I have just booked a photo-shoot.  I am very excited as it’s been 7 years since my last one and a lot has changed since then.  It’s a complete personal branding shoot and will give me 60 beautiful images that I can use in social media and on my website.

As I was going through the whole buying process, I paid attention to my whole experience as a buyer.

I find that this is the best way to learn about marketing because you get such great ideas on how to market your own business.  You also learn what not to do when it is done badly.

Indeed, when it comes to selling anything, the most important thing to do is put yourself in the shoes of a buyer.  The better you’re able to do this, the more sales you’ll make.

I came to the conclusion there are three key types of buyer:

1.      The “Seeking” Buyer

 

The “seeking buyer” is actively seeking a product or service and is searching for it.  For example, I was looking for a painter and decorator recently so googled “painter & decorator” in my local area.  I found someone and booked him.  I’ll do the same thing to hire someone to do my hair & make-up for the photoshoot (aswell as asking friends for recommendations).

 

2.      The “Impulse” Buyer

 

They “impulse” buyer is not looking for anything in particular, but something catches their eye, and they decide to buy it.  My 15-year-old daughter often falls into this category when she’s out.   This is me when I take her shopping and I see something for myself.  This is most people when they see something in a sale and go “oooh that looks good”.

 

3.      The “Mulling-it Over” Buyer

 

The “mulling-it-over” buyer is thinking about getting something done (or maybe they have a non-urgent problem they’d like solved) and will need to hire someone.  However, it’s not really a priority and whilst it’s there at the back of their mind, they largely ignore it.  Until, it either becomes a priority and they start looking for someone, or, they meet someone who can do this and this spurs them into getting it done.

I was a “mulling-it-over” buyer when it came to having a photo-shoot.  When I published my book I thought “I need new photos” but didn’t have the time to get some done – and I had plenty of others things I preferred to spend my money on.

 

Which category do your buyers fall into?

 

It’s essential that you know which category your buyer falls into as this impacts your sales process.  And remember your buyer may move from one category to another on their buying journey – so it’s good to know where they are so you can use the best sales process for each buyer.

Here are my top tips for selling to each type of buyer:

Selling Essentials for the “Seeking” Buyer

 

When your buyer falls into category 1 – the “Seeking” Buyer – your job is to highlight why you’re the best person for the job:

• Tell them what makes you stand out
• Highlight your Unique Selling Point.
• Ask your client what they are looking for, and tell them how you meet that need
• Include testimonials from happy clients
• Is there something that you do that you consider part of the job but stands out for the client? Make sure you tell people about it (sometimes this can be as simple as outlining your process)

When I hired the painter I mentioned earlier, his USP was that he’d stay until the job was complete.  He charged a higher daily rate, but it worked out cheaper because the job was finished in the one day.  He had great reviews and said all the right things when he came out to quote.

Selling Essentials for the “Impulse” Buyer

 

Your job with the “impulse” buyer is to generate interest for a product of service that they haven’t thought about buying but when they see it they want it.  It works really well with lower cost items, or things that are discounted:

 

• Create a “special offer” for something you sell and put it in full view. In retail they do this brilliantly with popular items on display as you queue for the tills.   In the online world, create a pop-up box– or have a banner on each page of your website.  This could be a regular feature like an “offer of the week” or “offer of the month”.
• Have a sale in slack times, or when you want to generate additional revenue
• Make certain things available for a limited time only – when something is limited people want it more (make sure it’s genuine though and there’s a valid reason it’s limited otherwise it will turn people off – especially If you do this a lot)
• Use social proof by sharing how many people have bought – or include testimonials of happy clients. Exact numbers work better than generic numbers as they are more believable.  So if 87 people have purchased, say 87 rather than nearly 100.

Selling Essentials for the “Mulling-it-Over” Buyer

 

The key to remember with the “mulling-it-over” buyer is that it could be many months (even years) before someone buys from you.  They are interested in what you’re offering but not ready to buy yet.

Your job is to tempt them so they go from “one day maybe” to “I want this now”.  Think of it as “wooing” your buyer.

Here are some ideas:

• Spell out the benefits of your product or service – don’t assume the client will figure it out for themselves. For example, with my photo-shoot I will get 60 images.  However, the photographer didn’t just leave it there.  She went on to say that this would give me enough images to post daily on social media for 3 months.  This showed me how I could use the images – making it far more desirable.
• Share examples – photographs, case-studies, client stories. You can share results, how people felt when they worked with you, a before and after story.  When you share a story it makes it easy for your buyer to see themselves.  Whilst they won’t resonate with each story, they will resonate with some.
• Tell them often – people only take notice when they’re receptive to it. It’s called the reticular activating system (RAS) – a mechanism by which we pay attention to what’s important to us.  For example, pregnant women will notice pushchairs, babies and other pregnant women.  When you’re looking for a new car you’ll suddenly notice lots of cars of the same make and model.  People may have been receiving your emails for years but it’s only when they’re ready to buy do they act on those emails.  Don’t worry about repeating yourself, or saying the same thing in a different way many times.  People will hear it when they’re ready to.
• Have lots of calls to action – make it easy for people to take the next step when they’re ready to.
• Make personal follow-ups – if you notice someone engaging a lot with your content – reach out to them, ask them if they have any questions. Maybe invite them to have a chat with you
• If there are famous people using the product or service you offer – and it’s relevant to your audience, share a story about it. It doesn’t matter that it wasn’t you – it still highlights the work you do.

Sometimes it can be difficult to see our own business from a client’s perspective.  Something that may seem obvious to us may not be obvious to our client.  So, if you’d me to look at your buying process and see what could be improved to generate more sales, sign up for a Sacred Six Figure Treasure Hunt and we’ll delve into your process and what could be improved upon to generate more sales.

Until next time,

Much love,

Melina