Commitment is the key ingredient in the sales funnel as we encourage our prospects through the conversion point in their journey.
Everything in the customer’s journey begins with building awareness and as we know, awareness is only of value if we can convert it into a behaviour that turns our prospect into a customer.
Marketers and sales people often believe that when they are promoting and selling product and service it’s about beginning with the features and benefits and focusing, early in the relationship with the prospective customer, on things they feel they need to sell.
In today’s world this is counter-productive because of the more important need to build faith and trust in the prospective customers’ perception at the early stages of engagement.
If commitment from the customer is key in their relationship with us, then everything we do from the first point of engagement should be more about giving exceptional value to the relationship itself rather than even worrying about the things we intend to sell to them.
As we hold the prospective customers’ hand through their early engagement in our website, in social media, face to face, on the phone and any other channels we deem appropriate for them, we should be fuelling the relationship with great ‘added value’ content and information. This might take the form of education, information, entertainment and things that keep them engaged, alert and interested in moving to each next step in their journey.
The discussion about the products and services they may eventually buy can come when they are getting close to the conversion point in their journey (as they move from being a prospect to being a fully fledged customer: they pay, sign the contract, etc.) but not before.
The world’s most successful sales and marketers know that 90% of a prospect’s decision to convert into a customer comes because they trust and value the person, team or brand and just 10% is a decision around the products or services they buy.
This is true commitment on both sides of the relationship.
From the marketer and sales person’s perspective it’s about committing to building the relationship to ensure maximum customer lifetime value can be achieved.
From the customer’s perspective it’s about committing to listening, acting and advocating to their peers, colleagues and connections.
This symbiotic relationship, whatever the product, service of market sector, ensures that commitment is sustained beyond the conversion point and initial purchase, into the future, for mutual benefit.
How will you demonstrate your commitment and encourage the same from your prospects and customers today?
