Increase Sales by Respecting Non-Buyers
Some marketers, especially online marketers, seem to have a disdain for visitors who don’t immediately make a purchase from them. Often, these non-buyers are lumped into a “freebie seekers” category.
There are, of course, plenty of freebie seekers. They are the people that are looking for something for nothing. In most cases, they will never make a purchase from you. These, however, are not the people you need to worry about. Be cordial, of course, in your interactions with them, but you don’t need to bend over backwards to help them. The people I’m classifying in that group are the ones that take but never give and, by that, I don’t just mean financially. There are people that will take whatever they can get for nothing, but show no appreciation for it at all. No “thank you.” Nothing.
Those aren’t the people you need to concern yourself with. Even if they bad mouth you, these people are generally recognized by others and their claims are quickly dismissed.
The ones of which I speak are those that may express an interest in our product or service, but not purchase right that moment. When dealing with them in person, they may share with you why they are not making a purchase immediately. Of course, sometimes, they may not share, either preferring their privacy or not wanting to tell you too personal a detail. When dealing with online customers, in most cases, we’ll have no idea whatsoever why they declined to make their purchase immediately.
It could be that they are highly interested in buying from you, but don’t have the money to do so right now. They may have had an unexpected bill come their way or some other unforeseen circumstance may have required them to spend money they might have otherwise spent with you. They may need to wait until their next paycheck. Or, the paycheck after that. Remember, many people, especially in the U.S., don’t have a lot of savings and live from paycheck to paycheck.
They might be interested in buying, but simply cannot afford to do so at the moment.
It could also be that they need to save up the money over the course of several paychecks, or by doing odd jobs that would be of an inconsistent nature in terms of amounts and regularity of payments. It could be that they are still in the research stage and want to do a more thorough review of other products before settling on one in order to get the most value for their money, which will be especially of importance to those that have limited incomes to spend.
In any case, what is important to note is not that we have a non-buyer but that we have a potential customer. Circumstances may be that this potential buyer may never make a purchase from us; but it may also be that they will make a purchase from us at a later date.
Naturally, if we treat them like a freeloader, they will think we don’t think very highly of them and make their eventual purchase elsewhere. And, when this happens, marketers are prone to think that such people were just freebie seekers to begin with and never interested in making a purchase, when really it was the marketer’s attitude toward them that lost the sale.
To help ensure we get that eventual sale, it is necessary to treat the non-buyer with respect. We do that first by treating them as a potential customer rather than a non-buyer. If we look upon them as non-buyers, it is easy to presume they are freeloaders of some sort. By viewing them as a potential customer, that changes our own attitude toward them. Instead of looking at them as someone we failed to sell to, we look at them as a sale we’ve already potentially made but need to keep.
One powerful way to keep the non-buyer as a potential customer is to maintain contact with them. Many sellers, especially in a bricks and mortar environment, are quick to turn away a non-buyer. But, regardless of the business environment, online or offline, getting the non-buyer on your mailing list is a great way to help increase the odds of a future sale from that person.
Online or offline, you can “sell” them on joining your list by offering them special discounts and savings only available to persons on your list. Online, you may have more options. You can offer them a free eCourse in your niche subject. You can offer them a free special report for signing up. Or, you can do a combination of offers.
Once on your list, be sure you continue to send them what you promised. If you promise free information, but every mailing is a solicitation to buy, the prospect may be turned off, thinking you see him only as a source of revenue for yourself. You must provide what was promised. If you promise special offers, make sure you deliver. If you promise free helpful information, make sure you deliver.
You want your potential customer to find the information useful so that he will remain on your list and, one day, make a purchase or even several purchases from you. If you do nothing but send a sales pitch each time, he will quickly unsubscribe or, in the case of a physical mailing, begin throwing away your mailings without even reading them anymore. Again, you will have lost the sale.
Respect your non-buyers. Realize that they are potential customers. If you cannot make an immediate sale, plan for a future sale. Realize that you may already have sold your prospect on your product or service, and need to wait until the time is convenient for your prospect to make the purchase. Don’t lose the sale in the meantime by pressuring your prospect with a bunch of sales pitches or by allowing the prospect to forget about you!
Be the first to comment!