How to inspire your customers
This How to inspire your customers Info Guide will take you through the differences between good sales and memorable sales. It will help you to understand the 'tipping points' that make a difference to customers, to your sales and to your bottom line.
Great sales, unlike good sales, are memorable. If you want to be memorable, make going the extra mile your new norm. Do something for your customer that is additional or unexpected such as offering guests a picnic basket for their journey home.
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Most decisions come down to a very small difference between two propositions. A tipping point is that little extra that you offer that gives you a competitive edge. As Tom Peters, an American writer on business management practices, once said: 'Companies that are better than you are, are not 100’s of % better in hundreds of ways; they are 1% better in 100’s of ways'.
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Adding value means giving more than was expected in the form of additional benefits or making sure that the sale, from the buyer’s point of view, was a very good deal. A good deal is where both buyer and seller agree it was a beneficial transaction, eg being upgraded to a superior bedroom, dinner for two at €50 that includes a bottle of wine.
Adding value without giving a discount
It is too easy and too expensive to appear to add value by reducing cost or simply discounting. This does not really benefit the customer and does not protect precious profit. If a self-catering apartment is discounted by €80, the guest does not actually get an extra €80 and the apartment owner loses €20 bottom line profit. It is a bad deal for the self-catering business owner and the customer.
When people ask for a discount, they don’t always mean money. They may just mean a better deal. No business can afford to give away profit. However, every business experiences the 'I want a deal customer'. Clever companies give that deal through use of perceived added value, eg including soft toys in a toyroom in self-catering family accommodation costs the owner little but the family with young children has received tangible value.
Develop a simple set of tools that will delight your customers but retain your profit. Simple ‘packages’ that anticipate the 'I want a deal' customer include:
- Self-catering accommodation owners offering discounts on admission to local attractions
- A windsurfing school offering 25% extra tuition free on Mondays
Remember!
Aim to retain your selling price and give a low-cost extra which the customer will perceive as high value.
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Human nature will always remember unsolicited acts of generosity or kindness. Great sales people acknowledge and thank their key customers. This encourages loyalty. Simple attention to detail can have a high impact. Always remember customer preferences, eg 'We have your favourite cottage for you'. Or, 'We know you enjoyed the theatre on your last visit so we would like to treat you to 2 tickets for the play tomorrow night'.
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