Establish yourself as an expert

Last time we talked about turning customers into clients.
Today we’ll talk about building credibility as an expert.
During sales training, a rookie took me on sales calls with her.
We walked into a customer’s store, empty of shoppers.
The owner asked her, "What’s your special this week?"
She whipped out an ad sales sheet. He barely glanced at it.
"I’ll let you know," he said. She said thanks and left.
What opportunity do you think she missed?
First, there were no customers in his store. Why not?
She could have looked around and asked, "How’s business?"
He would have probably replied, "Terrible."
She could have asked, "What are you doing about it?"
That would have led to a discussion of his marketing plans.
That is, if he had marketing plans. I’ll bet he didn’t.
Then she could have asked about who he wanted to attract.
That could lead to talking about what she might do for him.
This positions her as a problem solver, not a sales person.
She could have produced a series of ads to boost his business.
As it was, he politely dismissed her. Would he call later? No.
Think about what happens when you visit your doctor.
Doctors ask questions. Solve problems. Prescribe medicine.
You pay and leave. You never ask for the day’s special.
You never even question the price of the office visit.
Do you want to offer specials or solve prospects’ problems?
For help with this, click here.

Why clients are superior to customers

Last time we talked about building trust and credibility.
Today we’ll talk about turning customers into clients.
I want you to think about why this is critical for success.
Customers buy products and services from you.
You and what you offer may be only commodities to them.
Instead, clients engage you to solve problems for them.
You want trusting clients, not hard-to-please customers.
That’s the best way to position yourself in their minds.
You go to a lawyer, doctor or other expert for help.
You don’t question their fees, no matter how expensive.
But if you are buying a product, you will question prices.
You might negotiate the price to what you feel is its value.
Rookies fail to establish value before naming prices.
They make offers before they know what customers need.
Professionals find out what clients need and want.
Then they offer solutions that only they can provide.
That makes a major difference in the relationship.
Which would you rather have, customers or clients?
Which would clients rather have, offers or solutions?
We’ll talk more about that next time.
Meantime, for help with positioning, click here.