“People rarely seek out or choose the best. Instead,they choose what makes them comfortable,whether it’s the best or not,” says Garrison Wynn in his book, The Real Truth about Success.
Wynn bases this statement on years of research and personal interviews with wildly successful people. Because of that, I don’t doubt it’s true. But let’s play with the idea for a moment and apply it to your business.
Wynn says in order for your business to succeed, you don’t have to be the best in your industry. Neither do you need to provide the best product. What matters is that your prospect is comfortable.
Success doesn’t come to the “best”
It’s an oversimplification, of course. But in a way, it takes some pressure off. Not having to be the best is good news, right?
Or is it?
Making your customers comfortable may be a greater challenge than being the best. That’s because it’s such a subjective mandate. One that’s hard to measure.
But I think Wynn is onto something.
It’s something like “perception is reality.” People aren’t always swayed by the best. They want something they can trust, something they can wrap their arms around and understand. They want what they’ve seen other people use or have heard others talk about.
What they want is the sure thing.
So what does it mean to make your customers comfortable? Do you pull up a comfy chair and provide fresh-squeezed lemonade during your initial conversations? Of course not. Your customers need to be comfortable with who you are and what you can do for them. They need to feel certain that choosing you is a good idea.
In many ways, making your customers comfortable is basic marketing: become well-known, trustworthy and easy to work with.
They’re comfortable when they recognize your name
This is about branding and positioning. Make sure your name is familiar to your prospects.
It requires strategic planning on your part. You need to know who you are and what you stand for. If you haven’t done so already, you need to spend some time developing your organization’s personality. Then everything you do needs to reflect it.
So your website, content and collateral all need to look like they come from the same company. Your messaging, tone and voice must be consistent.
They’re comfortable when they trust you
These days even big companies must feel small and personal.
One of the ways you can do this is to demonstrate the benefits of doing business with you. If you’ve got a strong track record, say so. Develop case studies. Collect and use testimonials.
It’s also a good idea to open dialog with your prospects through social media. Like it or not, people are talking about you. Join the discussion. Perhaps even begin the discussion.
No matter what you do, make sure it engenders trust.
They’re comfortable when it’s easy to choose you
There are two things you need to remember here. You’ve got to be the best choice for your ideal prospects. And it’s got to be easy to make the choice.
Make sure you understand why your customers choose you. Whatever value they find in working with you, this is the value you can provide all your customers.
The key is to target prospects who are similar to your existing customers and to help them understand the unique value you provide.
Then make sure you have a streamlined process for turning prospects into customers. Your prospects don’t have time to jump through hoops or fill out reams of paper. They just want to make a transaction or sign on the dotted line.
Wherever possible, simplify your procedures to make it easy to convert.
A few other tips
Comfort can sometimes grow out of familiarity.
So get your name in front of your prospects. Write for the magazines they read. Market to them regularly. Go to their networking events.
Offer a service or product that’s well-understood. Position your product or service as an elite version of something they already understand. Even if you offer a brand-new solution, it must resemble something your prospects have experienced before.
Provide great products and services, and offer excellent customer service. Focus on making your customers look good and making them feel good about working with you.
No, you don’t have to be the best. But you still need to provide value. Do that, and you’ll build comfort by default.
What do you do to make your prospects comfortable with you? Post your comments below.
