business.

Consumer Behavior Trends

Modern consumer behavior is rapidly evolving, driven by technological advancements and a shift in societal values. Consumers are no longer passive recipients but active participants in the marketplace, shaping how businesses operate. This has led to several key trends that define the current landscape.

  • Personalization: demanding experiences and products that are highly tailored to individual needs and preferences.
  • Prosumerism: shifting from passive consumption to actively co-creating products and influencing brands through online content.
  • Sustainability: showing a strong preference for eco-friendly products and supporting companies with ethical practices.
  • Digitalization: increasingly using online platforms for every stage of the buying journey, from discovery to post-purchase reviews.

Consumer vs. Customer

While the terms are often used interchangeably, key distinctions determine business strategy.

  • Consumer: The end-user of a product, who may not be the purchaser. Targeting consumers allows for personalized marketing and direct feedback, which is ideal for B2C companies building brand loyalty. However, their individual purchasing power is lower. Mid-market firms often target consumers to differentiate themselves in crowded markets.
  • Customer: The individual or organization that purchases the product. Targeting customers is effective for B2B or wholesale models, as they hold the buying power and may purchase in bulk. The disadvantage is a potential disconnect from the end-user's needs. Enterprises often focus here for large-scale distribution contracts.

Rights and Responsibilities of Consumers

Consumers are protected by a set of fundamental rights that ensure fair and safe transactions in the marketplace. These rights are balanced by responsibilities that empower consumers to make informed decisions and act ethically. This dual framework fosters a healthier, more transparent economic environment.

  • Safety: to be protected from hazardous goods or services.
  • Information: to be given the facts needed to make an informed choice.
  • Awareness: to be critical and conscious of prices and quality.

Impact of Technology on Consumer Habits

Technology, particularly the internet and mobile devices, has fundamentally reshaped the consumer landscape. It has empowered individuals with unprecedented access to information and a greater voice in the marketplace. This digital shift has created new habits and expectations that businesses must now navigate.

  • Empowerment: Instantly researching products, comparing prices, and reading online reviews before purchasing.
  • Personalization: Expecting tailored recommendations and marketing based on browsing history and past behavior.
  • Convenience: Shopping anytime, anywhere through e-commerce and mobile apps with fast delivery options.
  • Prosumerism: Evolving from passive buyers to active co-creators who influence product development online.
  • Engagement: Interacting directly with brands through social media, fostering a two-way dialogue.

Frequently Asked Questions about Consumer

How does a B2B company identify its end consumer?

B2B firms identify consumers by studying their client's end-users. This involves analyzing market data and user feedback to understand who ultimately uses the product or service, which helps refine their offerings and marketing to better support their immediate customer's success.

Isn't focusing on the customer more profitable than the consumer?

Not always. While the customer makes the purchase, consumer satisfaction drives long-term loyalty and repeat business. Neglecting the end-user's experience risks churn, making a consumer-centric view crucial for sustainable profitability and brand strength in competitive markets.

How has the role of the consumer changed with digital marketing?

Consumers have evolved from passive buyers to active "prosumers." They co-create value through reviews and social media, directly shaping brand perception and product development. This shift demands that businesses engage in constant dialogue and respond to real-time feedback to stay relevant.

Other terms

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DevOps

DevOps is a culture and set of practices that merges software development (Dev) and IT operations (Ops) to shorten development cycles.

DevOps

Revenue Intelligence

Revenue intelligence is the process of collecting and analyzing customer data to provide insights that help sales teams make smarter decisions.

Revenue Intelligence

Sandboxes

A sandbox is an isolated testing environment where new or untrusted code can be run safely without affecting the host device or network.

Sandboxes

Statement of Work

A Statement of Work (SoW) is a document that outlines a project's scope, deliverables, and timeline. It acts as a contract between parties.

Statement of Work

Marketing Attribution

Marketing attribution is the process of identifying which touchpoints contribute to a conversion and assigning value to each of them.

Marketing Attribution

Digital Sales Room

A Digital Sales Room is a private online space where sellers share all relevant content with buyers to streamline the sales cycle.

Digital Sales Room

Sales Enablement Content

Sales enablement content refers to the materials and tools that empower your sales team to engage prospects and close deals more efficiently.

Sales Enablement Content

NoSQL

NoSQL ("Not only SQL") databases offer a flexible alternative to relational models, excelling at managing large and unstructured data sets.

