Customers

Perception is in the eye of the beholder

Whenever you put information out about your business you are putting yourself on display, I’ve just watched a YouTube clip that I followed from a twitter posting and was aghast at perception it left me with.

I have seen information and read posts from this person for some time on twitter and was looking forward to seeing the video clip on YouTube, the clip loaded – excitement building now…. excellent graphics and branding to introduce the clip… high expectations of quality to follow….

Oh NO! they had set up a backdrop – looked like a bed sheet – and had not ironed it! A simple thing and yet became a distraction from the person speaking…. OK I said to myself let’s give it a chance the information I’m sure will be good as expected…

Oh NO part 2!!! the person speaking spent the entire time looking down and across the screen clearly READING a SCRIPT! Now I don’t have a problem with scripts and in fact I think they are a good idea, however, learn the script and add your personality to it, don’t just read from it, it’s distracting.

So was the information good? Yes – did I take it all in? No I was distracted, and I can’t bring myself to look at it again.

Whenever you do something publicly for your business check the smaller details – distractions drive customers and potential customers away. Five minutes to iron a backdrop and 10 minutes to learn a script could make a huge difference to your business.

Cheers

Sue!

Understanding Your Customers

One of the biggest mistake I see people in business making is not understanding how their customers think. Each business needs a comprehensive understanding of how their customers THINK so that they can SELL to them.

Here are four things YOU MUST know:

1. YOU must understand what your customers WANT

What you think your customers want and what they really want can often be two very different things, make sure you understand exactly what your customers want. The best way to do this is to simply ask them!

2. YOU must understand what they really NEED

Once you have an understanding of what your customers want, you must become the master of undertsanding what they really need. To understand whaty they need you need to develop a set of questions that will take you directly to the heart of what they need. (selling them what they need instead of what they want will ensure customers for life)

3. YOU must understand what they FEAR the most

Do your customers have any fears when purchasing your type of products or services? Are there any issues in your industry that you need to be aware of and dispel any myths for your customers and to allay any of fears they may have?

4. YOU must understand what are their FRUSTRATIONS

What are the key frustrations of your customers? How can your products/services help overcome them?
Answer these four critical questions and you will understand how to best deliver your products and services to these customers.

Cheers

Sue