We all dream of that ideal customer. We get a phone call and they want to spend thousands of dollars with us. They pull out their credit card within five minutes and we are friends for life. It is happily ever after.
Of course, this may exist for heart surgeons and transmission specialists. They are in the buy now business. Statistics support their business. When something breaks, people call and pay quick.
For everyone else, buyers have several luxuries:
- Time. There is a timeframe that is not today. It is likely a distribution curve across your prospective buyers. Few are ready now. Most are ready in a few months.
- Choice. You are one mouse click away from irrelevance. Google search has opened up the world for buyers to find an alternative and springboard off of your site, information and pricing. Choice allows for comparison and commoditization.
- Referrals. Social media has opened up the playing field for what others think. Portal sites allow buyers to see ratings of their choices before they proceed. We use opinions on sites like Facebook, Ebay and Yelp. Opinions and referrals build confidence or tell us to beware. We take these into account when everyone looks the same.
- Price Comparison. Our mobile devices can tell us if we can get it cheaper somewhere else while out shopping. We can hit Amazon to see if it’s cheaper. It’s all easy and convenient.
When we buy, there is little friction for us to get information and educate ourselves. It helps us with the buy later process we are accustomed to. We can turn it into a process.
Now, if you could just stop selling and help people buy, you might work with their process by:
- Being different. Don’t blend in. Stop hoping to be picked and pick yourself. Push forth your differentiators and lead. Proclaim your leadership in your category.
- Having credibility. If you know more about your industry than the average customer, then lead them. Package your knowledge and give much value way up front. Build trust and make your name mean something.
- Building systems. If buying is done all day then you need a system to support what people are naturally looking for and doing. If you have a better, more intentional system, then you can court strangers and make friends. It goes beyond just making a pretty Facebook page just because everyone else is doing it.
The game is in the buying and assuming that everyone is buying later. It means suppressing the urge to sell and push the buy now agenda. Attract and nurture your buyers and help them trust you and pick you. You will be living in today’s reality instead of yesterday’s myths.
How can you apply this for your business?