NoSQL

Buying Signal

A buying signal is any action from a prospect that indicates they are interested in making a purchase, helping sales teams prioritize leads.

Buying Signal

Simple Object Access Protocol Application Programming Interface

A Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) API is a web service that uses XML to exchange structured information between different applications.

Simple Object Access Protocol Application Programming Interface

Ideal Customer Profile

An Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) is a detailed description of the perfect, hypothetical company that would get the most value from your product.

Ideal Customer Profile

Outbound Sales

Outbound sales is when reps proactively contact potential customers through cold calls or emails to generate leads and build a sales pipeline.

Outbound Sales

Yield Management

Yield management is a dynamic pricing strategy that adjusts prices based on demand to maximize revenue from a fixed, perishable inventory.

Yield Management

Salesforce Administrator

A Salesforce Administrator is a certified professional who manages and customizes the Salesforce platform to meet a company's specific business needs.

Salesforce Administrator

Cold Emailing

Cold emailing is sending unsolicited emails to potential customers you haven't contacted before, aiming to start a business conversation.

Cold Emailing

Escalations

Escalations are the process of moving a customer issue or sales opportunity to a more senior or specialized team member for resolution.

Escalations

Touches

Touches are the individual interactions you have with a prospect throughout the sales process, from emails and calls to social media messages.

Touches

Conversion Path

A conversion path is the journey a visitor takes to complete a desired goal, such as making a purchase, filling out a form, or subscribing.

Conversion Path

Video Hosting

Video hosting is a service that allows users to upload, store, and share video content online, making it accessible for playback anywhere.

Video Hosting

Sales Dialer

A sales dialer is software that automates outbound calling for sales teams, allowing reps to connect with more prospects in less time.

Sales Dialer

Commission

A commission is a service charge paid to an agent for a transaction. It's typically a percentage of the sale, rewarding performance directly.

Commission

Account-Based Sales Development

Account-Based Sales Development (ABSD) is a focused strategy where SDRs target key stakeholders within specific, high-value accounts.

Account-Based Sales Development

Warm Email

A warm email is a message sent to a prospect with whom you have a pre-existing connection, like a mutual contact or a prior interaction.

Warm Email

Marketing Automation Platform

A marketing automation platform is software that automates marketing actions. It helps manage tasks like email campaigns and lead nurturing.

Marketing Automation Platform

Key Accounts

Key accounts are a company's most valuable customers, vital due to their significant revenue contribution and strategic importance for growth.

Key Accounts

Marketing Performance

Marketing performance is the process of measuring a campaign's effectiveness against set goals using key metrics like ROI and conversion rates.

Marketing Performance

Request for Quotation

A Request for Quotation (RFQ) is a document that a company sends to one or more suppliers to get a quote for specific products or services.

Request for Quotation

Buyer Behavior

Learn about buyer behavior, including understanding the buyer's journey, influencing factors in buyer behavior, & buyer behavior and marketing strategy.

Buyer Behavior

Vertical Market

A vertical market is a niche where businesses cater to a specific industry or group of customers with specialized needs, not the mass market.

Vertical Market

Discount Strategies

Discount strategies are pricing tactics used to attract customers and boost sales by temporarily reducing the price of products or services.

Discount Strategies

SPIN Selling

SPIN selling is a sales technique using a sequence of questions—Situation, Problem, Implication, Need-Payoff—to uncover a buyer's needs.

SPIN Selling

Data Privacy

Data privacy is an individual's right to control their personal information, including how it's collected, processed, stored, and shared.

Data Privacy

Buyer

Learn about buyer, including identifying your ideal buyer, understanding buyer's journey, & evaluating buyer decision processes.

Buyer

Multi-touch Attribution

Multi-touch attribution is a marketing analytics method that credits multiple touchpoints on the customer journey for a conversion.

Multi-touch Attribution

Nurture

Nurture is the process of building relationships with potential customers, guiding them through the sales funnel with personalized communication.

Nurture

Overcoming Objections

Overcoming objections is the process of addressing and resolving a prospect's concerns or hesitations to move a sale forward.

Overcoming Objections

Break-Even

Learn about break-even, including calculating your break-even point, importance of break-even analysis, & break-even analysis vs. profit margins.

Break-Even

Territory Management

Territory management is the process of segmenting customers into groups by geography or other factors to optimize sales efforts and resources.

Territory Management

ETL

ETL, short for Extract, Transform, Load, is a data integration process for moving raw data from various sources to a central data warehouse.

