Build the right relationships
One-sided relationships aren’t really relationships, are they? So how do you build a two-way relationship between you and a (current or prospective) customer? It’s called the philosophy of ‘Know, Like, Trust’. Here’s how it works.
If I threw a ball straight at you and you weren’t ready to catch it, all you’d see is danger. Your instincts perk up: you are ready to fight or flight. Sometimes prospective customers can feel defensive in that way, and they don’t want to.
Instead, people want to know you, like you, and trust you. The idea being that you have to add value first, before trying to sell.
How you could get customers to KNOW YOU
Thinking of that ball again: ‘knowing’ is teaching someone about the ball and how to throw and catch, so they understand how it works.
For you this could mean:
Introducing them to the who’s who of your business
Directing them toward case studies and customer testimonials
Thinking of that ball again: ‘liking’ is developing an appreciation of the game. For you, this means adding value to them. Maybe you could:
Share industry insights and news
Alert them of specials, promotions, or events
Thinking of that ball again: ‘trusting’ is about them happily receiving the ball when it is thrown to them. For you, this means that you and the customer have had two-way exchanges. (If you build the relationship on “know” and “like”, the result should be a flow on effect and you should arrive organically at “trust”.)
You might achieve trust by:
Sending routine emails to existing customers (success = they have not unsubscribed and are interacting with your content)
Making regular touch points with prospective customers (success = they are still in your sales cycle and allowing you to contact them)
For example, our Personalised Newsletters are designed to set a regular routine for contacting customers in order to keep them up to date with your business, through informative and value giving content. Our Sales Nurture Campaigns are customised to educate prospective buyers on the top benefits of your product or service.