The Custom Earplug Buying Cycle

There are specific events which prompt a buyer into purchasing a product. The Buying Cycle explains this process which may look different for every product or service. In the case of purchasing hearing protection, this cycle can be divided into four stages: awareness, research, purchase and advocacy. Customers go through the cycle as they educate themselves and move closer to the final purchasing stage. But what do the stages really mean?

Finding the right hearing protection is a process. What works for one person may not work for another. You need to take the time to ask questions, discuss your needs, and have a conversation about your hearing rather than buying the first item that pops up online.

Big Ear, Inc. was created for the sole purpose of helping our customers find the perfect solution for their hearing protection the first time. I personally offer to guide you through our products and solutions in order to get it right. Consider the Chinese proverb: ‘If you give a man a fish, you’ll feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and he’ll eat for a lifetime.’ Our solution is the same. You can buy earplugs and attempt to correct your problem, or you can learn from the experts in hearing loss prevention and walk away with a lifetime skill that not only saves your hearing but helps you save the hearing of others. If you read on, I promise to make you a proud fisherman. With the help of my team, I will give you very useful information about hearing protection that you probably cannot find anywhere else.

1.1 Awareness

This is the first stage in the Buying Cycle. This is the point when the customer first recognizes his problem or the need to fulfill a certain desire.

For instance, you suddenly wake up to a hearing difficulty that you did not notice yesterday. Consequently, you recognize the need to remedy the situation. You then turn to the internet to search for possible solutions.

1.2 Research

This is the second stage of the Buying Cycle. This is when a customer considers his options before actually purchasing a product. With today’s technology, it is easy to research about which product best suits a customer’s needs. The tricky part, however, lies in filtering useful information from misleading ones.

As previously mentioned, it is highly likely for someone to turn to the internet for help. You may find yourself typing in keywords such as “Why are my ears ringing?” or “best product for ear pain”. Alternatively, you may list your symptoms and land on popular websites such as Amazon or eBay. However, even as gigantic as these e-commerce services are, they may not be the most credible sources to look for reliable information regarding hearing protection. There is a lot of misrepresentation in numerous products sold and some sellers go as far as hiring people to put up fake reviews.

At Big Ear, we guarantee to give honest information about hearing protection. Personally, I have spent over 15 years helping hundreds of thousands of people with their hearing problem. With the advocacy of spreading hearing conservation awareness, we are guided in our journey to provide the best custom hearing protection.

You may think about our company’s difference from the others. I’m here to tell you that aside from the details that we provide in our website, we are also ready to listen to your questions and your story. We aim to make sure that our customers get exactly what they need.

1.2.1 Learn How to Research Properly

As there is a wide range of data available anywhere from books, magazines, journals, or the internet, it is very important to be able to recognize reliable information.

It is easy to get lost in the chaotic world that is the internet. A familiar situation would be typing keywords such as “best earplugs”, “cheapest earplugs”, or “top ten earplugs”. Clicking on the results will most likely show you websites with comparisons of different products. However, more often than not, these websites, which are paid by e-commerce giants, are not really authorities on hearing protection. Moreover, what is missing from these advertisement pages are real testimonials.

Research may be divided into two categories: hard research and soft research. Hard research refers to searching for content that is backed up by professional and academic evidence. These include libraries, academic journals, government websites and publications, and unbiased non-government sources. A good example of an online library is WorldCat. Soft research, on the other hand is gathering information from respected online writers. Consider looking into blogs, forums, consumer product review sites, and social media. A popular example of a discussion site is Reddit. With the latter category, be wary of  dubious claims and unverified sources.

While you are here, have a look at our article on how to choose the right earplugs.

1.3 Purchase

This is the last stage and the highlight of the Buying Cycle. This is the time when the customer decides that he wants to buy the product and goes ahead to pay for it.

In the case of purchasing hearing protection, knowing your size and optimizing the fit is essential. If you decide to buy generic earplugs, then you will most likely save money as these are the cheaper options in the market. However, be aware that these come in one-size-fits-all sizing and may not fit snugly in your ears. If this happens, then you will not get the most from the protection that they should provide.

On the other hand, if you consider purchasing custom earplugs, then you will spend more but you will be at ease knowing that these fit perfectly in your ear canal. More importantly, you will get the level of protection that you paid for.

In the long run, it may be more cost-effective to purchase custom earplugs as these are durable and more likely to deliver its promised Noise Reduction Ratings (NRR) and Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR).

1.4 Advocacy

The final stage in the Buying Cycle is the point when you become part of the advocacy to spread hearing conservation awareness. This is when the fisherman, who was taught how to fish, eats for a lifetime.

If you have gotten this far, then you are geared towards sharing your awesome experience with your family and friends. Now that you know the importance of hearing protection, then you will want to protect others’ hearing too. You also now understand that people of all ages are constantly exposed to a variety of unsafe sound levels, even at home. From simple noise exposure from loud music to workplace noise hazards, these can take a toll on our hearing and may sometimes cause irreversible damage. By spreading the word and sharing your success story, you can help prevent someone else from suffering the same way you have.

1.5 Final Thoughts

In conclusion, every buyer goes through a series of stages which indicate where they are in their journey to preventing hearing loss. In order to make a smart purchase, you must research properly and weigh options.

As a fellow hearing prevention advocate, I would like to invite you to contact us and let Big Ear help you find the solution to your problem. I will personally assist you get it right the first time. If the 250,000+ people that I have helped found what’s best for them, then most definitely, so will you.