ETL

SDK

A Software Development Kit (SDK) is a set of tools that allows developers to create applications for a specific software package or platform.

SDK

Product Champion

A product champion is an internal evangelist who drives a product's adoption and success by ensuring it solves real problems for their team.

Product Champion

Sales Quota

A sales quota is a time-bound sales goal for a rep or team, measured in revenue or units sold, to be met within a specific period.

Sales Quota

Sales Bundle

A sales bundle groups multiple products or services into a single offering, often at a discounted price to provide greater value to customers.

Sales Bundle

Conversion Rate

Conversion rate is the percentage of visitors who complete a desired goal, like a purchase or sign-up, out of the total number of visitors.

Conversion Rate

B2B Sales Channels

Learn about B2B sales channels, including types of B2B sales channels, strategies for effective channel selection, & integrating technology in B2B sales.

B2B Sales Channels

Funnel Analysis

Funnel analysis is a method for understanding the steps users take to complete a goal, revealing where they drop off in the conversion process.

Funnel Analysis

Objection

An objection is an explicit expression by a prospect that presents a barrier to moving forward in the sales process.

Objection

Robotic Process Automation

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) uses software bots to mimic human actions and automate repetitive, rules-based tasks on digital systems.

Robotic Process Automation

SEM

Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is a digital marketing strategy that uses paid tactics to increase a website's visibility in search engine results.

SEM

Marketing Intelligence

Marketing intelligence is gathering and analyzing data about your market, customers, and competitors to inform strategic marketing decisions.

Marketing Intelligence

Forward Revenue

Forward revenue is the total value of all active, committed contracts that are expected to be recognized as revenue in the future.

Forward Revenue

Horizontal Market

A horizontal market is one where a product or service is designed to meet a common need for a wide array of customers, regardless of their industry.

Horizontal Market

Voice Search Optimization

Voice search optimization is the process of optimizing your content, SEO, and online listings to appear in and rank for voice-based searches.

Voice Search Optimization

Customer Retention

Customer retention refers to the strategies and activities a company uses to prevent customer churn and encourage them to continue buying.

Customer Retention

CRM Data

CRM data is the information businesses use to manage customer relationships. It covers contact details, purchase history, and communication logs.

CRM Data

Sender Policy Framework

Sender Policy Framework (SPF) is an email authentication method that lets you specify which mail servers can send emails on behalf of your domain.

Sender Policy Framework

Digital Analytics

Digital analytics is the analysis of data from digital channels to understand user behavior and optimize online experiences for business goals.

Digital Analytics

Average Revenue per Account

Average Revenue per Account (ARPA) is the average revenue generated from each customer account, usually measured on a monthly or annual basis.

Average Revenue per Account

Platform as a Service

Platform as a Service (PaaS) is a cloud model where a provider delivers a platform for users to develop, run, and manage applications online.

Platform as a Service

Accounts Payable

Accounts Payable (AP) is the money a company owes its suppliers for goods or services bought on credit. It's listed as a current liability.

Accounts Payable

Sales Engineer

Sales Engineers blend deep technical knowledge with sales acumen, demonstrating a product's value and solving customer problems to drive revenue.

Sales Engineer

Interactive Voice Response

Interactive Voice Response (IVR) is an automated phone system that uses voice and keypad inputs to interact with callers and route their calls.

Interactive Voice Response

Talk Track

A talk track is a script that guides sales reps during calls. It ensures they cover key points and maintain a consistent message with prospects.

Talk Track

Freemium

Freemium is a business model offering a product's basic features for free, while charging for advanced or supplemental features.

Freemium

Customer Segmentation

Customer segmentation is dividing customers into groups based on shared traits. This allows for more targeted and effective marketing efforts.

Customer Segmentation

Channel Marketing

Channel marketing is a strategy where a company sells its products or services through third-party partners, like resellers or affiliates.

Channel Marketing

Expansion Revenue

Expansion revenue is the extra money a business makes from its current customers via upgrades, new products, or additional services.

Expansion Revenue

Business Intelligence In Marketing

Learn about business intelligence in marketing, including the role of data in marketing BI, key components of marketing BI, & marketing BI vs. market research.

Business Intelligence In Marketing

Consultative Sales

Consultative selling is a sales approach where a salesperson acts as an advisor, focusing on understanding and solving a customer's specific needs.

