It seems simple. You have something people need, so they will surely buy it from you.
Unfortunately there are multiple challenges to deal with. Making people aware of what you are selling, pricing right and dealing with competition, to name a few.
Here’s how to overcome the obstacles.
30 ways to get customers to buy your product
- According to Forbes, clients place more value on the things they desire than the things they need. Asking a lot of questions can help you identify those desires and put together an offer they can’t resist.
- Demonstrate your expertise. Tell your customer how your product is superior to that of your competitor, and go as far as explaining how your product has helped others.
- Identify your value proposition. Does your product solve a problem that people are willing to spend money on? Are you selling to the appropriate market?
- Identify the problem your product will solve for the customer, and spell it out to them.
- As an exceptional salesperson, forget about making the sale. Your focus should be on your customer and listening to what they have to say.
How do customers decide to buy? |
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A customer typically asks themselves these questions before deciding to make a purchase: Do I want to do business with this person? Do I like and trust this person? Do I want to do business with this company? Are they reputable and credible? Do I have a history with them? Do I want and need the product on offer? Is there a goal the product makes possible? Does the value of the product meet my expectations? Will I get a quick return on investment? Is the price in line with other similar offerings? Is this the right time to make the purchase? Is there a reason why I should make the purchase now? Source: https://incafrica.com/library/geoffrey-james-how-customers-decide-to-buy |
- Offer incentives. Discounts, special offers and the like go a long way in motivating a purchaser to buy now.
- Being the one your customers trust will guarantee you repeat business as well as referrals. Build trust by being reliable, available, credible and knowledgeable.
- Educate your customers about your area of expertise and your product. Equip them with a good understanding of why your product should be the one they invest in.
- Show off your testimonials. This helps the potential customer to see that positive results with your product are possible for them too.
- When talking to your prospect, show genuine curiosity about them. Most humans love to talk about themselves, and the one person who is sincerely interested in listening will be the one who stands out and gains loyalty.
How do customers make decisions in a cold call? |
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In a cold call, the first thing the customer experiences is the caller’s voice. The tone and confidence in the caller’s voice is the first thing that influences the prospect’s decision. The second decision is based on brand awareness – this is the point where the caller will say where they are from. This may or may not get the listener’s attention. The third decision is based on whether the caller offers benefits that have value to the prospect. Lastly, a decision is made whether to have a conversation about the possibility of buying. |
- Learn to determine when the customer is ready to act. Being able to identify your customer’s needs but not being able to see when they are ready to make that deal can lead to a missed opportunity.
- Remember that your customer is a human too. One who will appreciate it if you really care about them.
This means that you will advocate for your product if you believe it’s the correct solution for the customer.
However, it also means that you will tell the customer if you don’t believe your product could be the solution that they are looking for.
- Sell a dream. Make your pitch not about your product, but about how the client’s life will look with it. A good example is Nike’s catchphrase, Just Do It.
It doesn’t even tell you what the product is, but it does tell you that this product will propel you into action.
- Learn from your past successes. If something works, do it again. The same goes for failure. Failing is an opportunity to learn and grow.
- Your customer most likely leads a busy life. Make sure that doing business with you is easy and convenient.
Tell them that you know their time is valuable, and what you are doing to ease the transaction process.
How do customers make decisions in a sales presentation? |
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In this situation the first and second decisions are based on the reputation of the presenter and the firm they represent. It is the goal of the actual presentation to clarify how the product solves the audience’s needs, and why this is the right time to seal the deal. |
- Another way to make the purchase easy for the customer is to include a FAQ (frequently asked questions) section on your website.
- Don’t get discouraged if you don’t immediately get the prospect on board. Sometimes ‘no’ simply means ‘not right now’.
Your job is to ensure that you are top of mind when the customer does decide to make the purchase.
Stay in contact without spamming the customer. Do this, for example, by connecting on social media, or sending out a monthly newsletter with useful content.
- Don’t be scared to share your wins on social media. Did someone mention you in an article? Share it. Many potential customers see this as validation that you are selling a quality product.
- SEO (search engine optimisation) is your friend. Many people these days hop onto Google before deciding to make a purchase, and will not even consider you if they can’t find you online.
- A psychological trick is to use the customer’s name while you are talking to them. People like to hear their names and it will make it more likely that they will respond in a positive manner.
Ask these questions to get the best testimonials |
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Ask your loyal customers for testimonials. Many people will be happy to do this for you, especially if they received next-level customer service. Answering the following questions will help guide your customers into writing epic testimonials: What was your main concern about buying this product? What were you feeling during this time?What was life like before you started using our product? What is your life like now? What made you choose our product over everything else you could have done?If you were to recommend this product to a friend, what would you tell them? What surprised you about our product? Source: https://www.everyonehatesmarketers.com/articles/convince-people-to-buy |
- Don’t underestimate the value of entertaining your target market. Memes and funny videos relating to your field could see many potential customers flocking to your social accounts.
- No one wants to waste money on a product that won’t work for them, and therefore most people are hesitant before they buy.
An easy way to address this hesitation is to offer your customer a money back guarantee. Most customers don’t actually want their money back. They just want the product to work.
- People always have objections, regardless of what they are buying. They will try to convince themselves not to buy.
You need to know your target market so well that you can identify and address these objections before they become a problem.
- It goes without saying, but your product will sell if it’s priced right. This does not mean that you have to let your product go for next to nothing. Customers are willing to pay market value.
If you are, however, priced above market value and your competitor is priced at market value, it’s obvious where the customer will go.
- Another simple, but easily overlooked factor is to ensure that there is a lot of information available about your product. There needs to be proper, detailed descriptions on your website.
Remember that customers will most likely shop around online before making their decision. Make sure that everything they need to know is easy for them to find.
What are the most sold products online? |
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If you are thinking of taking on ecommerce, you will have better chances of success selling products that are in high demand. The most-sold items currently include the following: Fashion items Trips and tourism Tech products Second-hand sales Books and music Educational courses |
- Try to always do a little more than what is expected. Whether it’s a small gift with their purchase or a discount with their next purchase,making a customer feel special can do a lot for your business.
- Be available to your customers. They need to have an easy way to contact you, such as a contact form on your website.
If they have questions about your product, they will turn elsewhere if they are ignored.
- If your product needs to be shipped, give clear and detailed information about the shipping and especially the costs involved.
It’s common practice to offer free shipping if the customer spends more than a certain chosen amount.
- If you are in-store and not online, an educational product demonstration can be an effective way to convince people that they need your product.
It allows them to see the features of the product for themselves.
- A free trial is another way to ease the concerns of the customer. Set a time frame in which they try the product in their own environment.
When the time is up, they either return the product or pay for it. This can of course be risky, and also won’t work for any kind of product.
Final takeaway
Yes, you have goals to reach, bills to pay and profits to be made. But, in order to do that by selling your product, the focus needs to shift to your customer.
Only by putting their needs first and offering the best quality and customer service will your business grow to new heights.