6 minute read
Prospects, Customers Demand Technology Solutions
Can your customers find what they want about you online, on social media?
by BOB GRAHAM, CEO of Breakthrough Solutions
uyers today have access to more information and spend more
Btime investigating potential suppliers than ever before. The Internet and social media funnel unlimited information to smartphones and tablets, making it easy for your existing and potential customers to research practically anything they want to know about you in mere minutes. Most are in search of products or are interested in comparing prices.
What will they see when they type your company’s name or even hardwood into the search bar? Having a strong online profile is like having a highly trained salesperson that never sleeps. Companies that haven’t invested in ensuring they have a strong online presence to engage prospects 24X7 and customers are in danger of being left behind.
Start by reviewing your website from your customer’s perspective. Survey your customers to get their advice on how it can improve. Make sure your website or Facebook presence looks appealing and has ongoing updated information. Ensure they are mobile-friendly because the majority of searches (60 percent) occur on these media, according to Hitwise.
Buyers and prospects rely on social media to conduct research, pouring over search results, reviews,
recommendations on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media platforms.
More than half (51 percent) of Americans check Facebook several times a day, while another 23 percent log in at least once a day. Fortunately, getting someone to “Like” your company page is pretty straightforward. Once a prospective buyer or customer “Likes” your page, the information you post (if you do it at least once a week) will usually show up in their feed next to the crazy cat memes. That’s valuable real estate for companies that post what their buyers are seeking.
Go Live with Videos!
Consider creating and posting videos to your website and social accounts. Videos are far more appealing and effective than posting articles. They can also personalize your company and your staff. And creating videos doesn’t require expensive equipment. I shoot high-quality videos with my iPhone X and my six-year-old iPad. Video doesn’t require three-day shoots, SAG cards and casting calls. I recommend a tripod and something to attach your phone or tablet to so it remains steady. Hand-held video tends to appear jerky. Ultimately, useful information is what really matters.
The best videos are raw and real, with background noises and flubs that don’t get edited out.
Try going “Live” on Facebook with a simple message about something your company is doing and watch how many of your fans hop on. I have personally had great success with Facebook Live. My daily “Today’s Antidote” Facebook Lives have opened doors, helped clarify my abilities, and sparked discussions leading to work, all while helping entrepreneurs and leaders deal with the vexing business challenges of the day.
Focus on the Customer’s Needs
The best use of the Internet, YouTube videos, or social media dovetails with the needs of your prospects and customers. One question a lot of companies fail to ask is, how can this technology help my customer? They prefer to focus on themselves: What can we do that won’t give away too much information? Is it easy? Is it quick? Is it
inexpensive? If these questions bog down your move toward building an enhanced online profile, shift your focus!
After touring the Allard Lumber Co. facility in Vermont two years ago, I had a million questions pop up mind. I wondered how someone figured out how to get the most wood from timber? Is drying lumber unique to a mill, or is it the same everywhere? Do employees get splinters? Consider that each of these questions is a potential topic for a video, Facebook post, or e-newsletter article. My splinter question could spark a fun or tongue-in-cheek video that might reach more people than just those investigating their local mill. This approach can personalize employees and your company by building a better connection with both customers and prospects. And if you open your eyes and ears, potential topics for videos and other content will appear everywhere.
Five Starting Points
Companies in many industries fret and debate rather than act. Here are some good first steps.
Create a Facebook business page and keep it updated. Beyond a great place to showcase your products/services and videos, you can even sell on Facebook. Buyers even post real and honest reviews, which are catnip to prospects.
Invite your customers to use Facebook Messenger. Encourage them to ask questions or resolve problems. You can put commonly asked questions (FAQs) on Messenger, and people can receive immediate answers. Not only does this approach make you look accessible, but it also lessens the number of complaint and question calls.
Post a video on YouTube, Facebook, and your website, or shoot a Facebook Live. Don’t worry about whether it’s perfect. No one cares. If it’s authentic, engaging, and/or fun, people will forgive background noise, low lighting, and other production issues. Faster than you might realize, you will figure these challenges out.
Address purchase objections in your FAQs, in videos, or on your social media. You should know why people don’t buy from you. Help them overcome those fears.
Send an e-newsletter to customers and prospects every week. Include your latest offers, previews of new things, and behindthe-scenes information to make them feel special. And don’t worry if anyone reads it. You only need one customer for it to pay off
Keeping Track of Prospects and Customers
By creating a tracking system, you may obtain more information and potentially more insights about your prospects and customers. But only if you harness that information. Most businesses don’t.
That’s where a good customer relations management (CRM) system fits in. The system I use is inexpensive and provides me with fields to put everything I discover and reminders for follow-ups. With integration into my email system, it automatically puts emails I send people right into their CRM account.
Of course, CRMs are only as good as the person and data being entered. Yes, I have to spend a few minutes after each call inputting data. Still, I see the value each time I review a customer’s information, so I know to ask about their daughter Susan who broke her tibia playing field hockey at a camp in Georgia in August. That kind
of specificity builds trust. You really care about me, the prospect thinks, so you probably can help me solve this problem.
Discovering vs. Selling To
Buyers want to discover their own solutions, vet their own vendors, and avoid being sold to, especially if they are under 50 years old.
Technology is the only bridge between this attitude (which is only going to increase) and what your company needs to turn prospects into customers.
Bob Graham is CEO of Breakthrough Solutions, which provides sales, leadership, communication, teamwork training, and coaching. He has spoken at the last three NHLA conferences and has written two other articles for Hardwood Matters. If you want to talk through your technology challenges, email him at bgraham@breakthroughsolutions.co.
