People buy from people they Know Like and Trust.
I am sure you have all heard that saying before, right? We hear people say things like this and we nod sagely. Here is some advice on how to actually apply this great idea in your business so that you can help people buy from you!
In order to do that I am going to break down each of these three elements so you can understand what they mean and also give you some ideas on some easy things you can do to help you apply these into your daily business life, and reap the rewards.
KNOW
We let people know us by being honest and being ourselves. One of the biggest problems that I help people with on a daily basis is unpacking this. Especially when we are ‘selling’ we think we have to be something or someone that we are not. In fact, the opposite is true. When you meet someone your job is to be authentic and real and allow them to get to know you.
DO: Share with people your stories about your wins and losses and how you have built your business. Our lives aren’t perfect and so build and use stories of your imperfections and what you have learned to engage honestly with people and let them know you and how you operate in life and business.
When you allow someone to get to know you and your business, you allow them to make a judgement about if you can indeed help them with a problem or need that they have.
LIKE
Here’s the truth. Not everyone is going to like you, and that’s ok. Your job isn’t to focus on getting everyone to like you … it’s to understand deeply what your customers, your tribe LOVE about you and then share more of that and attract more of those type of customers.
As Seth Godin very eloquently puts it … “Once we learn to shun the non-believers, to be comfortable enough to say ‘it’s not for you,’ then we free ourselves up. No one can make something for everyone”
Do you really know why people buy from you and work with you? We often assume or think we do … but you know the best way to truly and deeply understand what people value about you. Ask them!
DO: Here are some questions to try:
- Can you tell me why you first considered buying from (working with) me?
- What is it that you value most about working with me / using my products or services?
- If there was one thing that I could improve for you …. What would that be?
These conversations and insights will give you invaluable information about your business and give you a new and rich group.
TRUST
Trust is the hardest of the three to build and communicate, and the most powerful in the three when it comes to attracting and converting clients. People who trust you will buy from you. But let’s break this down further.
They trust the company.
This is about credibility. This is the easiest part of trust as it speaks to the externals of trust if your company looks and feels to them like it is credible and real. They may have heard of you or they may have been referred by someone that they know and trust. Sometimes this comes from external sources like endorsements (as seen on HerBusiness) or qualifications (eg CPA). DO: Make sure you look the part and have a website and other materials that represent you well.
DO: Make sure you look the part and have a website and other materials that represent you well.
They trust the product or service.
This is where your potential customer is assessing what you do and provide and if this will fit with their needs and solve their problem.
DO: Think about ways you can help someone understand what you do and how you do it. Some examples are case studies, product and service information and so on.
They trust you.
Lastly and most importantly it is about trusting you! This is the most important because it can be a deal sealer or breaker. Building trust at a personal level is about intimacy.
DO: Share stories about why you got into the business and the passion that drives you.
The more you understand about why people buy from you (or not) the clearer you can be on who your clients are. If you deeply know what motivates them to start with you and encourages them to stay then you can build from that.
So get out there and explore! I would love to hear about your learnings.
For the love of sales,
Frances.
