At the beginning of everyday, you should ask yourself this question:
“Is it easy for someone to do business with me?”
If your answer is Yes, then you can continue about your day.
If your answer is No, then you have some work to do.
Like it or not, how easy it is to do business with you is dictated by the processes you put in place. Here’s some key processes that you should try to have down stone cold:
- How to Buy
- How to Ask Questions
- How to Get Support
- What Happens If It’s Just Not Working
You want your workflow to be simple and intuitive for your prospect. The more complexity you introduce, the higher likelihood that they will drop out mid-buy and move onto something (or someone) else.
I want to buy it now!
I hate digging for buy buttons, especially when I’ve made that split second decision and shifted from a window shopper to a buyer. Maybe you sell things offline, and if that’s the case, I want to see a phone number or contact form.
When I’m a buyer, I get pretty impatient.
Have you tested the process yourself lately? Take a minute and click-through every link on your page. Test the shopping cart and autoresponder option. I did this myself recently as I was creating my Puzzle Consulting page and realized that my scheduler wasn’t pulling up properly. There would have been egg on my face if my buyers found that before I did.
Slow down. You may only get one shot to make a fantastic first impression, and you don’t want to fall down on something as simple as a broken link.
I’m not sure. What about “x”?
Not everyone is going to feel comfortable entering their credit card number until they know all the facts. If you have a well-written sales page then you should have covered 99% of the potential questions a prospect would have, but there is always something random that you never thought of in a million years.
Where does an interested person go to ask questions?
And on top of that, did you set the expectation of how long it will take you to respond? An immediate response isn’t necessary, but if you are in a new product launch phase, it probably makes sense to be available during those critical first hours when everything goes online.
How will you take care of me?
Even as our toes are tingling at the thought of our purchase, there is a nagging voice in the back of our heads.
What if it doesn’t work? What if something goes wrong? Can I count on this person to make it right?
You can help us feel better by bringing clear about happens next- after the sale. Depending on your audience, this may be as simple as a bulleted list of each action that will happen from the point they hit “buy” to the feedback loop of when you follow-up with them after the sale. (You do follow up with them after the sale right?)
I don’t like it. My money back please.
There will be people that ask for a refund, no matter how great your product is. If you have thorough, straightforward processes in place (and a great product!), these should be kept a minimum, but regardless there will always be those on the one end of the Customer Continuum that isn’t happy.
Have your refund policy clearly laid out so that you can reference it in the event there is any potential issue or discrepancy. This actually helps with making someone feel comfortable enough to buy. Don’t be afraid to offer up the option of a different product or service instead of giving a refund.
The most important thing is to keep your cool and always be the professional. Being firm isn’t being mean.
Your processes can create a memorable customer experience that will bring repeat customers if done right. A minimal investment to plan this out right in the beginning can save a lot of future headache down the road.
Do you have a process in your business that you think makes your buying experience stand out above others? Post it in the comments below.
And if you’ve missed the other posts in the Prospect To Customer series, check them out here:
- 4 Levers that Convert Prospects Into Customers
- Prospect to Customer Part 2: It’s All About Price
- Prospect to Customer Part 3: For Product Development, Put the Kid in Charge
(photo credit: Martin Kingsley)
