” What we got here is a failure to communicate.”
- Cool Hand Luke, 1967
How many times have you set out to buy something but encountered a sales process that was so out of kilter with your buying process that you moved on – regardless of the quality of the product or service? People, whether consumers or businesses, have wants and needs that generally can be solved by other people.
It really is that simple.
So why does it get so complicated?
Many buyers can clearly communicate what they want. Others can’t or won’t.
Regardless, a seller must continually focus on finding out:
♦ What buyers want
♦ How buyers find solutions to their needs
♦ What triggers a buying decision
♦ Buyer’s preferred communication methods
Who gets this right? The sellers that focus less on selling and more on listening to their buyers. Spending time understanding your existing customer base (and not just the vocal, squeaky hinges) can and will help increase existing customer satisfaction AND provide valuable insight into uncovering how and why these buyers selected your product or service in the first place.
Making a Connection
After finding out how buyers in your market find solutions to their needs, focus efforts on maximizing communication in the manner that buyers desire. Choices include internet marketing, search engine optimization, social media marketing, direct mail, trade journal advertising, email marketing, industry trade conferences and the advice of advocates and influencers, such as bloggers, consultants and industry experts.
Helping Buyers Evaluate Options & Make a Purchasing Decision
What do potential buyers fear the most? Making the wrong decision. Trials and samples provide the perfect opportunity to showcase your product’s capabilities, establish priorities and preferences with buyers and alleviate concerns and worries of making a bad decision. People buy from people and the consulting and care displayed during this process provides the pre-purchase assurance of post-purchase customer care and satisfaction.
