In business, you can’t sell without a buyer and you can’t buy without a vendor. You need each other to make the deal go through. And to make this happen, you need to trust each other. Without trust, someone is likely to walk away. It takes two to tango.
In marketing, we often talk about buyers (or influencers) as leads. So how do you build trust with your leads and turn this into profit?
Getting to know you
Firstly, let’s remember the most important lesson. Leads are people. They behave like people and they make decisions like people. If they don’t like you, or they trust someone else more, that will influence their purchasing decision. No matter how good your product is. So it can pay dividends to build a rapport with your customers and prospects.
Make sure all of your communications are personalised – send out newsletters to named contacts, be personable on email or ask what they did at the weekend on the phone. We’re all busy, but taking the time to get to know someone better might just seal the deal. If they like you, they’re more likely to listen to what you have to say. And if they listen to what you have to say, you’re more likely to be able to sell them your product or service.
Don’t be irrelevant
Targeting is key. Here’s an example. I don’t have a garden. I therefore don’t care for magazines, emails or information about what seeds to sow next or how to mow my lawn. If I get a call to discuss my garden growing needs, I’ll cut the conversation short. If I get an email, I’ll probably delete without opening. I know lots of people with gardens though who might welcome the information. But it’s just not relevant to me.
The same is true in business. You might have a fantastic product or service offering, but if you’re trying to make contact with the wrong person, you’re setting yourself up to fail. Relying on someone in a different department to forward an eshot to the relevant person doesn’t make good business sense. Make sure you target the right person. And remember not everyone wants or needs the same information – know you audience and tailor accordingly.
Each interaction with a customer or prospect is only as good as the last. Building trust means building relationships.
Get in touch today if you want to discuss some of the ways you can maximise your marketing and turn relationships into profit.
