Increasingly we are living our lives online, and the global pandemic has only increased the rate at which we are transferring our in-person interactions to virtual ones. Even though some days it looks and feels extremely different it’s important to remember that what we’re doing online has direct parallels to “real life”, and therefore we already have some time-tested rules about how to behave.
This is true when it comes to selling – selling a product, a service, an idea – whatever it is that you’re selling online you still need to consider the experience of the customer.
So let’s take it all the way to the store front. Some stores encourage their employees to be eager and aggressive in their customer interactions. They greet you immediately and insist on telling you about sales, specials, new products or whatever else management asked them to push. They practically follow you around the store and pressure you towards a purchase if you so much as glance at a product.
Nobody likes this.
Other stores play a more “hard to get” game. The staff are aloof. They gaze at you in an uninterested way. They make their customers feel judged and project a lack of interest. These are often stores with high-priced items and they are trying to cultivate a culture of exclusivity. For them, the customer is only worth interacting with once their wallet is out.
I’ve never met anyone who enjoys this any more so than the eager and aggressive sales tactics.
That leaves us with a fine balance. We like to be greeted and acknowledged, as customers, but not smothered. We like to have information that is accessible and clear, but we still want to be in control of when and how we consume that information. As customers we are seeking the right mix of support and engagement, with personal space and independence from those who are selling something to us.
Since we can understand what we want as customers alongside the trends and strategies that are widely appreciated or widely avoided, we already know how we should behave when we are the ones with something sell.
This carries over form the store front to the website.n Give your customers lots of information that is clear and easy for them to consume on their terms. If it makes sense for your business to offer a live chat feature, then do that, but don’t bombard your website visitors with chats, pop ups and a maze of distractions and offers.
Bottom line: You know what you have and why people should buy it. If you’re looking for some support in how to connect you and your product with customers in a meaningful and engaging way than feel free to get in touch! I offer strategy sessions and marketing consultations, or full on marketing management and social media management. You keep being awesome at what you do and let me take care of getting the word out there.