What To Do When People Aren’t Buying

Jul 27

Does any of this sound familiar … you have a high value prospect who’s interested in speaking to you. You make the appointment, you have a great discussion about how you can help them, then … nothing happens.

They don’t buy.

And this happens with the next one, and the next, and the next.

You’re not sure why people have stopped buying. You just know that for some strange reason they have. Well this podcast episode is for you.

Today’s emerging new economy consumer is far pickier, far more suspicious and more nervous to part with their hard earned cash. Understandably so. With everything the world has gone through, we’re in the trust damaged world. No one wants to make a mistake and be taken advantage of.

If you’re struggling with getting more clients, then here are 5 valuable marketing tips to help you get things cranking again.

Is your Marketing Message getting lost in translation? You might be surprised to discover that a large number of your prospects are simply not buying from you because they don’t fully understand what you do or, most importantly, how it benefits them. This is Step 2 of the Client Stampede Formula.

A rewrite of your value proposition and your company’s core messaging (to answer questions like “Why should I do business with you versus any and every other business out there?”) – will do wonders for your business. Clarity is everything. But a clear message worded in such a way that deeply resonates with your target market is magnetic. If your business hasn’t got your messaging perfected then it doesn’t matter what media you use and what market you choose – people aren’t going to buy like they should.
Are you following up? C’mon now, really? Out of the many hundreds of companies we have coached and consulted with, I can count on two hands the number of businesses that had a robust follow up process for those people who said no.

Have you ever heard that old saying that people don’t care what you know until they know how much you care? That couldn’t be more true in this economy. The more steps and the more media your follow up encompasses, the more effective it will be. For example, think off the last time you bought insurance. Chances are you never ever hear from your insurance agent except once a year when it’s renewal time. One of our coaching students saw this as a massive opportunity to build his business. He invested in a lunch break book, and sent copies of it to every unconverted lead his business had had for the past 2 years. He also started sending them helpful articles he’d written once every two months, and a birthday card on their birthday. This simple little follow up system was the reason why his business volume doubled in less than 12 months. As I say there are gold coins lying around on your floor - your unconverted leads are many of these!
Make them an offer they can’t refuse. Most times people decide NOT to buy not because something is too expensive, but because they’re scared they’ll be stuck with a lemon. One of the secrets to getting people to buy is to make it easier for them to say yes than no. This is what’s known as your irresistible messaging and about creating an offer that either passes the Armchair Flying Slipper test (meaning in a snowstorm your prospects are so excited about your offer they leap out of their armchair, send their slippers flying and head out to go get your offer). Or by giving them a bold guarantee that reverses the risk for them. Either of these things could be what’s really making your prospects nervous.
Hold a focus group of your top clients and find out if what you think is important to them really still is. Get your finger on the pulse of the people you’re marketing to. Things have changed dramatically in the last twelve months. Dive into the trenches with them. Read what they read. Join the groups they join. Throw your assumptions aside and plug in where they are plugged in. The best way to do this is to schedule a small amount of time every week to your new “market research”. The insights you glean can be a game changer.
Write a great sales letter (yes old school still REALLY works). If people aren’t buying, maybe it’s because your sales pitch hasn’t hit the right note, or maybe your message isn’t reaching enough people. The great, late copywriter Gary Halbert said that there’s no problem that can’t be fixed by a great sales letter. It’s very true. A well-written sales letter has been the tipping point for many businesses (just ask the Wall St Journal who used the same sales letter for 28 years and earned more than a billion dollars with it).

The bottom line is – if your prospects aren’t buying, it’s your marketing that needs work. Sometimes just a fine tune is all that’s needed. Other times it’s a complete overhaul. Remember – your prospects are going to buy from someone so make sure it’s you!