Running your business on a day to day basis means you have a fantastic idea of what’s going on. Part of that commitment to knowing what is going on with your market includes knowing the things that influence your customers to buy what you are selling.
On Friday, during a meeting with a client, I was lucky enough to have him identify some aspects of our service that I’d never really considered important before.
You see, our offices are in a city called the Gold Coast. Situated in Queensland, Australia, the Gold Coast is the tourist capital of Australia, as well as one of the fastest growing cities in Australia.
The Gold Coast has had a reputation as a bit of a ‘fly by night’ town over the years. With the 17% or so growth per annum, many opportunistic businesspeople have taken advantage of the new arrivals.
The client reminded me of some very important influences
In a meeting with a local Accountant to discuss the possible redesign of his web site, he gave me some great information on aspects that I had been neglecting for a while. He asked questions that helped me to identify how I can improve the service we provide.
He gave me this information in the form of just three- (3) questions.
“Have you been in business long?”
“Yep. We’ve been on the Coast for six- (6) years. I originally moved up here to do the marketing for a public company…..”
The mention of the public company provides proof that others within the business world have trusted me enough to provide a high-level position. Saying how long we had been in business on the Coast also demonstrated that we aren’t a ‘fly-by-night’ company.
“Is it just you in the business?”
“Oh no. There’s five- (5) of us in the offices and we work with clients ranging from large companies to small businesses. Some of our clients include…”
“Call into the office when you’re coming past next. I have a Golf Putting Machine in the boardroom – you can have a practice!” (The client is a keen golfer. I realised later that by telling the client about the Putting Machine in the boardroom I had highlighted the fact that we have offices that include a boardroom.
What I meant was that we weren’t a one- (1) man operation working out of a bedroom (not that there’s anything wrong with that! I’ve run my business from home for a few years in the past).
“So, you’re going to be around for a while?”
“Oh yes. We’re here for the long haul. We’ve grown the business year after year…”
With that I tried to indicate that we were a bit successful and thus more likely to be around next year.
The credibility of your business can be a significant choice influence for your clients.
Credibility is important because it reduces the perceived risk of working with you (this is why having a guarantee is so successful in assisting your clients in buying your product or service).
The questions from my client was a timely reminder that we need to constantly reassure our market of our credentials, our experience and our quality.
And how will we do this? Based on my Accountant client’s concerns, we’ll communicate examples that allay the fears of our potential market. Here’s two- (2) things we might do:
- Really push our guarantee
- Use testimonials from happy clients more
What influences your target market in buying your stuff? Whatever it is, give it to them.
Cheers
