As a business owner, you’ve probably heard that you should be representing your brand and company on a daily basis. It’s also likely been ingrained into you that you should be constantly spreading the word about your amazing products and the things you can offer your customers or acting as the walking spokesperson for your brand as a whole.
While we agree that this approach can be useful in some ways, we believe there’s another approach that can bring a human aspect to your business. It’s quite simple: what you are offering your customers is more than a product; it’s a solution to a problem they want to solve.
Business owners may get stuck in the same routine of treating their products like ‘things’ rather than a means to an end for their customers and in turn, they can come off as overly ‘sales-y’ and cold. Think about it: we’ve all come in contact with individuals who were a bit too pushy when it came to their businesses. They may have talked about their products, what those products do, and how you can purchase them. But what they likely failed to do was give you a reason why you should consider their products.
As a business owner, we encourage you to think about these questions: What problem are you helping to solve with your business? How will your products benefit your customers’ lives?
When you take this approach and change your thinking, you may be able to connect with your customers on a deeper level, thus potentially leading to an uptick in sales or revenue. Here are a few tips to help you in this process:
Instead of: Memorizing a sales pitch where you give them a hard sell on what you are offering.
Consider: Having a conversation with them and take the time to get to know their reasons for inquiring about your services and products. Then ask yourself, how can you help them?
Instead of: Pushing them to do a free trial, sample your product, or aggressively encouraging them to sign up as a customer.
Consider: Showing them how and why your business can assist them in the long run. Explain how you can help them and empower them to make the decision on their own, while firmly presenting them with the facts.
Instead of: Treating them like another number or sale.
Consider: Using their first names when speaking to them, engaging in meaningful conversation, and truly listening to them when they are speaking. A personalized experience can make or break a sale. The key is to make them feel as though they matter to you, not that they are just a number.
The bottom line: your product, your business and you as a business owner have a lot to offer your customers. You aren’t just shilling a product for profits—you are in the business of changing lives (no matter what industry you are in!) and it is time that you carried yourself with that same attitude. A decent business owner will offer people their products or services and keep trucking along with or without the sale. A great business owner will make every effort to ensure their customers and potential customers feel welcome in their place of business and as though they are about to purchase something that is life-changing. Remember: your product & services can help enrich their lives, so it’s important to act like it!
Do you want to be just another salesperson or business owner? Or do you want to stand out and make waves in your industry? The choice is yours.
Your Business Is More Than a Product: It’s a Solution
