It happened within a minute.
There I was, standing there minding my own business, and before you know it… I had walked out with a purchase in hand.
And here’s the best part…
Despite me knowing how the tactic work, I had still “fallen” for it. And you could do the same once you’ve established the few critic rules.
But before we dive into the sales tactic proper, let’s set some context first.
Always Start with Your Customer’s Awareness
You might remembering this critical strategy we marketers use in any campaign.
Fail to consider it, and you may find yourself perplex without understanding why your campaign isn’t working. Yet, by having a clear image of this strategy in your mind at all times, you’ll find your sales that much easier.
Yes, I’m talking about the Client Awareness Stage.
Many sales people enter a sales conversation without any idea which stage their prospect is at. Yet, by taking a few short moments to identify and verify this step, you’ll instantly have a wealth of information to make closing the deal that much easier.
Let’s go back to my experience as an example.
Qns: When Do People Shop for Branded Shampoo?
It’s a seemingly simple product.
Everyone needs a bottle of shampoo right? (At least, if you’re someone who takes a regular shower)
The trouble then is selling a branded bottle of shampoo that is almost double the price of the standard brands.
And that’s the challenge most new marketers and business owners face. It becomes a sort of “self-fulfilling” prophecy they tell themselves…
“Clients are always cost conscious!”
Yes, to a certain extent.
But if that statement was true, there would never be premium brands around us.
Smartphone companies like Apple and Samsung would never succeed at selling a mobile phone for a thousand dollars.
How then do they succeed at doing so?
One of the best way is to go back to a real life example. Shampoo in this case.
Different Prices. Different Purposes.
To begin with, I was searching for a specific brand of shampoo. The problem was, my last bottle was recommended by a hair saloon and I didn’t know the brand.
All I knew was the purpose and function of that particular brand.
I had tried going to the shampoo shelves at the various supermarkets, Watson and even Guardian. But my search was to no avail.
Most brands they stocked were within the $10-20 price range. And none of them had the tag for sensitive scalp.
Truth of the matter is…
I don’t know the difference either. All I know is that the last bottle I used was more effective than the regular brands.
So there I was… a man on a mission!
I decided to walk past the various hair salon at Tampines Mall. (Going back to the source)
And there in front of me was a shop with their shelf of shampoo brands on display.
Naturally, I was drawn towards that shelf and began browsing the many products there.
And even before I could blink… a sales person magically pop out behind me, greeted, and asked me what sort of shampoo I was looking for.
I explained to her my situation – that I needed a shampoo for sensitive scalp, and she instantly pointed me to the right bottle.
With my objective met, I made the purchase, and was ready to walk out of the store.
Ever the master sales person, without missing a heartbeat, she suggested doing a scalp treatment with deep cleansing.
And because of her earlier explanation on how to shampoo properly, I was definitely intrigued. Perhaps if I wasn’t rushing for time, I might, no I definitely would gone for it.
What Made the Tactic Work?
2 things to take of here…
Purpose and Platform!
As I mentioned earlier, the first thing to take note of is always your customer’s purpose.
In my case, I was looking for a shampoo. The need and desire is already there, making it an easy sale.
The trouble then is identifying this purpose in your customers.
That’s where the platform comes into the picture.
And that’s one of the beauty of having a physical store.
You know that when someone walks to your store to browse on an item, there is a degree of interest there. Especially when they start browsing and examining the product.
This makes the sales process faster as all you have to do here is identify the reason why they’re browsing and bridging the gap. (Showing how the product solves the problem)
You don’t have to go through the entire sales process from start to end. Making your sales process much faster.
How to Identify “Platforms” Online
Here’s the beautiful thing about online businesses today…
We too can identify a customer purpose by examining their behaviour on the website.
To begin with, the type of pages a visitor lands on is an early indication of their purpose. Too many business owners use social media marketing to drive their audience to their home page.
That’s a big No-No!
(I won’t be diving into the strategies of social media marketing here, but remember, it’s always about relevance.)
Instead, by landing a visitor on a page relevant to the ad copy, their next action becomes an indicator of their purpose:
- If they start browsing your other product pages, you know they’re still uncovering the solution they need.
- If they start browsing your about page, you know they’re interested in who you are as a company or expert.
- If they start browsing your pricing page, you know they’re interested in your solution or product.
And once you know which stage they’re in, you can cater the message and marketing campaign accordingly. (hint* pixels, re-targeting and re-marketing are the secret tools here)
So while the online world of sales and marketing differs slightly from the real physical world, the principles and concepts are always the same. And that’s great news for us as marketers.
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