Before you start the sixth step, wait one week. Give them time to read or listen to your message and absorb it. After a week, continue your role as a problem solver. Help them decide if your product or service is best for them. Sure, you could just tell them that your product is best, but all that accomplishes is to put up warning flags in their mind. You want them to view you as a problem solver, not a sales person.
Think of how you would feel if you were presented with an offer to solve a pressing problem, perhaps where to take your car to get the windshield fixed. You go to a website where they start out by relating to your problem and sharing a similar situation that they went through. Then they present a solution that you may never have thought about before. For example, they might ask “Have you ever thought about repairing your own windshield yourself?” Oh, now that’s intriguing. You send an email to [email protected] and receive a short report that talks about a product that you can use yourself to fix that ding in your windshield. It includes a list of testimonials from other people like you that have had success with this product and then offers a coupon for a 25% discount for first-time buyers.
Now let’s say a week goes by and the company still has not heard from you. Chances are, you either have not made up your mind yet or you have decided that this solution is probably not for you. Wouldn’t it be great if you could get a little more information to help you decide? You then receive a personal email from someone at the company who writes:
“Hi, Chris. I noticed that you received my report on how to fix your own windshield. I know this solution isn’t for everybody, but sometimes it’s hard to know. I might have missed something when I talked to you about it, so maybe you could help ME out. What is it about the product that you are not sure about? Better yet, what would be the ideal solution for YOU? Would it be better for you to have somebody else fix the windshield? Would it be best to have somebody come to you and fix the windshield right there in front of you? Please help me out and send me an email at [email protected] and let me know what your ideal solution would be. Thanks, Bob”
If you are interested enough, you will send that email. Bob has also set it up so that when you send that email, you are automatically sent a list of frequently asked questions and their solutions. Bob (or his assistant) will then go over those emails and get back to you personally. If he is not able to provide the solution you want or need, he then goes on to offer advice on who could, even going to far as to send you to another company’s website or give you their address and phone number. Now THAT is problem solving!
Chris O’Byrne
http://OnlineArtsMarketing.com/blog