How much easier would it be to gain sales if you really knew what your customers were thinking?

We take a look at an underestimated and underused marketing activity which, professionally delivered, really can drive business growth

We're agreed!  Selling B2B services or products is different to B2C.  There are fewer potential buyers and they are harder to find.  Lead times can be long and different buying motivations are in play - trust in the ability to deliver, confidence in the value-added and reliability of time estimates for achieving predicted RoI.

There is something else.  Something rarely talked about - the fear of making the wrong decision and its impact not only on the company but on individual careers.  This is the reason why so many small companies find it difficult to make significant sales to larger ones or additional sales to existing customers.  

So how can understanding more about your customers help you get around these issues and in doing so provide a key to business growth?

We all know it is easier and cheaper to sell to people who know and trust us than it is to find new customers.  So why is it when companies are looking for growth their first thought is ‘What can we do to find new customers?”.  Rather than “How can we sell more to existing customers?”

Customers are a key source of information about your business and, in our experience, are generally willing to help you identify where the best opportunities for growth lie. You just need to go about it in the right way.

Most of our clients understand what their customers like about the product or services they provide -  and some have insights into what they don't like.  But we've seen some significant changes in their marketing and sales approach when they also know the answers to questions like:

• What are your expected levels of business activity?
• What additional products or services could you be interested in?
• What % of your business do you put with us?
• Which of our competitors do you, or have you, worked with?
• What do you like/dislike about them?
• Do you refer our company to others?  If not, why not?
• How did you initially find out about us?  A good one to test what marketing is working best for you.
• What do you understand about our brand? i.e. What are the perceptions of your company out there in the market place?
• What do you understand about our range of products and services?

Which is why we are often surprised when a company bases its sales and marketing strategy on internally focussed views ..... which themselves are based on one or two ad hoc customer comments .... made at some time in the past.

Customer research professionally undertaken by an independent third party repays the investment quickly and many times over.  It saves you £'s on marketing initiatives that don't work and leaves you with more £'s in your pocket to focus on activities that will generate new sales.

Why spend £'s on sales and marketing initiatives based on an incomplete understanding of what your customers want when, with quality information, your results could be so much better?

Just imagine how much easier it could be for you to win new business from your customers if you really did know what they were thinking!

If this is an idea worth exploring for your business give me a call on 01483 239395.