When we want something, we start by research. Sellers are so eager to sell that they have their sales process set up around a buy now approach. Unless the pain is high, your ability to sell with this approach will be ineffective. You might have better luck if you had full attention and were exclusive. However, buyers use the internet first because of its extreme convenience. On the internet, you have little attention and are one click among many.
There are more choices with each search a buyer tries. The very first touches with your brand need to meet the initial need. The buyer is researching and trying to understand what they are looking for. They are researching and looking for information which increases their IQ about your industry and solving their problem. Educate them and solve their problem and you will have a viable connection for a conversation. You will have permission and access to engage further.
Content Which Educates
Avoid glamour and narcism. Glitzy images are an obstacle to what a new buyer is looking for. They will click on and off your landing pages or website if there is not content which helps them think through their issues. Here are a few ways to design and deliver an experience which helps your buyers in their initial stages.
Articulate The Buyer’s Problem(s)
Assume your buyer does not have their problem fully defined. They feel pain, but they are looking for further validation and definition. You think about your solution thousands of hours a year. There are likely multiple problems that your past customers have approached you with. Articulate these with empathy and precision. This helps a complete stranger build trust with your brand. Your understanding needs to come before your answers.
If you are an attorney, articulate the issues which matter to your potential clients. If you are a car mechanic, share stories of what you see in vehicle problems with color and candor.
Tell A Story Of Your Customers And Their Success
Your past customers have stories which started with a problem and ended with success and trust. Tell the story in a way which helps a stranger see themselves in it. Stories have the power to connect and the opportunity to help buyers identify with your expertise.
The content can be in video, audio or print. Have your past customers testify clearly about their problems, emotions and decision to move forward.
Talk About Your Industry
Assume your buyers are not familiar with the nuances of how your industry works. Help them shape how they think about the choices available. Help them with a framework for thinking through the options. What should they be looking for between you and your competitors? What criteria is of highest priority and what is noise?
A buying guide, white papers and primer articles are powerful for helping the buyer research. If you have multiple pieces of content, these touch points provide familiarity with your brand over time. There will be repeat visits and familiarity with your company. This positions you as the thought leader that can be trusted.
Help Don’t Sell
It’s rude to ask a person to get married on the first date. Strangers don’t know you or trust you. They are looking for someone to date and trust. To be that brand, set up your content and your buying experience to meet the need of research and education. This first step in the buying process is hard work, but it is necessary to create connections with the anonymous buyer. They are looking for someone who will help and will avoid those that are merely selling. Be in the help business and watch the magical process of a buyer growing in trust with you.
How have your customers come to trust you through education and research?
