EnTrends

The better you can describe your
best customers, the more products
and services you can sell. How do
you that?

Know Your Customer

What newspapers, magazines, and e-
zines do they read? What topics
interest them most? What groups or
associations do they belong to?

You can devise a questionnaire to
send to your best customers and
prospects. Entice them with a free
offer or a big discount.

Many actors start developing their
character by writing down a long list
of words that describe the character.
This helps the actor think deeply
about the part they are going to play.

This strategy works well to help you
figure out what kind of people buy
often. You likely know far more about
your prospects and customers than
you realize. This method helps you
get a clearer understanding of what
you probably already know.

Do A Needs Analysis

Experts on selling always tell you to
start by doing a needs analysis for
the customer. That's a fancy way of
saying you need to figure out what
the customer's problem is, and to
decide how you can fix it. Would
your potential customer's life be
improved with your product or
service? You can fix that! Does your
customer find a certain product or
service inferior? Your mission will be
to deliver a better solution.

Michael Dell got the idea for his Dell
Computer business while he was still
in high school. He quickly saw
computer stores weren't giving him
very good prices and service was
almost nonexistent. As a customer,
that was his problem.

"When I would go to a computer
store, I would pay 25 percent retail
mark-up for a computer and be
served by a person who knew little
about computers," Dell wrote in a
recent article.

This early experience became the
idea behind his own business. By
selling direct to customers, Dell
could eliminate the mark-up. He also

insisted on customer support being a
top priority, positioning Dell as a
consumer advocate.

Ask Some Questions

What if customers have some idea
what they need, but don't
understand the big picture of why
they need it and how you can
provide a solution? Be prepared for
this. It is a little like when you or I go
to the doctor. We know something
hurts, but we may not know what is
causing it. If you don't know what is
causing the problem, it is very hard
to come up with a cure.

Start your needs analysis by asking
questions. Help the customer zero in
on the exact problem. When a
prospect tells me "I'm not making any
sales on my web site," I first find out
if they are getting enough visitors.
The problem could be too little traffic
or they may be getting enough traffic
but their site's copy isn't selling. Best
of all, doing a needs analysis gets
you focused on the customer. That is
the quickest path to a sale.

Listen to your Customers

Why is this important? Most of us
tend to develop beliefs about
ourselves, our products, and our
businesses. We have strong feelings
about why we are good, why people
should buy from us, and why our
customers find us important.

Believing in yourself and your
products and services is very
important. It is hard to be successful
if you don't believe with confidence.

Beliefs can also blind us to reality or
new conditions. Believing in a false
reality can bring unpleasant
surprises down the road when a
competitor suddenly surges or
customers begin to stay away.

Watch yourself, your biz, and
competitors with open eyes. Look for
solid indicators that your view of
things may need an adjustment. If
customers disagree with your view,
or just offer suggestions, listen to
them. There may be some valuable
grains of truth in what they think.

Stay Acquainted with Your
Customers

Keep notes! This tip sounds a bit
sneaky, but customers love it. From
time to time customers may tell you
about something going on in their
life. "My daughter is graduating next
week" or "Product X is our best
seller" or "My team won the
championship."

Write down those revelations for
later use. Refer back to your notes
right before placing a phone call or
composing an e-mail to the customer.
Selling depends on your excellent
product or service, but also on your
likability and ease with people.

Notice how personal and natural this
conversation sounds:

"Is your daughter enjoying being a
graduate? She's going to State U?
You're probably looking for a low-
cost computer for her. I have a great
new budget model that fits into any
space and is loaded with the
software that a college student
needs."

Customers are impressed when you
remember things about their life or
business. They don't know you are
reading from notes. The customer
feels important. They think they are
getting your special attention. In the
end, that is the most powerful tool
you can use to entice people to buy.

Remember What It Was Like To Be
A Customer

Many businesses say their best
ideas come from customers. It is also
a good idea to think back to before
you started your business. Think
back to the time when you were a
customer buying from businesses
like yours.

What frustrated you? Were there
parts of the business you felt weren't
giving you a very good deal? Is that
part of why you have a passion to
give customers a better solution?
Keep doing that by knowing your
customers and satisfying their needs,
because you were in their shoes
once.

Kevin Nunley provides marketing
advice and copywriting. See his
10,000 marketing ideas and popular
promotion packages at
http://DrNunley.com Reach Kevin at
kevin@drnunley.com or

801-328-9006.