Three things stopping your customers from making the purchase – and how to overcome them.
We’ve all encountered the same problem – you have the perfect solution for your customer, but they’re just not convinced. Where do you go from here? Let’s take a look at three of the most common barriers to purchase and practical tips to breaking these barriers.
#1 – Lack of Product Information
With so many choices in the market today, a lack of product information is a major barrier to purchase. The customer will feel uncertain and unwilling to make a decision until their fears and questions are addressed with adequate information.
This is even more important in large purchases, where the risks and consequences of purchasing the wrong thing are much larger.
However, a lack of information is one of the easiest barriers to overcome.
Be Available
First, be available to answer any questions your customer may throw at you. The words you choose and the tone that you use go a long way toward establishing open communication.
Rather than saying something like, “Is there anything else?”, which may leave the impression that you are
impatient to get off the call, try using “What else can I help you with?” or “What other questions can I answer?”
Though these changes are subtle, they are much more inviting and leave less opportunity to be misunderstood as dismissive.
Make Information Easy to Access
Secondly, you’ll want to make sure that information is always easily accessible to your customers. When you provide information, whether by email or on paper, make sure that it is clearly laid out and easy to understand. Go over what you’ve written to clear up any typos or spelling errors.
Going over a quote with a customer? Don’t just hand over the numbers and expect them to figure it out on their own. Highlight key details and answer questions proactively – paying attention to common questions will help with this.
Keep in mind that customers don’t just want information about your product or service – they also want to know what to expect when they make the purchase decision. Be clear about the process, timelines, and the information you will need to finalize the details. Keep it as simple and streamlined as possible to reduce the feeling of being overwhelmed and unsure where to go next.
Know Your Competition
Finally, it pays to know about more than just your own company – know your competition as well. What do you offer that they don’t? Do your research and then share with customers the benefits of working with you that they won’t find anywhere else.
Pro Tip: Build on positivity. Tell your customers what they gain from working with you – not what they’ll lose by working with your competition. By not speaking negatively of other companies, you’ll gain trust and build an outstanding reputation of your own.
#2 – Lack of Trust
No one wants to do business with someone that they don’t trust. Customers who feel like they are being
cheated or misled will quickly walk away – and once the damage is done, it can be difficult, or nearly impossible, to undo. Let’s look at four ways you can build trust.
First, build a relationship with your customer. Make a habit of remembering names and the little details, even if that means jotting down a few notes after your conversation. Really listen to what they are saying and don’t just hear what you expect to hear.
When your customer knows that what they say really matters to you, they’ll be more likely to welcome and trust your solutions.
What should you not do? Don’t focus on finding ways to prove their statements and beliefs wrong. This very quickly erodes the trust that they have in you and builds a wall.
Share Stories
Secondly, share customer stories when appropriate.
Your marketing team has likely already shared google reviews and customer testimonies with everyone within earshot, but when a customer comes to you, you can go one step further and share customer stories.
Now, you’ll need to be careful not to share any private details, unless you’ve been given permission, but sharing how you successfully helped a previous customer with a similar project can build the confidence a customer has in you and your experience.
What should you not do? Don’t complain or make negative remarks about other customers. Also, be very careful not to share any private details about the project or customer to protect their privacy and trust in you.
Be Authentic
Next, be authentic – the customer is buying from you.
As humans, we are often driven by emotional factors, even when the decision to be made is completely logical. When you connect with your customers on a personal level, you are building trust.
Your customer isn’t only buying a product or service. They’re also buying your excitement and passion for their project and dreams. Be honest about limitations and the realities of their project, but also get excited with them.
Don’t be afraid to be relatable, sharing stories that show you understand their experience. Just be careful not to make assumptions, and don’t dominate the conversation. Listening well and saying less is an important part of selling more.
Don’t Push the Wrong Product
Finally, don’t push the wrong product. If you discover during conversation that your product doesn’t adequately meet your customer’s needs, be honest with them. If you can offer a different solution, present it to your customer, but if you can’t help them at all, it’s far better to be upfront about it and maintain the trust your customer has in you.
#3 – Lack of Funds
A lack of funds can be one of the hardest barriers to overcome, since you generally have no control over your customer’s budget or your selling price. However, with careful questions and a bit of flexibility, there are ways to weaken this barrier.
First though, you’ll need to find out whether their lack of funds is due to an actual budget or planned budget. Actual budget refers to the customer’s available funds in their bank account, while planned budget refers to their budget allocated to the project, with the assumption that more funds would be available if the customer believed it was necessary.
If you determine that the barrier is a planned budget, it may be worthwhile to go in-depth with the return-on-investment your customer will receive from your product or service. Discuss your unique advantages and long-term savings that they will experience.
However, if you discover that the customer’s actual budget is the barrier, your approach should be less
aggressive. Consider the value of the sale to your company. If you close this sale, what advantages do you
see for the future?
Do you see positive word-of-mouth? Additional purchases from the same customer? Opportunity for growth in a region that has been difficult to break into?
If so, you may want to consider offering a reasonable discount – something that doesn’t undercut your value but provides the customer with enough breathing room to say yes.
If you’re struggling to close a sale, step into your customer’s shoes for a moment. If you can figure out why
they are asking the questions, voicing the concerns, and needing your product or service, you’re that much closer to providing what they need to make the purchase.
Once you know what the barriers are, you can start to tackle them one by one.
