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Capture the Hearts and Minds of Your Prospects
“Selling is a transfer of feelings,” says management guru, Zig Ziglar.
Not only do people make buying decisions for rational reasons, but emotional factors play a key role, even at an unconscious level. Making an emotional connection with customers is essential.
Here are some tips on how to connect, whether meeting your prospects face-to-face, they land on your website or wander into your retail outlet.
Face-to-face meetings
Have you ever experienced that inner glow when someone, whom you are meeting for the first time, shares some complimentary facts they know about you? It makes you feel special and you automatically warm towards them.
When you’re scheduled to meet with a new prospect, spend 10 minutes beforehand doing some research. Read their LinkedIn profile (most business people have one); find out their qualifications and career background.
In your meeting, conversationally share some of the facts you’ve gleaned. It shows you have done your homework and value their time.
Spend the majority of the meeting time listening and asking pertinent questions. If you can understand your prospect’s needs, you will be far better equipped to offer a solution. You may even be able to facilitate a follow up meeting to do so – a great way to build the relationship.
For further advice: The NEW Entrepreneur at https://marbreak.com/book/
Your prospect visits your website
We are all impatient when we surf the net. We want to establish as quickly as possible that the website we’ve opened has the information or product that we are seeking. If not, we close it down.
You probably have 20 seconds, at most, to connect with your online visitor. Include a value proposition on your home page which, in a sentence or two, concisely describes the benefits you offer. Make sure your copy style is personal – use words like “you” and “your”. Don’t fall into the trap of using corporate speak.
The best way to forge a relationship is to show your prospect your intent to serve them first before you try and make a sale. Offer a relevant value add on your home page, such as a free trial of your product or free information which your visitor deems valuable.
Your prospect enters your retail outlet
From the moment your potential customer crosses the threshold into your store, even at an unconscious level, they will be evaluating the decor, the way the staff are dressed and their willingness to serve. These factors together create the ambience of your outlet, which needs to be welcoming and nurturing.
Globally Apple’s retail stores have been very successful. One of the ways in which the brand has achieved this is to only employ sales staff in its outlets, who are passionate about Apple products. Their enthusiasm is infectious and thereby raises an in store visitor’s propensity to purchase.