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Email: ByBobLeduc@aol.com
Are You In Business To Help Customers?
Copyright 2004 Bob Leduc
http://BobLeduc.com
Customers want to
believe you are in business to help them. They don't mind if you make a
profit by helping them. But they won't buy from you if they believe you are
only in business to get their money.
Here are 4 ways you can assure
customers that you are in
business to help them.
1. Personalize Your
Sales Approach
Customers will not believe you really want to (or can)
help them when they see you trying to sell the same product or service
to everybody.
Learn everything you can about your customers and their
lifestyles. Then, sub-divide your targeted market into several narrowly
defined niche markets.
Customize your sales messages to the specific
interests and needs of prospects in each niche market. Customers should be
able to see your product or service as the perfect solution to their
specific situation.
2. Convert Everything Into Customer
Benefits
One way to convince customers you want to help them is to
focus on the benefits they can get from you.
Customers don't really
care about you, your company, your
products or your professional
credentials. They only care about the benefits they can get by using your
products or services.
Keep this in mind as you develop your web
pages, sales letters and other promotional materials. Present everything
in terms of the benefit it provides to customers. For
example:
....Don't just list the features of your product or service.
Explain how those features provide the benefits your customers
want.
....Don't just publicize your educational or professional
credentials. Describe how those credentials equip you to do a better job
for customers than your competitors.
3. Build A Relationship
You
can also demonstrate your commitment to help customers
by building a
relationship with them. Few prospects buy on the first communication - even
if they desperately want or need what you are selling.
Stay in
contact with these prospective customers. Follow up
periodically with some
useful information ...and don't charge them for it. Building a supportive
relationship proves you want to help them. It gains their trust - and
eventually a sale.
Internet Marketers: Make sure you have a way of
getting the
email addresses of visitors to your web site. You need it to
follow up with them. For example, offer a complimentary
subscription to
your email newsletter - or a complimentary
special report delivered by
email.
4. Encourage Questions
Answering questions is another way
to demonstrate your interest in helping customers. It also captures sales
you would otherwise lose from prospects unable to get all the
information they wanted.
Encourage prospective customers to ask
questions when you
are in a live selling situation.
Make it easy for
customers to ask questions when they are at
your web site or in other
selling situations without live communication.
For example, provide a
phone number customers can call to
speak with you or someone else who can
answer their questions. Consider using a toll-free number unless you only
do business in a local area.
Tip: Include a Q&A page on your web
site with answers to
frequently asked questions. It will reduce the number
of questions you have to answer individually.
Customers know you are
in business to make a profit. But
they also want to know you are in business
to help them. The
4 methods revealed in this article will help you assure
customers that you are committed to helping them.
Bob Leduc spent 20
years helping businesses like yours find new customers and increase sales.
He just released a New Edition of his manual, How To Build Your Small
Business Fast With Simple Postcards ...and launched *BizTips from Bob*, a
newsletter to help small businesses grow and prosper. You'll find his
low-cost marketing methods at: http://BobLeduc.com
or call: 702-658-1707
After 10 AM Pacific Time/Las Vegas, NV
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