How can potential customers try your wares before they buy?
Most of the time people like to try what they are about to buy, before they actually make a purchase:
- In clothes stores people like to try on clothes to see that they fit.
- In book shops people want to flip through the table of content to get the gist.
- In restaurants people often want to have a nibble before they bite.
Some supplier’s offer free training or seminars, others may offer free advice, some may offer a free makeover, or they may pitch one of their services at a very low price.
What you really want is for your products or services to do most of the selling themselves. You do this by giving your customer to be the opportunity of engaging and exploring your products and services.
The more they are able to explore your offer the more difficult it is for them to part with it, and the easier it is for you to make a sale.
I heard the story of a car showroom that increased their sales tremendously, when their competitors were going out of business, because they gave their would-be customers the privilege of not only test-driving their cars, but using their cars over a period of time to see if they liked it.
This strategy worked because most of the people who took advantage of the offer got so used to driving the new cars that they chose not to downgrade, and part with them.
[contextly_sidebar id=”KgQZb8s1ItRKLcPVKcCdezT830yDmSm0″]Some products have an element of stick-ability, like e-mailing software. Some suppliers give you the opportunity to try their system for free for a short period.
If you’ve done all the work of transferring all your business contact to the new system, and have sent a newsletter or two to your mailing list using their system, it is sometimes difficult to part with it, so the business owner gets another sale.
Authors find that they make more sales if they give their would-be buyer a free chapter of the book they’ve written. People generally tend to be curious and want to read the rest.
Real Estate Agents give their customers the opportunity to experience what it might mean to live in their new home.
The more people get emotionally engaged with the buying process, the easier it is to make a sale.
How can your would-be customers experience your products or services?
- If you own an online business you could use videos, e-mail marketing, stock images, audio recordings, and the content on your website.
- If it is a product you can sell samples just like the little samples of bottled perfumes most departmental stores sell.
- If you are a bakery or you can give little bite sized samples of your latest nibbles.
- If you are a school, or training institute, you can give an open day, or a free one day taster course.
Many businesses succeed through the principle of “Givers Gain”, by giving you actually start the process of you receiving.
Giving and receiving is a law of the Universe. In giving, you are activating the law of giving and receiving (they are one and the same law), which stores up goodwill, and plenty for you and causes abundance to flow towards you.
About the Author
Davida Yemi-Akanle is a Small Business Consultant and a Personal Development Coach, who has a passion to help Start-up Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners succeed. Davida specializes in Start up Businesses; Online Businesses – Website and Internet marketing; Residual Income Businesses; and Personal Development. She has been providing Consulting and Coaching since 1996.
I really like your article. I can relate very well to it. In the past, I have bought into a company or program only to find it was not what I wanted. Yet there did not seem to be any way to really find out until I bought. No matter how many questions I asked.
I totally agree if you let people try things out, give away some quality information or freebies then you will have happier customers.
I really like your article. I can relate very well to it. In the past, I have bought into a company or program only to find it was not what I wanted. Yet there did not seem to be any way to really find out until I bought. No matter how many questions I asked.
I totally agree if you let people try things out, give away some quality information or freebies then you will have happier customers.
Yes, a lot of businesses use suspense as a way to get customers, I think it us negative marketing tactic, because if things do not go well, they destroy their business reputation.
Businesses that are looking for a great long term, relationship with their customers would show more integrity, and give people the opportunity to understand what they are really buying into. They may get less sales, but they will have longer term customers.
Yes, a lot of businesses use suspense as a way to get customers, I think it us negative marketing tactic, because if things do not go well, they destroy their business reputation.
Businesses that are looking for a great long term, relationship with their customers would show more integrity, and give people the opportunity to understand what they are really buying into. They may get less sales, but they will have longer term customers.
Scammers always prey on newbies, always know who your working with. Do your due diligence, but also plan ahead. One way to protect yourself is a prepaid credit or debit card to avoid hidden fees and unexpected monthly charges hidden in fine print.
Scammers always prey on newbies, always know who your working with. Do your due diligence, but also plan ahead. One way to protect yourself is a prepaid credit or debit card to avoid hidden fees and unexpected monthly charges hidden in fine print.
Freebies are good to a point but getting a residual income that produces a monthly cash flow for the rest of your life if what everyone wants, right?
Freebies are good to a point but getting a residual income that produces a monthly cash flow for the rest of your life if what everyone wants, right?