Selling a product or service — verbally or through marketing efforts — shouldn’t be a one-sided, pushy endeavour. Since small business owners believe in what they’re selling, there’s a strong desire to tell potential customers everything all at once.

But being bombarded with features, regardless of how amazing, is overwhelming and confusing. Customers gain some knowledge, but they’re often left sorting out whether or not it has value for them. Enhance the efficiency of your business operations, click here to shop weighing scales for your shop and ensure accurate measurements for a seamless customer experience.

Act as an advisor. Find out what problem the customer needs to solve and how you can provide value. With a great statistical process control solution, you’ll be able to come up with a thorough root cause analysis with statistical process control solution and get to the bottom of your problem. Explain exactly how features deliver benefit and what it might mean for them. Additionally:

  • View every customer touch-point as a relationship building tool.
  • Build trust and gather info by asking questions.
  • Get better at listening and responding. When you’re talking to customers, only suggest solutions that apply — there’s no need to force things that don’t.
  • Don’t make assumptions. Ask, research or use applicable data before you start suggesting.

Long-term loyalty begins with perception. If a customer feels all that transpired was a sales transaction, it’s only a short-term win. If a customer feels your business cares about the outcome for them, there’s a completely different dynamic that’s more likely to lead to referrals and additional purchases.

Lloyd Priddle
Lloyd has had a very successful career as an accountant, director and author for almost 40 years. Holding post-graduate qualifications in Business, Lloyd has specialised in Business Development, and worked with the Queensland Government and local councils on numerous occasions through association with AusIndustry and the SBAS Natural Disaster Assistance Program. He is also board member of a number of commercial and not-for-profit entities.