9th June 2020•Customer Experience

Without being able to travel, meet and network in the way we used to, one of the big differences to business in the next year will be how we sell our wares.

It’s right up there amongst the biggest fears of business owners we talk to.

What is going to happen to our sales pipeline? How do we sustain and grow our business?

To solve this problem, we first need to understand what sales and marketing is all about in the first place.

The way most products and services businesses work is that they recognise (or create) a need, then they sell a solution to meet the need (hopefully at a healthy profit).

The bit in the middle is where the selling happens.

What is the secret?

Good product, amazing sales people, slick branding, clever communications, solid reputation.

Yes, it is all of those things.

But if you think about it, what it really comes down to is …trust.

All of these things are just ways of building trust.

Does the customer trust that you can provide the product or service they need at a value they are happy with?

Will the decision to hire you be something they are proud to tell their boss, colleagues and friends?

The question therefore, is how do we build trust and sell at a distance? Without the handshake, the coffee, the lunch or the walk around the nice office.

How do we build trust through digital?

The answer varies for business and sector, but here are some principles which we’d like to share which are true for most:

• Understand your Customer – How do they think, how do they behave, what are their problems, what are their questions etc?
• Close the Distance– Where is your customer’s attention, how do you find, meet/interrupt and assist them in a relevant, timely and valuable way?
• Be Creative – Are you one of many or are you remarkable? Your brand identity and voice is vital.
• Be Consistent– Don’t hit and run. Design an identity and content strategy which you can be consistent with.
• Tell a Story – What is your mission, why are you different, what will make customers relate or connect with you?
• Show Personality– People, values and authenticity are essential for trust.
• Show, don’t tell – Make it easy for customers to visualise how you could help them. (Your process, customer stories etc).
• Share knowledge– Be generous with your insight and expertise by sharing valuable content. (blogs, videos, webinars, podcasts etc)
• Show Up– Be discoverable in search, be visible on social, be responsive to emails, contacts… and answer the phone!
• Be Smart– Use tools to automate, nurture and measure. But don’t lose the human touch!
• Be Agile – If it’s not working, adapt and change until it does.

The businesses who can adapt to build trust at a distance will be well positioned to deal with the new world of work.

Keep an eye out for follow up pieces on the principles or building trust over the coming weeks and get in touch if you would like to talk about how you generate new business through digital.