What do you clients and prospects want? Whatever will help them succeed or make their life easier.
Meanwhile, you want what’s best for you: clients who are eager to spend their hard-earned money on your products and services.
These opposing interests create the tension of sales and marketing. They’re also your best shot at becoming the breakthrough company in your industry. As a marketer, your job is to come up with a win-win solution, where you both get what you want. Do it well, and you’ll be your customer’s go-to resource, no matter what you provide.
How do you create a win-win for your customers and you?
You must be able to keep your eye on two targets simultaneously. Provide as much value for your clients as possible without sacrificing profitability. Let me explain…
The mindset: pay it forward
Even as you read this article, your prospects are casing your website, looking for information and trying to assess whether you’d be a good fit for them. What are they looking for?
- Helpful information.
- Simplicity.
- Accessibility.
- Credibility.
Make sure your website does all this and more.
Don’t wait for prospects to show interest before you’re there for them. Your job is to capture their interest and draw them in. You do that with exceptional content and a mindset of service.
The nitty-gritty: provide helpful information
Content is king these days. When people have problems, they don’t want to talk to a salesperson. In many cases, they want simple information that will help them right away.
If you’re the one provider who always gives them what they’re looking for, they’ll return every time they have a question. Then, when they’re finally ready to buy, you’ll be at the top of their mind.
Through blogs, newsletters, magazines and more, you can give your prospects and clients quality content that answers their questions, solves their problems and builds your credibility as an expert in your field.
Be generous, but not too generous. Enrich your prospect’s life by giving them relevant, helpful information. Then make sure they know there’s even more valuable information available — if they initiate relationship.
Consider providing free content that hooks your prospects and acts as a teaser for more. Then have a membership site where the higher value information can be accessed. Or reserve your best information for clients only.
Tip 1: Make it simple
No one has time to figure out a complicated system or jump through a lot of hoops. Make it as easy as possible for your prospects to interact with you.
Your website must be easy to navigate. Your content should be easy to find. And most important, your information should be easy to read and understand.
Your prospects should know exactly what they need to do when they’re ready to contact you. And they should be able to contact you in different ways, depending on what kind of commitment they’re ready to make.
Tip 2: Stay accessible
Your prospects want to know they can get in touch with you both now and after they become clients. It’s a good idea to provide a variety of ways to connect with you: a phone number, email address and twitter handle.
Then make sure you’re there to answer.
Tip 3: Be credible
The way you treat your prospects is a good indicator of how you’ll treat your customers. You’ve got to be authentic from first contact to first purchase and beyond.
The information you provide must be accurate and helpful. You’ve got to be the expert in your field. And you must communicate your expertise.
You’ve got to have a customer-service mindset. Remember: you pay your bills with the money your clients give you. Always provide the levels of service that will make them feel indebted to you. Because, quite frankly, you’re indebted to them.
And finally, you must always deliver what you promise. If you say you’re an expert or specialist, make sure you are one. If you say you’ll provide x-y-z, then do so. Your customers want to believe they made a good choice when they chose you. So give them reason to believe.
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Of course, this isn’t an exhaustive list of ways you can deliver value to your prospects and clients. What do you do to make your customers rave about you?
