Have you seen the list of scams that are around on the Internet? There are hundreds of them.
Backpackers are paying $200 to a bogus employment agency in Narrogin Western Australia. Advanced Financial Services in Canada inform you that you have won $10,000 and a stunning gold chain. All you need to do is send a nominal admin fee of $39.95 to claim your prize.
Yes doing business with people you don’t know anything about can be hazardous and put a serious dent in your cash flow.
So we are naturally cautious about doing business with strangers and if the list of scams is any indication, rightly so.
Knowing is essential
That we want to do business with people we know like, and trust is a proven fact.
People ultimately choose to do business with people they like, and everyone likes someone who appreciates them.
I once read a quote by the ever so brilliant writer known as Anonymous. It states, “People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel.” The most powerful tool you have in creating success in your life is to appreciate other people. Reference
So how can you get to know people in business? And, perhaps more importantly, how can your prospects get to know you?
1. Local marketing and networking
One way is networking. You may hate the very thought of going out to meet strangers. Will people talk to you? Will you be left standing like a shag on a rock? Alone. Awkward. Embarrassed.
I received some advice from a marketing consultant. He told me to start networking. I hated the thought of it but did it regardless of how I felt. And yes, not every experience was good but I persevered and networking has been hugely successful for me.
Networking is all about getting to know people. Like any relationship you pick up the vibes and gravitate to people, you want to get to know. If you’re a good networker, you will arrange to meet with fellow networkers for an informal get to know you chat over coffee, an ideal way to get to know people.
That’s great for local marketing but what about international customers and suppliers?
2. International customers
Once again the Internet has made it possible for strangers in another country to get to know you.
Your website, blog posts, social media, and video.
3. About us
The About Us page on your site is crucial. This page gives you the opportunity to tell your personal story. You can give your potential customers a glimpse of you as a human being which means that they will feel as if they know you.
4. Blog posts
Blog posts are the ideal way to let your customers get to know you. You write about your field of expertise. You write about what you do, why you do it and how you do it.
5. Photos and videos – the personal touch
To make an even stronger connection with your website audience make sure you include your photo and use video on your website as often as you can.
Face to face is best but a video is without doubt extremely useful. Your customers can see you speak and read your body language. Again, they will feel as if they have met you.
This feeling of knowing you allows your customer to feel a connection with you, and they begin to like you.
Like and trust
The know and like you stage is the crucial beginning of the trust building process. Without trust, there will be no sale.
Why is trust so important? We’ll explore that in our next post so stay tuned.
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