Customers…. it’s what we all seek when first starting a new business. Getting them however is a lot harder than we expected. This is because people are SMART. They can spot those that are reputable from those who are not without much effort.
Those who start their business from day one knowing this will prosper, those who don’t will fail. It’s as SIMPLE AS THAT. This means smoke and mirrors and other trickery won’t work over the long haul. You have to run your business the RIGHT WAY to make long-term profits.
This fact is a tough sell to many newcomers. They just want to cut to the chase and get their fair share, and they want it as fast as possible. I should know, as I was one of them way back when. Luckily for me I caught on and started treating the customer with respect.
When I did, I started getting sales. Not just a few, but a lot as my monthly revenue went from several hundred per month to well north of thirty thousand per month. The business I speak of was the cleaning business. It was my “first” business, and one I still own to this day.
I know… your thinking what does a “cleaning” business have to do with an “internet” business? The answer is… EVERYTHING! This is because PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE. It doesn’t matter if they are buying cleaning services, widgets, software or anything else you can think of.
To take it a step further it doesn’t matter if they live in the northern hemisphere or the southern hemisphere. What language they speak doesn’t change a thing either. When it comes to making a purchase it all boils down to TRUST. Does the potential customer trust you?
That is the million dollar question you need to ask yourself if you are having a problem getting sales. If you don’t know whether or not they trust you, just look at your bank statement. That will give you the answer real quick.
Gaining trust isn’t really all that hard, but in order to get it you have to pay attention to “details”. This is because TRUST ISN’T ANY ONE THING, it’s a collection of many smaller items that collectively add up in the potential customers head.
Think of it as a scorecard. The higher you score on it, the more likely the customer will choose you and your company. This means EVERYTHING that the customer comes in contact with concerning you, your products and your company must “look the part”.
This means your website, your content, the product descriptions, your logo, the layout, your guarantee, your testimonials and every other detail the customer has the ability to view needs to be in sync. They have to come across as POLISHED in every way. Remember the customer is KEEPING SCORE. If the customer can see something, then they can JUDGE IT.
If it’s not up to par they will spend their money elsewhere. Case closed. So look at your company AS IF YOU ARE THE CUSTOMER. Would you do business with yourself? If the answer is NO then determine why not then get to fixing the issue that is holding you back. Your success depends on it.
How To Make $100 A Day With An Info Product (Part 4) 
You’re Too Sensitive to Be on the Internet 
How Do I Make Money with Twitter? – Past, Present & Future 
{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
Unfortunately a lot of greedy idiots don’t understand this concept
It’s pretty obvious when business are sketchy. Just have to use common sense
Reminds me of buying something off ebay. Higher rating = more reputable
Karma. Always Karma
will absolutely not do business with shitty looking websites
Even just the design of a site is a dead give away.
I love when people put all of their “awards” on the site, as if they’ve actually won them all. yea right.
Acai berry supplements ring a bell anyone?
Trust is everything these days. Smack a “trusted site” sticker on your site and suddenly youre reputable.
The average consumer is getting smarter when it comes to the internet. Everyone is looking for a good deal, and theyre figuring out where to find it.
NO doubt about it 100% nailed it Tom.
Even though I’m an “IT” guy I started my own trucking company from scratch and when I started getting clients this was my secret.
SERVICE
All the old timers said I couldn’t do it but ONE delivery at a time I built my reputation and eventually got to the point where I was on the short list for big customers.
There are no shortcuts or free lunches, sorry folks.
People are more likely to talk about a negative experience than a positive one. So much harder to get people to listen to the positive.
Professional Janitor? — Half Baked!!!
I always assume consumers are idiots. Thats why what I do works. Call me an asshole I guess.
Word of mouth is everything.
Just because they are smart doesnt mean they arent gullible…
Then how do shody business people make money and they good guys dont?
Unfortunately the people who try to get in business for the short haul often make it more difficult for those who are legit. But it’s just another challenge/bump on the road!
Excellent article! Really, people buy YOU! Lots of people sell the same exact product or service – so why does a customer buy from one person or another? It comes down to how someone presents themselves.
People need to set themselves apart so a potential customer is attracted to them.
Good stuff! Have a great day!
Lisa