Prospects are in charge of the Buying Process. They are more skeptical than ever. The latest information indicates that the average person is bombarded with 2,900 marketing messages daily. Just imagine – you and everyone you know bombarded with that many messages every day. How do you yourself react?.
Here’s some more startling information:
Current estimates are that prospects are normally 60 to 90% of the way through the discovery process before they contact a vendor about a product or service they’re interested in. According to Insidesales.com “Research shows that 35-50% of sales go to the vendor that responds first.”
How do you get a skeptical prospect who is being bombarded with marketing messages to know you? How do you get them to consider the product or service you offer? How do you get them to buy?
You have to build trust with them. As they learn more about your company and your product or service you have to deepen that trust. If the product or service you offer is better than or equal to that of your competition, the trust you have built with them will get them to purchase from you.
How do you build trust quickly?
From their first interaction with your company and every interaction afterwards, you need to show them you have their best interests at heart. They need to see you are acting as a consultant and advising them what will make them and their company more successful. In addition, show them how your product or service will do this.
You also need to understand their concerns and needs. Address each of these immediately.
How do you build trust with a prospect if they are not going to contact you until they are 60 to 90% of the way through the discovery process?
First, start with your website. Make sure it is friendly and welcoming. Include on it information on your company and the products and services you offer. Make sure it’s simple. Don’t overwhelm a visitor with too much content. They should be able to find what they are looking for easily and quickly.
If you have many products or services or if you serve many different industries, you may want to have a separate website for each.
Include testimonials on your website or websites. These can build a prospect’s trust quickly.
Also have case studies. Again don’t include so many that a prospect is overwhelming. If a prospect wants to see more, you can always give them to them.
Each case study should focus on the problem your customer how you helped them resolve and how much money they saved. Avoid focusing on how great a job your company did for them.
Any time a prospect downloads any information from your website, look at what they have downloaded. Follow up with them by regular mail indicating you will be happy to answer any questions they may have and help them any way you can. Since most companies don’t use direct mail any more, your follow-up piece has a greater chance of being opened and read. That will go a long way in building trust.
Include on your website blog posts answering questions most of your customers have. This will impress prospects.
Research what Linkedin, Facebook and other Social Media groups your ideal customers belong to. Make regular posts to these. Also comment on others’ posts there. This will help your prospects get to know you.
Articles about your products or services in the magazines most read by your industry or profession will also help others get to know you.
You can also send prospects white papers on a product or service they’re interested in.
If you have the opportunity to make a presentation or put on a workshop at a conference for your industry or profession, take advantage of that. That is an easy way for you to get your company and your products and services in front of prospects.
You might also look at having a short video about your company and what you offer available for your prospects to view.
This is a short list of ways you can build trust with prospects. There are many more. The key again is when a prospect finally determines which companies they are going to contact for a product or service you offer, your company is first on their list.
