How to Engage and Turn Customers Who Aren't Ready to Buy

Thu, 18 Aug 11

Each customer goes through stages of readiness and commitment before finally investing in a product or service. Today, online search has turned the initial stage - product interest - into a massive opportunity for your business. Although at this point in the cycle a customer may not be ready to talk to you directly, they are already looking at what is available, and more importantly, identifying the businesses that they will trust when the time comes to buy.

Mark Price of B2Bbloggers has identified 3 ways in which you can engage with customers during their early stage of interest to build trust and along term buying relationship. These are:

• Give as much, if not more, than you take: "Prospects need a reason and benefit to share their goals and needs with you," he says. "They also need some assurance that their information will not be used for evil." 
  Implemented: Try offering complimentary resources for the key areas (and therefore keywords) your market will be searching for. Give them reason to sign up to your website/newsletter so you can build a relationship and continue to add value in their product interest long before they even consider other options.
• Tailor your communications for each prospect: Make it clear that you're responding to a specific question or action. "Look at Amazon recommendations as a best practice, where each recommendation can be traced back to a specific past behavior of that customer," he suggests.
  Implemented: Direct specific searches to relevant pagess of your website rather than just your home page so your prospect can find exactly what they are after, or your closest fit.
• Establish yourself as an impartial intermediary: You're here to help the prospect make the best possible purchase. And sharing third party feedback on your product or service, even if it isn't entirely positive, might actually enhance your credibility.
  Implemented: Describe the ideal customer for each product with the product description. This will help your prospect understand what is best for them, and also show that you want to help them make the best possible decision, rather than take all the sales you can get.

For more tips about turning product interest into long term sales relationships visit MarketingProfs

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