How can you delight your customers before you know who they are? Sounds crazy, right?
The sales cycle has changed. Prospects are pre-qualifying you long before you know who they are.
According to a study done by Hubspot, 60 percent of the sales cycle is over before your prospects ever talk to a sales representative. Does that sound scary? How can you convert your prospects if they have completed over half of their decision making before they even contact you?
There’s an upside to this trend. By the time they do contact you, they’re already interested. Your opportunity is to let your online presence make the best impression so more of your “sweet spot” prospects make that first contact.
Here are 5 ways to delight your customers before they’ve made first contact
1. Know in advance what your best customers will look like
Have you already created buyer personas for your top most-wanted customers? This will not only let you tailor your online content for those people, but also let you recognize them quickly when they contact you.
2. Anticipate their questions and answer them on your website
You want your website to answer as many of their questions as possible. Our nursing home and rehab facility client HCF, for example, has made video “virtual tours” of all their facilities so family members can get previews without having to travel. You should also optimize your mobile website for the information people will want to know when they’re on the go. Place your hours, phone number, location, and anything emergency-related right up top. If you’re a plumber, you want customers to find your phone number without scrolling or clicking.
3. Understand their pain points If you understand their most pressing concerns and address them up front, you’ll gain their trust. Our roofing company client knows that potential customers are worried about the cost to fix a leaking roof, but don’t necessarily want to make a decision based on price. So Frost Roofing Company created a series of free guides on their website detailing how to maintain a roof in the best way possible until they can afford to schedule their repair.
4. Demonstrate a culture of delight through your social presence
Creating a culture, or brand, based on being helpful builds your social reputation. Since social media is a major tool your prospects are using to decide whether or not to contact you, make every effort to be helpful to everyone on social media. You never know who is watching.
5. Have a process in place for delighting right after your first contact
Your prospect has combed through your website, looked over your social media accounts, and decided to send you an email or give you a call for more information. Do you have a process in place to make that first contact as memorable as possible? Even a simple follow-up phone call or email a day later can make you stand out.
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