Have you ever gotten all the way through the sales process to only hear, “I’ll think about it”?
What might it take to move from, “I will think about it”, to “yes”?
Have you ever purchased a pair of shoes from Zappos? I have and the main reason I did, besides selection, is their return policy. Their return policy is simple and easy. That gave me peace of mind. It felt safe to purchase a pair of shoes knowing that if they didn’t fit right, it would be easy to return them.
Have you ever made a purchase and then later looked at the return policy only to discover it was complicated? You might discover that you have seven days to return the item in like-new condition. And to top it off, it might only be for in-store credit. How did that make you feel?
For myself, when I sense that the store’s policy is more about protecting themselves than looking out for my interests, I don’t feel good about shopping there. And, with some stores, I find myself making a policy to never shop there again. I believe companies should exist to serve people. If they serve people, they’ll be just fine.
So, have you picked up yet on what might help you get to a “yes” with your potential clients and/or customers?
It’s feelings.
As a customer, we’re so busy that we often don’t have time to analyze the many different options available to us. And whether we like it or not, we make many of our purchasing decisions based on how we feel. We might like to think we’re analytical–that we make decisions on facts–but the fact is most of our decisions are based on feelings.
Zappos makes it feel safe to shop with them.
Nike makes us feel unstoppable.
Walmart makes us feel blue. (Sorry, just had to throw that in, lol!)
What about your business? Do you help people feel like saying yes? Not just with facts, but with feeling.
What feeling would help your customers say yes?
Have you ever shopped at Costco? We have a family of seven and so Costco is awesome. The two feelings that come to mind when I think about Costco are trust and peace of mind.
I feel trust regarding Costco because the items they carry tend to be quality. So if I find an item at Costco that I’m interested in, I don’t need to do a bunch of research. I trust that they have done research and selected quality products.
Why do I have peace of mind when I shop at Costco? Because their return policy is distinctively customer-friendly. And guess what?! I’ve been saying yes to Costco for years.
In the 1950s there was a police drama called Dragnet. One of the lead characters Sgt. Joe Friday would frequently say, “all we want are the facts, ma’am”. Well, today it’s not just the facts we want as customers. We want to feel.
What do your customers want to feel? And how can you help them feel that?