We’re always trying to better understand the customer lifecycle. That’s a collective “we” — anyone that has a service or good they’re trying to sell to someone else. The goal is to understand the psychology behind purchasing decisions, the research process, and, most importantly, what makes buyers tick. But despite all of our efforts, there’s still a disconnect between buyers and sales.
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Salesforce recently uncovered some key info on the buying disconnect:
- Prospects struggle to find the right information during the research process, and they’re afraid to make an uneducated purchase.
- Sellers/vendors don’t understand how to reach an anonymous buyer throughout the purchasing journey.
- Sales reps don’t understand their prospects’ needs or they take too long to figure them out.
It’s the seller’s responsibility to facilitate an easy buying experience. Keeping it simple reduces the sales lifecycle and ensures happier customers in the long-run. But most people don’t buy without at least some knowledge ahead of time… so what can you do to ensure that your prospects are better prepared to buy?
Make It Easy
One of the biggest challenges that prospects face is information-gathering. This is where content provided by the seller is key. General product information is an obvious must, but customer stories and overall satisfaction scores are a great way to show how and why your product is the best. Make this content easy to read and find. What’s the point of having good content if prospects have to search for it?
Understand Your Prospects’ Needs
Use customer information to get to know your prospects. Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback from existing clients. Revealing how they work and what made them buy will strengthen your current marketing and content projects. The more detailed the information, the more comfortable your prospects will be committing to your product.
