It can be tempting to oversell our products and services in today’s competitive world. But this approach can backfire, making customers and prospects want to avoid you altogether.
This aspect has always struck me as slightly ironic, as no person wants to be around a pushy salesperson — even pushy salespeople when THEY are the customer! Yet we can easily fall into the trap of overdoing it when it comes to our own products.
Here are a few key things to keep in mind if you want to avoid over-selling:
- Remember that your customers are people too, and nobody likes to be “sold.” Instead of thinking about how you can make a sale, focus on building a relationship. Focus on building relationships with potential customers rather than solely on making a sale.
- In my book, ICONIC, we discuss how top producers in every industry are the ones who focus on creating Ultimate Customer Experiences ® — not those who push prospects to the point of surrender or escape. By getting to know customers personally, we can pave the road that will ultimately lead to more sales.
- Next, don’t be afraid of competition. In many cases, customers will appreciate having multiple options from which to choose.
- Your job is to become the most distinctive option so that you do all that is possible to ensure selection. This means you constantly ask: what is unique and remarkable about doing business with you — as opposed to your competition?
- Finally, focus on engagement rather than hard selling. If you can get customers involved with your product or service in a meaningful way, they’ll be more likely to buy from you down the road.
As mentioned earlier, customer engagement is a key to avoid the appearance of over-selling.
Here are four steps to help you improve:
- Make it easy for customers to give you feedback. You can make it easier for them to let you know when you provide them with a way to do business that is simple and convenient. Having this in place will also alert you when there is friction in your process that needs to be eliminated.
- Use social media to start a conversation. For example, use short videos that explain the value of your product or service (from the customer’s perspective) and post them on TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. If you’re not using social media to its maximum benefit for connecting with customers, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity.
- Get personal. Customers like doing business with people they know and trust — get to know your customers on a personal level. Examine your CRM and other tools to see if you’re recording easily accessible information that helps you remember — and use — your customers’ personal preferences.
- Make it fun. As mentioned, nobody wants to be sold to — but everyone likes to have fun. If you can find ways to make your product or service more enjoyable, customers will be more likely to engage with you — and therefore, buy from you. The goal is NOT to be frivolous — but it IS to enhance the enjoyment factor of doing business with you. No one likes friction when dealing with any organization.
The key is to strike the right balance between promoting your wares and engaging with potential customers. If you come across as too pushy, people will tune you out. But if you’re too subtle, they may not even realize that you have something to offer.
Finding the sweet spot can be tricky, but it’s worth taking the time to get it right. By following these tips, you can avoid over-selling and instead focus on building relationships, engaging with customers, and becoming the most distinctive option in your industry.
(We would love to assist you in finding that “sweet spot” in customer engagement! Contact me here for more information on how keynote presentations, consulting, coaching, and virtual training can move you and your organization to distinction.)
