Top reasons why you will get the sale over your competitor.
Connection
Proof
Belief
Trust
Risk
Connection
Making a sale and getting customers to buy from you is all about your customer. Decide to double down and focus on the customers burning pains and compelling gains, by connecting with them through their concerns.
People mainly think about themselves, their life, problems, pains and needs. The customer who connects likes and trusts you is more likely to buy from you, hence making a connection with your buyer is vital. Find out what their passion is, connect on this level as well as business conversations. Keep the focus on the customer at all times, this is key, as it develops trust with your customer. Creating a commonality with your customer helps create a connection, for instance, if he likes the same sport as you, you went to the same college, and you like a similar subject. When you create a connection a person is more likely to confide in you. They will most likely tell you their pains and this is where you can dig down and really engage to give value and help through your product or service.
Proof
Our mind is the CEO, the mind is always trying to keep us safe, similarly, when a customer is buying they will always look for proof and safety that the product or service will work.
That is why demonstrating proof and testimonials is important and a key element of what makes customers buy from you. Always talk about the burning pains and the solution to overcome the pain. Always give examples of customers who had the same problem and how they overcame it.
Find a customer with a burning problem, and demonstrate how your product or service helped them solve the problem. Do this with a testimonial, build trust and make it easier for a prospect to buy from you.
Belief
If you believe in your product or service the customer will pick up on this. When you believe in your product you are more likely to be confident and this sells as it reassures the customer.
Trust
What makes customers buy from you? People buy off people they trust. Sometimes salespeople are not trusted they get a bad rap and are often associated with films like ‘Gerry McGuire or Death of a Salesman.
Bearing this in mind it is vital to build trust. So how do you build trust? By being dependable and reliable you build trust. Do what you say you will do.
There is something about sales that makes salespeople believe that they don’t deserve the trust of prospects. For instance, when a prospect tells us something that is not true. Does it happen? How do we handle it? We need to point it out. Say, Jim… I am curious about what you said ” repeat what they said” then say I would look at it like this and give you reasons. By calling them out you are asking for honesty, this gives you credibility and builds trust.
If you want a customer to buy from you, you must be clear about the risks they can come up against.
At the closing stage of your sales process, if you have addressed risks along the way the buyer will give you fewer objections. Here are a few tips to deal with the risks in your sales. Use statistics and data to support your proposal. Ensure transparency, as prospects know the truth, so don’t hide it. Engage multiple stakeholders, especially C level. Always show proof and testimonials and case studies.
Adrienne is a Business Growth Advisor. On a mission to elevate your company’s growth, through building sales and leads blueprints that work time and time again. Do you want to find out how to build your own sales blueprint, to get more leads and sales for your company?
Below are some interesting customer service, satisfaction and experience stats that demonstrate how times are changing.
More than ever we want a great buying experience.
Currently, I am creating a booklet for a PLC to create a Wow customer CX experience. It has been an incredible journey. I immersed myself in the customer’s shoes and examined every piece of the buying journey from online to offline to real-life name it, I examined it.
I love the example of coffee, and buying experience and how you create value in it. Look at Nespresso it nearly charges 4 times the amount of regular coffee but it is the experience we love. The look the feel the image of George Clooney sipping coffee in his cool grey suit. Brand ambassadors really do endorse products and help sell more. Nespresso leads the way with capsule coffee and now has a sustainable option.
See below all the statistics which really demonstrate how we love great customer service. Companies need to pay attention to this and more importantly their customers’ viewpoint as customers will share the buying experience online with the press of a button.
Customer Service CX Statistics
54% of customers have higher expectations for customer service today compared to one year ago.
This percentage jumps to 66% for consumers aged from 18 to 34 years old. Microsoft
Gartner predicts that 89% of businesses are expected to compete mainly on customer experience. Gartner
They (Gartner) have also predicted that by 2019 more than 50% of organizations will redirect their investments to customer experience innovations. Gartner
Worldwide, 67% of people believe that customer service is improving. Microsoft
In 2017, 64% of Americans contacted some form of customer service. Statista
52% of people around the globe believe that companies need to act on feedback provided by their customers. Microsoft
Around the globe, 96% of consumers say customer service is an important factor in their choice of loyalty to a brand. Microsoft
When asking consumers what impacts their level of trust with a company, offering excellent customer service is ranked number one. Zendesk
A customer experience promoter has a lifetime value to a company that is 600 to 1,400% that of a detractor. Bain
34% of companies are implementing “customer journey mapping” into their customer service. Salesforce
70% of consumers say they have already made a choice to support a company that delivers great customer service. American Express
Great Customer Service is Ranked Number 1
Service insight and knowledge are also key to a good experience according to 62% of consumers. American Express
Americans will pay 17% more to do business with firms with great reputations when it comes to customer service. American Express
52% of consumers say they have made an additional purchase from a company after a positive customer service experience. Zendesk
90% of customers are influenced by positive reviews when buying a product. Zendesk
More people read positive reviews of customer service online than negative ones by 6%. Zendesk
Gartner predicts that by 2019, more than 50% of organizations will redirect their investments to customer experience innovations. Gartner
With 89% of businesses soon to be expected to compete mainly on customer experience, organizations that take customer experience seriously will stand out from the noise and win loyal customers. Gartner
99% of Customer Experience and Success leaders believe Customer Experience Management has a positive impact on their business. Lumoa
In 2019, customer experience will continue as a major factor in how companies do business. Forrester
87% of organizations agree to traditional experiences no longer satisfy customers. Accenture.
A moderate improvement in CX would impact the revenue of a typical $1 billion company an average of $775 million over three years. Temkin Group
67% of consumers and 74% of business buyers say they will pay more for a great experience. Salesforce
By 2020, more than 40% of all data analytics projects will relate to an aspect of customer experience. Gartner
65% of companies measure NPS compared with 44% that measure CSAT and 14% that measure CES. Lumoa
84% of organizations working to improve CX report an increase in revenue. Dimension Data
Attracting a new customer is 6-7 times more expensive than retaining a current one Salesforce
Increasing customer retention rates by 5% increase in profits by 25% to 95%. Harvard Business School
In conclusion, I think this list says one thing. The customer is king and has got to be the focus of your organisation. Also, customer retention is key. I would love some comments on your customer service experience!
Adrienne is a business growth strategist, founder of Elevate Sales with 20 years of international sales experience growing companies from Zero to 6 and 7 figures.