Consultative Sales

Inventory Management

Inventory management is the process of ordering, storing, and using a company's inventory, from raw materials to finished goods.

Inventory Management

Persona-Based Marketing

Persona-based marketing uses fictional customer profiles, or personas, to create targeted messaging for specific audience segments.

Persona-Based Marketing

Conversational Intelligence

Conversational intelligence (CI) is AI technology that analyzes customer conversations to find insights that help sales and support teams improve.

Conversational Intelligence

Sales Process

A sales process is a structured set of steps that a sales team follows to move a prospect from an initial lead to a closed customer.

Sales Process

Amortization

Amortization is the process of spreading out a loan or the cost of an intangible asset over a specific period for accounting and tax purposes.

Amortization

Average Revenue per User

Average Revenue per User (ARPU) is a key performance indicator that calculates the average revenue generated from each user or subscriber.

Average Revenue per User

Email Cadence

An email cadence is a scheduled sequence of emails sent to prospects over a specific period to nurture leads and drive engagement.

Email Cadence

Gated Content

Gated content is premium online material, like an ebook or webinar, that users can only access after providing their contact information.

Gated Content

Inbound Lead Generation

Inbound lead generation is the process of attracting potential customers to your business with valuable content and tailored experiences.

Inbound Lead Generation

User-generated Content

User-generated content (UGC) refers to any form of content, like images, videos, or text, created and shared by users on online platforms.

User-generated Content

Buyer’s Remorse

Buyer’s remorse is the sense of regret or anxiety that can arise after making a purchase, often questioning if it was the right decision.

Buyer’s Remorse

Sales Calls

A sales call is a real-time conversation between a salesperson and a prospect, aiming to persuade them to purchase a product or service.

Sales Calls

Trusted Advisor

A trusted advisor is an expert who builds a deep client relationship by consistently prioritizing their best interests over any single transaction.

Trusted Advisor

Smile and Dial

"Smile and dial" is a high-volume sales tactic where reps make numerous cold calls from a list, often with little to no prior research.

Smile and Dial

Digital Contracts

Digital contracts are legally binding agreements created, signed, and stored electronically, offering a faster, more secure alternative to paper.

Digital Contracts

On-premise CRM

An on-premise CRM is a system hosted on a company's own servers, offering complete control over data, security, and system maintenance.

On-premise CRM

Buyer's Journey

The buyer's journey maps the path a potential customer takes, from first becoming aware of a problem to making a final purchase decision.

Buyer's Journey

Scrum

Scrum is an agile framework that helps teams structure and manage their work through a set of values, principles, and practices.

Scrum

Employee Engagement

Employee engagement is the emotional commitment an employee has to their organization, motivating them to contribute to the company's success.

Employee Engagement

Target Buying Stage

The Target Buying Stage identifies a prospect's position in the buying journey, from initial awareness to the final decision to purchase.

Target Buying Stage

Sales Playbook

A sales playbook is a guide that outlines your sales process, best practices, and tools to help reps sell more efficiently and consistently.

Sales Playbook

Objection Handling in Sales

Objection handling in sales is the process of responding to a prospect's concerns about a product or service to move the deal forward.

Objection Handling in Sales

Sales Operations Management

Sales Operations Management streamlines sales processes, tech, and data analysis to help sales teams sell more effectively and efficiently.

Sales Operations Management

Gamification

Gamification applies game mechanics like points, badges, and leaderboards to non-game activities to boost engagement and motivate users.

Gamification

Kubernetes

Kubernetes is an open-source system for automating the deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications.

Kubernetes

Data Pipelines

A data pipeline is a set of automated processes that move raw data from various sources to a destination for storage and analysis.

Data Pipelines

De-dupe

De-duping, or data deduplication, is the process of eliminating duplicate copies of data within a dataset to improve accuracy and save space.

De-dupe

Business to customer

Learn about business to customer, including maximizing B2C sales strategies, B2C vs. B2B: unveiling differences, & core principles of B2C success.

Business to customer

Sales Forecast

A sales forecast is a projection of future sales revenue. It's a crucial tool for businesses to make informed decisions and allocate resources.

Sales Forecast

CI/CD

CI/CD, or Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery, automates software builds, tests, and deployments for faster, more reliable releases.

CI/CD

Weighted Pipeline

A weighted pipeline forecasts sales revenue by assigning a closing probability to each deal based on its stage in the sales funnel.

Weighted Pipeline