We all know what selling 1.0 was. It was about spamming your customers with your message until they finally relented and bought your product. It has been effective. But with limited advertising dollars, it’s time for some new innovation.
The next step in marketing in selling 2.0. It’s different to traditional marketing. It’s not about persuading or enticing customers to part with their money: it’s motivating them to do so. But how is it achieved? Here we’re going to look at how you can leave selling 1.0 behind and really inspire your customers to do business with you.
Make sure that you’re trusted more than you’re liked
In today’s economy, a lot of trust is embodied in each interaction we have with our customers. Customers deal with us over long distance and often transact before they’ve received the product. Businesses, therefore need to be able to sell trust to their customers, before they’ve bought anything. B
But how do businesses do that?
The first step is to identify trust building flashpoints that occur before the sale. Trust building flashpoints can be practically anything. But one opportunity is through dispute resolution. Let’s say that you’ve got an irate customer who is making mischief on review sites.
Responding to that customer’s complaint is important for building trust with potential new customers. When customers see that you care about the complaints of others, they imagine that you’ll also be concerned about your complaints.
Many businesses worry about the effect that negative reviews could have on their PR. But the evidence says that when they are dealt with in the right way, they can actually be beneficial.
The other method seller 2.0 companies are using is so-called missionary selling. The idea here is to make the customer as informed as possible rather than close a sale.
The more a customer understands the benefits of a product, the more that they are likely to buy it. Missionary selling is all about tearing down objections to buying and ultimately motivating the customer.
Create brand recognition through osmosis
It’s been known for a while that simply being exposed to your brand is more likely to make people trust it. That’s why practically every large company in the world puts ads on TV to showcase their logos and design language. Often it’s not even about generating more sales, it’s just about encouraging trust.
Small businesses can’t get their brands on TV, so what can they do to get it in front of people. One low-cost way to do so is to use custom water bottle labels during events or when meeting clients. Another way is to get customized pens or corporate gifts. The possibilities for getting your brand and logo out into the real world are virtually endless.
Constant exposure to a brand is the first step in the selling process that gets customers interested in what you’re doing. They’ll begin to associate your brand with positive sentiment. And the moment that they do that, you’re at a big advantage over your competitors.
Understand that your business is a customer network
In the past, businesses treated customers as if they were isolated individuals. Customers could talk to each other to some extent, but only to friends and family. Now, though, social media has changed the game. You’re not dealing with isolated customers anymore.
Instead, you’re dealing with a whole network of customers who can communicate with each other costlessly. Selling 2.0, is therefore all about maximizing the benefits and minimizing the risks from this setup.
The significant benefit is that a network allows your customers to market to each other. Your positive actions can impact the narrative on social media and get more people forwarded to your business.
There is also a significant risk that comes with a customer network. Negative news about your company or your product can spread fast. Motivating your customers requires you to stay on top of their needs and address their concerns as and when they arise.
Don’t sell products, sell change
Concentrating on the product is always a bad way to sell. Yes, the product might be of the highest quality, crafted by the best experts. But where’s the connection for the person on the street in that type of sale?
It’s much better to focus on how the product will change the life of the customer. Customers don’t buy products for the sake of it. They buy them to help make their lives better. Being a company that sells change, not products, makes it clear how their lives could be better in the future.