Create a Positive Buying Experience

Top Secrets of Marketing & Sales

I had a buying experience or two recently that left me feeling frustrated, annoyed and kind of sad. It was frustrating that people could be so blasé about business. And it was annoying to spend money with people who really didn't seem to appreciate the business I gave them. It's also sad that as a society, we seem to have entered a phase where thoughtless, inconsiderate, sloppy service is becoming more the rule than the exception. Buying is an experience. Sometimes good, sometimes great, sometimes terrible and sometimes totally forgettable. But it's always an experience. So what kind of buying experience are you creating for your prospects and clients? If it's great, you will likely have repeat customers. If it's terrible, you won't. These are at either end of the spectrum. If the experience is good, you might get another chance, or they might try someone else. And if the experience is totally forgettable, you're probably finished. In just the last few weeks, I had a landscaper tell me he would get me an estimate on Monday. It arrived on Tuesday. That wasn't a terrible experience, but it wasn't great either. He, at least, apologized for the delay. That alone made him stand head and shoulders above many of the other experiences I've had recently. I spent a bunch of money with a travel agency. Prior to purchasing, I had trouble getting answers to my questions, because the person "missed" my questions the first time around. Then I had to hound them to get copies of receipts for stuff they were billing to my credit card. I also noticed that the responses I got always came at the very end of a business day, which would inevitably push my next set of questions into the following day. This resulted in higher ticket prices and fewer good seats left on the aircraft. In another situation, I had a very straightforward pre-purchase question with a service provider that was not answered -- by anyone in the organization. But I needed what they were offering, so I just placed the order. I figured I would answer the question for myself after I took delivery. It reminded me of that famous political quote that said "We have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it." Not an ideal way to do business. The selling experience, and more importantly, the buying experience for the customer, should be great. If it's not, people won't want to come back. Many people like to complain about Amazon. I don't love Amazon as a company, but when I order from them, I usually know where my orders stand. They deliver my invoice right away. They provide my estimated delivery dates upfront. My orders almost always arrive within that window and ultimately, I don't have to think about it. For me, that's huge. So while I might not love them, I have to say, they have my confidence. And I find my confidence sadly lacking with many of the other organizations I deal with. Business coach Dan Sullivan says that much of success boils down to three things: Show up on time, do what you say you're going to do, and say "please and thank you." That sounds like some really basic stuff. But today, it is ignored far too often. As you consider the type of experience you want to create for a prospect or client, think in terms of a Disney park. It's a totally immersive environment. Everything you see, hear, smell and experience as a visitor has been conceptualized, orchestrated, choreographed, and executed flawlessly. Every aspect of the experience is decided in advance. And while it's probably not possible to create a Disney-level experience in every selling situation, it's a great idea to try to get as close to that as possible. We need to consider not just the type of buying experience our prospects will have, but the quality of that experience, the texture of it. Most salespeople focus on what a prospect will hear from them in their presentations, recommendations, sales pitch and close. But there's far more to the experience than wh...