Recently I wanted a piece of information from a web company for a service in which I was interested. This time I really didn’t want to “read the whitepaper,” so I called them for a “demo.” The resistance I had was that this would begin a sales cycle, yet all I wanted was information.
I keep returning to the Hubspot statistic that 80% of buyers say they find their vendors rather than the other way around. We know that buyers today turn to the internet to get information and are further down the buying funnel when they contact us.
As marketers and sales people, we need to know that the next step of getting information from the Internet is getting personalized service on the internet, or from the experts at the company selling a service or product. Customized landing pages do this. In my case, I wanted to talk to a human, ask them questions, but really wasn’t ready for the buying cycle to begin. I wanted information. For example, this may occur when I am budgeting for a project next year. I call this trend, “Access to Experts.”
What it means is that we shouldn’t always equate a personal inquiry with an assumption that the buying cycle is further than it seems. It means that we still have to qualify, ask questions, determine needs and where the prospect is in the buying cycle. It also means that the wrong behavior of pushing the sales process past where the prospect is comfortable may also kill the sale. Knowing this fine line will become increasingly important because people have been conditioned by the Internet to just get the information they want when they want it.
You see a version of Access to Experts in chat features which provide some level of safety from the over-eager sales rep. You also see it in social media. I prefer the “No hassle, no questions asked, free five minute consult.”
Access to Experts will have ramifications not only for the way we sell, but also for the cost of and infrastructure of sales, and the way we measure the long term value of satisfied customers.
Did I mention that I spoke to the web services company the first time more than 18 months ago? The reason I went back to them was that they didn’t cross the line or push the sale or try to manipulate me. They just provided the information I needed. I respected them for this, and they earned my trust. They decreased resistance. Now I may open the buying cycle.
Earn their trust and they will return.
Do great things.
Lee Stocking
Prairie Sky Group
Making Sales Cry With Qualified Leads
lee.stocking@gmail.com
651-357-0110 (Cell 24×7)
You’re right! And, as a salesman, it’s scary!!