What's probably the #1 issue prospective customers have with online businesses?
If you guessed, trust, then you'd be 100% correct!
People are highly skeptical and mistrustful of just about everything. They believe along the lines of if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Or... the simple fear of being scammed or taken for their money. Of course lots of people are wary about identify theft, too.
And all those issues can make it very hard to sell anything.
One solution lies in learning to effectively sell your self.
We all look for someone we feel can be trusted. How many times have you gone out and bought something because a friend said it was good? We all do that every day. That's why referral business is so powerful.
There's nothing worth more than somebody telling another person about a new restaurant and it was the best food they ever ate. You don't think the person they told is going to try it at least just once?
And think about it, it didn't cost that restaurant one dollar of advertising. Just a happy customer telling a friend. That's trust!
Granted, online it's a little harder. You're dealing with people you don't know. So the element of trust isn't there, yet. You can recommend the greatest product to them all day long, but without the element of trust, you'll have little chance to make the sale.
So this is where you have to use some brain power to earn that trust. To do that, you have to first sell your self as someone who's trustworthy. There are many ways you can do this.
The one thing you must realize is you should NOT bring up anything to do with sales too early in your marketing relationship. Don't give them the link to your product to buy it, no matter what you've put in your initial contact with them. You have to make them want you to send them more info. You have to make them write back to you and tell you how much they appreciated your honesty. Once you have their interest, then you can start to send them your offer or offers.
With selling Internet marketing products, most people get involved in programs hoping for that big score. The problem is, most people have no idea how to promote their program and don't know how to go about getting that information.
As a result, they are left out on their own to fend for themselves and ultimately, as what happens 95% of the time, they fail. It's not because they didn't put in an honest effort, though there are some who don't do that, but it's because they just didn't have the right guidance.
This is where you come in.
When you approach somebody you want to approach them as an expert in your area the best you can without being less than honest. The first thing you want to do is explain the program to them in complete detail. Many people don't want to do this because they're afraid that they'll be giving away too many secrets.
The truth is... there is so much to learn about any one area that it would be impossible to teach someone everything. Advertising techniques alone can take years to learn. So don't worry about this. Approach the person that you have knowledge. Make them understand that you know what you're talking about and more importantly that you know what you're doing.
Consistently provide high quality information. Make them aware that you're there to help them, and in time you'll gain their trust. Then you can enjoy the fruits of your labors.
However, the quote, in my opinion, is faulty. If everyone acts righteous in personal relationships and no one ever utters I am sorry, when trouble brews, I believe this is a recipe for disaster. Without hearing an apology, the offended person will begin to stew over the issue, there will be a long-term simmering and finally, like a pressure cooker not carefully watched, an explosion will occur.
The same concept is true for business. Everyone is human and sooner or later we will make a mistake albeit forgetting to follow-up at a designated time or misunderstanding what the other person meant.
Just as the little things can break up a marriage, so can the little things break up a business relationship. Your best course of action is to take action to avert the stewing, simmering and ultimate explosion.
Rather than indignation, your first reaction should be to immediately utter, I am sorry. Follow that brief statement with, That was not my intention, how can I (we) fix it?
Once you take ownership of a bad situation, strive to fix it. The second part of taking ownership, is to do it with a smile. Your smile will put the other person at ease. Your swift actions will present you as ethical and trustworthy, and when the other person arrives at this conclusion, you will be the vendor of choice for the long-term.
If you dislike apologizing, you can minimize mishaps in the future by taking these steps:
When someone begins to communicate with you, Stop, Listen or Read carefully and Question. Dig deep with questions to get their true meaning.
Learn the rules and processes of the other person for doing business together. Write their list down on paper so that you have it to refer to. Once the list is finished, ask, Is there anything else you would like to add? This demonstrates, within reason, you are willing to abide by their rules and are truly interested in becoming a model vendor.
The point is, when you begin asking questions, the other party realizes you are interested in working hard on their behalf. The likelihood of conducting business will greatly increase as will the size of the sale.
As in all relationships, business is a two-way street. You are as equally important as the customer. If the relationship is not 50-50, the person with the lesser percentage loses and will feel lost. This next question will pinpoint whether or not the other party is truly interested in conducting business with you.
Ask, If I abide by your rules and am able to produce everything you require will you seriously consider me or my company for your next vendor?
The above question demands that your prospect be honest about intentions of doing business with you. You are a professional and deserve the respect in return.
By not asking these types of questions due to fear, you are opening yourself up to risk. The risk will be in the form of letting others take advantage of you by leading you on without intent of ever purchasing. Most importantly, you will be wasting too many hours of precious time.
It is critical to get a reading on how interested the other party truly is in working with you. Your income depends upon it and you must know whether you are wasting your time or spending quality time with your prospect building your relationship.
If the getting to know you process is taking far longer than it should, and you begin to have doubts, test the waters of intent. You have every right to do so. Sugest to your prospect they begin with the smallest unit of product or service. Follow this question with the following statement, If it provides you with everything I say it will, may wethen move to larger units for your entire company.
This last statement most often will work to get your prospect off of the fence. If a favorable decision cannot be made on your behalf, it is either time to find someone else in the company who can make a decision or find a better prospect. In the end, you are in control of your destiny. It is up to you to keep pursuing!
Article Source :
Elinor Stutz has sinced written about articles on various topics from Sales and Negotiation, Hypnotherapy and Fitness. Elinor Stutz, CEO of Smooth Sale, LLC and Author, offers sales training,coaching,speaking and a full product line. Smooth Sale Delivers: Professional Sales Training, Licensing, Coaching, Motivational Speaking and a Full Product Line.Elinor's book, Nice Gi. Elinor Stutz's top article generates over 3600 views. to your Favourites.