What All Customers Want!
Make sure you’re the one giving it to them.
By Jim St. James
It doesn’t matter what the product or service is, as consumers we all want the same thing. We want to feel like we made the right decision about what we bought. We want to feel like we bought the right product, at the right price, at the right terms, from the right business.
So, how do buyers know they have made the right decision?
By being informed consumers of course! And today, it’s easy for consumers to be informed. Just about anything you want to know can be found by reading magazines, talking to people or by browsing the internet. It’s a pretty good bet that if you spend the time looking, you will find more information than you can deal with, on any subject that you care to think about. But all this available information can be overwhelming.
But how does all this help us, as business owners, sell more products. If your business provides the information (education) to the buyer, helping them become better informed, you’ll gain their respect and their trust. This will lead to an increased share of business.
In your marketing materials, you should be providing key decision making information about your product and your company. If they go elsewhere to become informed, they will likely go elsewhere to buy. So you want to make it as easy as possible for your prospects to become informed!
Several things happen when you do this. First of all, you instantly become the expert. Whenever we see articles, presentations or reports about anything, we automatically assume that the person providing the information is an expert…until proven differently. So by providing expert information, you can gain instant credibility with your target market.
Secondly, you are making it easier for your customers to buy. This is a key ingredient in helping them buy from you. By giving them all the information they require to feel good about their purchasing decision, they will want to continue dealing with you.
Another key advantage of providing consumers the education they need to buy your product or service is that you begin a relationship with them much earlier in the sales cycle than if you are simply providing a product when they are ready to buy.
Let’s say you provide a short ad in the paper offering a free report on why it is important to regularly have your furnace serviced and the trouble one can avoid through regular maintenance. Now, I as a home owner may not be ready to buy your service, but I may be interested enough to order your report because I think I should be informed on this issue. I get the report and learn some interesting facts, making a mental note to get my furnace serviced before the winter arrives.
Some months later I decide to get my furnace serviced. Who do you think I call? You, of course – the person who made the effort to educate me. You caught my attention before I was ready to buy, and when I am ready to go…you are the one I think of and want to spend my money with.
There are many ways to provide valuable information to your target market to help them move along the buying cycle. Knowledgeable staff, informative marketing materials and an education-based approach to relationship building are keys to getting and keeping your customer base.
Jim St. James is a Business Coach with Action International Business Coaching. For more information call 905.475.7843 or visit www.actioncoaching.com/jimstjames
2600 John Street, Unit 207, Markham, ON L3R 3W3 T: 905.475.5222 F: 905.475.6369
