When your customer steps into your business world, first and foremost, they want to know how you are going to help them.
How you run your business or the special features of your products are of less interest in the long run. The customer only wants to understand the benefits.
When thinking about your sales journey, it’s important to think about how your customer finds you, engages with you, learns to trust you, and eventually buys from you. Once you’ve cracked that, you’ll reap the rewards.
You will hear me talk about digging deeper into your customer’s world all the time on my webinars. This is because stepping into your customer’s shoes is the one thing that allows you to see things from their perspective, and this is a great asset when selling.
To build trust and empathy you need to understand the frustrations and challenges your customer has. We all know how stressful it can be when we feel like we are stuck and have no solution – be the one to rectify that for your customer.
If you are able to demonstrate that you recognise the challenge your customer has, you can then help them feel listened to and appreciated, and suggest the right solution. This in turn will attract people who like and trust you, and who will keep coming back for more – oh and they will also tell their friends about you!
Think like a customer
What was the last product or service you bought? Spend a few minutes thinking about the process you went through before parting with your hard-earned cash.
- Did you do any research?
- Was there a clear need?
- Did you refer to testimonials/reviews?
- Was budget a factor?
- How important was the person you were buying from?
Before you can sell anything, you first need to remember what it is like to be the buyer. Was the sales journey easy to follow when buying your last product? Did you receive excellent customer service? And if not – what would have made the difference?
Putting yourself into your customer’s shoes means letting go of assumptions and judgement. What your customer wants might not be what you thought or even agree with.
When I work with my sales customers I always refer to the idea of moving a customer from Hell to Heaven – from pain to pleasure.
To help your customer navigate this journey, you must fully relate to whatever their Hell might be. This will be a challenge in their life, big or small, which they are desperate to find a solution for.
Tap into the emotions
When you are feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or unable to see a solution, it brings up a range of emotions which may include sadness, worry, frustration, and anxiety. Your customers will be feeling these things. If you can resonate with these emotions then you will start to see for yourself how you can help and your customer will always feel a better connection when you come from the place of understanding how they feel.
This is their Hell. And I always say ‘you have to acknowledge the hell in order to sell!’
Try writing down all the emotions your ideal customer might be feeling before you help them.
For example, let’s look at something a career coach might deal with – their customer is struggling with self-doubt which is preventing them from applying for jobs or attending interviews. They are frozen with fear, doubt their abilities and worth, and are worried about the future. Our career coach, who has been digging deep into their customer’s world, understands these feelings and can offer resources, coaching, and solutions to move this customer from Hell (fear/doubt/worry) to Heaven (a new job).
To be able to help your customers move from Hell to Heaven you explore how your products or services can alleviate or eliminate their challenges by delivering the ideal solution.
To appreciate the value you are offering your customer write down all the feelings your customer may feel once you have offered them a solution. How would our career coach’s customer feel now they have a new job?
Think about the changes in your customer’s life, the opportunities or possibilities available to them now, and the difference your solution has made on them emotionally, physically, and mentally.
If you are selling to a bigger, more corporate business, remember that the buyer is human too. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking they may not be driven in an emotional way. The pressure of getting the best deal for their business will be emotional in itself, and I have known some very senior buyers from large corporations who will tell you that they care more about quality, service, and sustainability than they do price – because that makes sense – right? We still allow ourselves to believe that sales is all about price – it is not!
The testimonials I receive from my customers demonstrate my ability to understand my audience and walk in their shoes.
“She absolutely delivers on her promise that she’ll help you fall in love with sales. I didn’t believe it was possible but she absolutely did! My 90-minute breakthrough session with her was ground breaking for me. She helped me unravel what sales is and reframed it in my mind allowing me to see all the skills I already have are exactly what I need. I felt she ‘got me’ immediately and really focused on ensuring I got value from every minute we had together. Reviewing the recorded footage I found even more value stuffed in there! Highly highly recommended, she really understands sales in today’s world and how to make you love it!” – Rebecca Wilson, Business Adviser and Data Analyst
I have many similar testimonials talking about ‘lightbulb moments’ and ‘connections’ which make me feel incredibly proud. I truly love what I do!
Value what you offer
By walking in your customer’s shoes you understand what matters to them and can provide products or services with the most value. What you offer isn’t just another ‘buy now’ tab on your website, it’s a tool that could change someone’s life. Wow, that’s powerful stuff.
My own customers often lack confidence, struggle with limiting beliefs, doubt, and overwhelm. They are unsure who they are selling to, or what to offer, and all of this combined makes it impossible for them to know how to sell. They fall out of love with selling – that’s their Hell.
To help them reach Heaven, I offer the following – guidance and support for shifting their sales mindset, understanding their why and ideal customer, and managing a practical sales journey while falling back in love with sales and selling. We often also discover their UHP – Unique Human Proposition®
Use everything you have learned by stepping into your customer’s shoes to build products and services that rock their world.
Remember, the customer is king!
Want to learn more about the sales journey?
Joining the Sales Academy will help you understand your sales journey, how your business and sales strategy can offer value, and build long-lasting relationships with your customers. It will also help you fall in love with selling while meeting like-minded business owners. Find out more HERE.
My article, 4 Reasons Why Joining a Membership Will Help Your Business Grow, gives you more information.
“I love Jules. She is a wonderful, warm, funny and talented lady. She straight away got to the heart of my business and to the crux of my sales anxieties. After a very short time I felt excited about sales rather than fearful, and I left our session with techniques, tools, an approach and confidence that I had not walked in with. I straight away put her advice into practice and have immediately seen results. I’m so looking forward to spending more time with Jules and to smashing my goals under her guidance.” – Susie Lodge – The Wiki Mama – CEO & Founder – Wiki Places For Kids
Want to find out more? Schedule a virtual cuppa with me, and we can chat about the membership or my other coaching services.