There are 3 decisive touch points with each customer that determine if you will earn trust and future preference.
Doing more than expected during these 3 key moments changes everything about how your customer feels about you. In truth, how your customer feels is more influential than the facts you present. We may think of ourselves as thinking creatures that feel, but biologically we are feeling creatures that think. (Jill Bolte Taylor: My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey)
Most decisions are made on the basis of our feelings and emotions, and then rationalized later by logic. These 3 key moments influence how the final buying decision is made.
1. Your “First Contact” Moment:
Be customer-centric. Focus on learning their story, needs and goals. It’s about their journey, their issues – not your products or services. Prospects become customers once they confirm that you have heard them, can meet their needs, and could exceed their expectations.
- Learn about the prospect’s company prior to your meeting, particularly their latest news;
- Determine their available time to meet and respect it…never exceed it;
- Ask open-ended questions and listen actively to uncover the truth about your prospect’s circumstances, goals and concerns.
2. Your “Promises Kept” Moment:
People don’t buy products or services – they buy promises. Keep your promises…deliver the value you promised to produce. Doing so reduces your customer’s vulnerability, builds trust and strengthens your customer’s perception of you.
- Ensure that your customer is receiving the expected benefits and performance you promised;
- Communicate how your promises are being kept to increase their awareness;
- Consistently deliver more than expected, enabling your customer to continue relying on you.
3. Your “Advocacy” Moment:
One-time customers become recurring customers when they realize that you genuinely care about their business. They want to believe this but have often been disappointed. Gain a comprehensive strategic understanding about their business and continuously seeks new ways to produce value for them. You will become their irreplaceable partner.
How well does your team perform during these 3 decisive touch points?
How do you know?
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Hey Bob – thanks so much for this article. I got to hear Jill Bolte Taylor present at my company’s annual conference, and WOW did she blow me away. It’s still one of my favorite conference sessions to date, and like you said it really makes you about feelings, logic, and our emotions — especially when it relates to working with customers. So many organizations give their employees a “by the book” customer service policy to read/follow, but personally, I think we’d all benefit from “digging a little deeper” to really connect with the customer. I also love the 3 key moments you mentioned here as they all build off of each other. You can’t really succeed if you have one without the other two and vice versa. Thanks again for the article!