What is the Number 1 Question Your Customers Are Asking Themselves?
Can I trust you? No, really . . . this is a very important question that I must ask before we do business together and this is what your customers are asking themselves before they start doing business with you.
The reality is we are living a hostile world – full of crooks and criminals looking to take advantage of the unsuspecting. Even just this week, someone replied to my post for housemate trying to run a scam. They found me through Craigslist and sent a message. A young woman looking to come to the US from England and her uncle is going to pay for her deposit and to have her car and other belongings shipped. I need to find a house mate, so I wrote back that the room was still available. The follow-up email was poorly written; however, a picture of a trust-worthy looking girl was attached. The picture kept me from being suspicious of the obvious clues.
I was still a bit guarded when I wrote back asking what her plans for employment were (it’s a tough economy). She then wrote back (not really answering my previous questions) and asked me to take down the listing (in good faith) that she would be renting the room and also to pray for her mom who was having major surgery the following day. Something didn’t seem right – why would you be making plans to leave when your mother was having surgery and also, why would you move without a specific plan for employment?
Things were not adding up, so I ran a Google search and sure enough this scam was being run on many trying to rent rooms through Craigslist. Some of the emails posted were verbatim what had been sent to me and most had noted that the picture attached had disarmed them. What would have taken place, had I continued would have been receiving a certified check for far more than the deposit. Before the check could clear the bank, her belongings would arrive and I would have to pay for the delivery (not realizing that the certified check was bouncing). Yes, the delivery man is in on the scam.
So how does this relate to your business?
If your customer does not trust you, the bottom line is that they will not buy from you. Not now, not ever – unless you can create trust. And now, more than ever, if whether they trust you or not, they will tell their friends through Facebook, Twitter and other social media. So building a trusting relationship from day 1 is essential.
- Let them see your face — if you can’t be there in person to sell your art, make sure you have a bio with a picture.
- Smile and be inviting, welcoming them to your store
- Engage them in conversation – find out what they are looking for. If you can’t meet their needs, make suggestions of things that might.
- They might be just looking (and that’s okay). Suggest they enter their name & email address to find out about upcoming promotions. Hopefully through your future communications with them, they will begin to trust you and want to buy from you.
- Say what you are going do and then do it. Honor your commitments to your customers.
If they can trust you and you do not break that trust, you customers will continue to buy from you in the future – even though there might be other choices with comparable products.
© 2010 Heather C. Morrow. All rights reserved
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Heather C. Morrow, owner of Pottery Daily, helps emerging artists express their true value and get paid what they are worth. Her products and services show you how to make more money, save more time while enjoying the freedom in your art. For your FREE audio go to www.marketandsellyourart.com.