Your Customer May Be More Confused Than Informed

Perhaps they are both and here is why …

“With the advent of the internet, customers are more
informed than ever before. In fact, they may have
already made their decisions prior to even reaching
out to you and your company.”

These changes in buyer behaviors have created dramatic new challenges, and opportunities, for today’s sellers. You need to recognize the first and then position yourself to take advantage of the second. Read on.

As one who prides himself on knowing how to leverage the internet to learn the answers to just about whatever it is that I want, I also recognize that my extensive research prior to purchasing does not necessarily mean that I will fully understand the answers that I uncover and/or that those answers that I am being presented with are even correct. #fakenews

Am I learning just enough to be considered to be dangerous? Probably. Then, how do I parse through it? How can I make it make sense? Is this applicable to my specific need? Are these “facts” open to/subject to interpretation? Will I soon be caught up in paralysis by analysis? All of the above. Been there, done that, often.

Fortunately, I have the free time to sort this out (kinda’), and some things take a butt-load of it but, if I were an active executive, these hours are likely not available nor is this activity the best use of my time. I would be smart to find someone who I can trust to do all of this for me. The question is … what will you need to do in order to become that person?

This is one of the reasons why folks request recommendations (IRL and on the internet) from those who are already within their trusted circles. There is the assumption that these folks, unlike salespeople, are not going to be prejudiced (driven) by personal gain toward a particular product or service. True.

Still, can a salesperson be that person, that trusted advisor? Absolutely! Of course, you are going to have to earn that position. You are going to have to demonstrate that the needs of the customer will supersede your need to sell them whatever trinkets you may offer. If you are not the right solution, you must be prepared to refer them to someone who may be.

You are also likely going to be presented with many challenges as you go about earning your position. There will be barriers to overcome and they may be quite tall. Or wide. With water and alligators. Among them …

Potential clients may have already done research prior to meeting with you. How will you uncover and then address that?
If this is a new customer, you are not going to walk into this deal in a position of trust. In fact, you will probably be entering with the opposite unless you have been very strongly referred by a person that they do trust.
Even good clients where you are considered to be a trusted advisor will do their own research out of habit, interest, or to keep you honest. A smart competitor will suggest that they do this in hopes of removing you from the table. This can be tricky to control.

I’ve always said that people buy from people that they trust. If they like you, that’s a plus. Still, “trust” trumps “like” and here are some ways to earn that …

Let’s start with this first (important!). If your customer is doing research on the internet on your products or services … where are they going to find this information? Some unnamed site? Your competitor’s site? How about your site and by “your” I mean that your company or y.o.u. … you?

Both of these sites are good but “you” trumps “your company”. Your LinkedIn profile and a personal blog would be great places to educate (not sell) your prospective customers while establishing your expertise. Additionally …

You need to be R.U. M.. Remarkable, unique, and memorable. Between you and your competitors there are likely 100’s (or more) of you scurrying around. What is going to set you apart, more importantly above, your customer’s other options?

It’s not magic …

Where everybody practices bad behavior, you don’t. You are remarkable.
What everybody else does, you don’t. You are unique.
When they think about the best person for their needs, they think about you. You are memorable.

You stand out because you are perceived as being different from your competition and in a good way! You are R.U.M.

There is even more good news when it comes to your competition. If you don’t think that the bar to leap over them has been set low … think of yourself as the buyer, the consumer. When was the last time that a salesperson or a company exceeded your expectations? How about never or close to it!

There are only three possible outcomes from any customer interaction …

Did not meet expectations – you are toast, burnt
Met expectations – you are corn, canned
Exceeded expectations – you are prime rib, medium rare

Let’s say that you win that sale regardless. If you aren’t R.U.M., you may have made a sale, but … you don’t have a customer that will buy from you again, without getting bids, and the one who will willingly refer you to others.

You were probably low bid and their ain’t no honor in being low bid. This sale gets you nothing more than this sale. Every sale going forward will be new business and starting from scratch.

At best, you have met expectations which, at best, is a neutral experience that is not all that different than … canned corn. I always get what I expect from … canned corn.

Becoming … R.U.M.

Humor – Relax! Inject some humor!
Manners – Make liberal use of please, thank you, and respect. Put your phone away!
Honesty is a big part of this. Your word is your bond.
Rapport – The correct amount of chit-chat is always important and this correct amount is dictated by the customer. You need to be able to read that. You need to be able to mirror your prospects.
Do your due diligence! Be prepared – This is one area where the social networks (and the web in general) can be invaluable as a research resource.
Personalize your approach – People are lazy and, as a result, everything is mass marketed and nothing is personalized.
Educate vs. sell – Establish yourself as the authority
Attract vs interrupt – Social profiles and activity will attract buyers
Urgency and responsiveness – Being on time is late. Replying the next day … is late. Don’t be late. Do you want to be viewed as unique, remarkable, and memorable? Start here. When was the last time you heard “He/she is a great salesperson but, they are just too damn responsive.”?
Be Proactive – The absolute last thing that you want to see happen is for the customer to contact you to check on the status. They have been thinking about it for some time prior to reaching out and, when they are thinking about things … it’s never good for you.
Practice clear communication – With other team members (design, install, service, Rick, support, accounting, estimating) as well as with clients.
Listen – Take notes. Recap. Clarify and confirm.
Never be afraid to tell them “no” – This includes when it is in their best interest or when it just can’t be done. You are also not afraid to tell them that “I don’t know”. This makes you human and it also means that you will always have a reason to go back, even if it is to answer a question.
Organization – Always stay ahead! Beware of selling vs non-selling time. Selling time is for being in front of a customer. Non-selling time is for prep and paperwork.
Set clear expectations – Let them know what will happen and when and how and also makes it clear what parts they have to play in order to keep things on track!
Under promise and over deliver – As a general rule, however much time I am going to tell you that it will take for me to do “x”, is going to allow me enough time to make that date even in the event of … unplanned open-heart surgery. Whatever I agree to give you, in return for your business, I will give you more.

The bottom line is that R.U.M. salespeople will consistently exceed customer expectations and, as a result they will earn repeat opportunities to become trusted advisors. Now just think what that means to your overall sales performance. Outstanding!

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Craig M. Jamieson

Managing Member at Adaptive Business Services

Craig M. Jamieson is a lifelong B2B salesperson, manager, owner, and a networking enthusiast. Adaptive Business Services provides solutions related to the sales professional. We are a Nimble CRM Solution Partner. Craig also conducts training and workshops primarily in social selling and communication skills. Craig is also the author of "The Small Business' Guide to Social CRM", now available on Amazon!