|
||||||
|
||||||
|
Five Things More Important to Buyers than WHAT You're Selling - IFive Things More Important to Buyers than WHAT You're Selling - IArticle I of a two-part series For Article II http://www.yellowpagesage.com/article233.html Dr. Lynella Grant No matter what customers say they want, what they're really looking for is "something special." They can't quite describe it, but when they find it, they know. Indeed, those little details of the buying experience may appear intangible. But what you sell is usually less important to customers, almost incidental--unless they don't get what they expected. As Walt Disney said, "Do what you do so well that people want to bring their friends to see you do it again." Any business able to satisfy customers in these five ways will consistently beat the competition. NOTICE: More important than WHAT you provide, is HOW you provide it. So much attention is paid to the WHAT, the HOW often takes a backseat. Yet it's the quality of your HOW that determines whether the sale is made or lost. Buyers focused only on price are likely to be one-time visitors, but even they sometimes decide the cheapest price "just isn't worth it." 1. How well they're treated People (even business buyers) care about the human touch. They want to be treated with respect and fairness. They want to feel like valued customers--whose time and opinions matter. If people can't trust you to treat them right, they certainly won't trust you with their money. Whether or not the sale occurs depends on whether the customer feels taken for granted--or taken. Equally important is how the business deals with problems or complaints as they arise. Making mistakes needn't be fatal, customers understand that. However, the willingness to fix them and minimize their impact on the buyer is crucial. Solving it immediately, with the right attitude, can even strengthen the bond. But fumbling the ball a second time simply isn't forgiven. 2. How efficiently the buying process went From start to end, did each step of the sale go smoothly? Could the buyers get the answers or help they needed? Could they find what they came for (or why not)? Was the operation arranged to accommodate them? their time frame? Were prices and payment options clear and easy to deal with? Can most buyers complete the transaction without triggering number 3? 3. How much aggravation they had to endure Aggravations are of two types--those that shouldn't have happened (glitches). Or those that happen to everyone, like long waits, multiple visits, shortage of parts, etc. A buyer is willing to endure a little inconvenience, but not for long, not every time. Your job is to minimize inconveniences so they don't arise--not treat them like business as usual. Here's where the helpful, informed employees will make or break the business. First in building customer rapport, anticipating their concerns, and avoiding problems in the first place. 4. How many mind games are played on them Sorry to say, the word "sales" gets misused too often. Selling isn't an opportunity to manipulate the potential buyer to do what the seller wants, rather than providing the buyer what they want. No one wants to feel like a sucker or to be mislead about prices, delivery dates, or terms of the sale. Even a hint of such treatment kills trust, kills their willingness to hear you out. And if a person feels tricked into buying, they won't buy again. Or they might cancel the sale afterward from buyer's remorse. 5. How well the business has its act together Starting with the first impression, did everything about the business live up to its promise or reputation? If every part of the operation works smoothly as an integrated whole, consider the customer well served. When the parts are mismatched or full of snags, it screams "small potatoes." That scares business away. Even if the issues are minor, they pull the plug on trust. Fortunately, a focus on your HOW yields big benefits from quick and inexpensive solutions. For tangible ways to wipe out small potatoes signals, visit my website where I discuss this. http://www.giantpotatoes.com Get your HOWs in order, and you'll drive the competition crazy Customers notice when they're treated well. Let your uniqueness shine in the HOW of customer-pleasing practices. It pays off in your bottom line. (c)2004, Lynella Grant This is Part I of a two-part series. Part II, about Internet buyers, can be read at: http://www.yellowpagesage.com/article233.html About the author: -- Dr. Lynella Grant is an expert in visual communication, how printed materials send signals that reinforce or negate the verbal message. Decode and repair your unintended impressions. Author, "The Business Card Book" and "Yellow Page Smarts." http://www.yellowpagesage.com(719) 395-9450 Off the Page Press P.O. Box 4880 Buena Vista, CO 81211 Circulated by Article Emporium Online Network Marketing 101B - Basic Must Steps To Follow To Be A Successful Marketer In my earlier article, “Online Network Marketing 101A”, I wrote the first three things that you have to do in order for you to start your career to be a successful marketer. We are going to talk about some of the actions that you can do to enhance your experience of being a success... 5 Simple And Easy Ways To Advertise Online Advertising is everything some people say. Regardless if you have a product, a service, a hobby website or just want to share pictures of your wedding, you have to advertise somehow to get the traffic to your site or blog. But not all traffic is equal. Th... Google Paid Advertising Review Part I With the recent 'Florida' update on google & its impact on the SERPs, typically on the commercial search phrases, it has become imperative that we now examine paid advertising scenario at google. For scores of merchants, now paid advertising will be the only way to help them salvag... 5 Surefire Ways to Increase Sales The Internet has changed how people do their business. Even small business owners are able to reach global market inexpensively nowadays, selling anything from apparel, collectibles, to computer software, service and coaching. The core of every business is sales. Many of the s... Buy US Postage Stamps Online Buy US Postage Stamps Online For those interested in large quantities of mail, the Internet is offering today great opportunities to buy US Postage Stamps Online at higher volumes and special cost-effective prices. In order to buy US Postage Stamps Online you must... 10 Reasons Why People Don't Buy From You 1. You don't make people feel safe when they order. Remind people that they are ordering through a secure server. Tell them you won't sell their e-mail address and all their information will be kept confidential. 2. You don't make your ad copy attractive. ... Competitor Analysis - How writing rubbish can give you an edge The Gobbledygook Competitor Analysis Tip When typing c*ap can tell you a lot about your competition… One of the great things about Adwords is it allows you to test so many different things ever so quickly. It is a very useful tool but if it were likened to a sword... The Carrot On The Stick Formula People online are much like those offline when it comes to promoting and marketing their products, affiliate links or services. They look for the easiest, quickest way to do it as long as it is cheap or free and does not involve any work on their part. Unfo... Truths and Lies of Internet Marketing A long time ago you decided that working all the hours God sends every week and being away from your family just has to be wrong. You know what? It is. There is a way to right this wrong and it has to do with the Internet. But you knew that already. So what is the next step? ... Building Brand Awareness Through Tradeshows Branding is a basic marketing concept that is designed to set your products/services apart from the competition. By using a particular name, phrase, design, symbol or a combination of these, you can create a unique identity. When choosing a brand name, consider the following five c... Using Free Publicity to Build Your Web Site Links and Traffic So, you have a great product or service, yet your web site is not getting the high rankings and traffic you desire from the top search engines like Google and MSN Search. You're not alone. This scenario is playing out all across the web, yet there is a simple solution to ... The Miracle On 34th Street: Business, And Marketing Success Online I'm sure most of you have seen at one point in your lives, the movie "Miracle on 34th Street". Do you recall the scene where the Macy's Santa Claus tells one of the children that he should go to Gimbals' department store because they had exactly what the child wanted? The Owner of ... Five Things More Important to Buyers than WHAT You're Selling - I Five Things More Important to Buyers than WHAT You're Selling - I Article I of a two-part series For Article II http://www.yellowpagesage.com/article233.html Dr. Lynella Grant No matter what customers say they want, what they're really <... Advertising made easy, and cost effective Advertising made easy, and your wallet will love it too! In today's market, anyone in business knows that advertising is the backbone to the success, and without it, you are "dead in the water". Even with the greatest product on the planet, a product that you know everyon... A Marketing Lesson From TV's The Apprentice Advertising and marketing are creative disciplines. That's one reason I love being a part of the marketing industry. Finding creative solutions to help clients sell their products and services is a fun way to make a living. Having said that, I must also say that too often I see mar...
|
|
|||||
|
||||||