Making people feel that you are all about the sales, and even worse rushed risks making people think that you care more about making money than solving their problems.
“Getting to know your customers is the best thing you can do as a business owner,” says Alison Machin, a business consultant with many years’ experience supporting start-ups. “You can never know too much about what makes them tick, what their problems are and how you can offer them a solution.”
Jumping straight into the solution without addressing the customer’s problem or need first can make people feel like you have not heard them, says Alison. “Your customers need you to understand and to know that you have listened,” she added. “It’s about walking them through a process that validates their concerns and build trust.”
Presenting your answer to the customer’s problem right away also robs you of valuable time to engage your audience, where you educate them about the issues in your field and build rapport with them through your content.
And if they are at the early stages of the decision-making process, then overloading them with information too soon can be a bit overwhelming for customers, who can be put off – or not realise the value of what you are offering.
A natural sales cycle involves multiple different touchpoints with customers, nurturing every interaction. Rushing the process can increase the chances of returns, cancellations and dissatisfied customers.
So what should you do instead? Alison advocates an approach of thinking like your customers – or better still asking them – about challenges and barriers to buying, and create content that is helpful without being ‘salesy’.
“By understanding what your customers are dealing with, and engaging with them in genuine interactions you can introduce your solution in a way that feels natural and helpful,” she added. “By doing this instead of constantly trying to get people to buy, you are making it easy for customers to become loyal fans.”