There are 3 decisive moments when your opportunity to build trust with a customer is peaked. These moments influence how a customer feels about you, and ultimately impact the depth of your relationship with the customer.
We are designed to be “feeling beings” who think, not “thinkers” who feel. As a result, most of us realize that decisions are typically made on the basis of how they make us feel, and then they are justified by logic.
There are 3 insightful moments that resolve how a customer feels about you, and influence the final buying decision:
- Your “First Contact” Moment:
In your first moments with a new prospect or customer, ask about their story, learn their needs and discover why meeting these needs is important to them (this tells you their goals). They don’t care about your products or services; they care only about how you can help them succeed. Prospects become customers once they confirm that you have heard them, can meet their needs, and could potentially exceed their expectations.
- Your “Promises Kept” Moment:
Customers don’t buy products or services – they buy promises. They buy value and insight, not data and analysis. Be clear about what your offering promises to deliver to them. Then, keep your promises…always seeking to deliver more value than you promised and connecting this value to the achievement of their goals. Doing so enables your customer to rely on you – reducing their vulnerability, building trust and strengthening their perception of you.
- Your “Advocacy” Moment:
One-time customers become recurring customers when they realize that you genuinely care about their business, and are more interested in helping them make money than in taking their money. You become their irreplaceable partner when you gain a comprehensive strategic understanding about how they create value for their customers, and continuously suggest new ways to increase the financial and competitive advantages you produce to help them grow.
How well does your team perform during these 3 decisive moments?
How do you know?
