Why Slow Sales Stick

I’m often asked, “what can I do to speed up my customers in their buying decision?”

With very considered purchases, it might be 6 months or more between someone first hearing about you and them actually making that first purchase. In a small business, these months can be excruciating as you wait patiently for a call or email telling you they’re ready to take that next step in their buying journey. 

It’s tempting to want to try and speed them up, because you know they’ll get so much value from what you have to offer. However, it’s important your customer is allowed to make their decision in their own time.

Here’s why:

1. When customers feel under pressure to buy, they’re more likely to go elsewhere.

We’ve all been on the receiving end of a pushy salesperson at one time or another and it doesn't make for a pleasant buying experience. In fact, it usually results in me finding an excuse to get out of the store or off the call to go google where else I can buy that same product from. Because, the thing is, unless you are the only person in the world offering what you do (whether it’s a product or a service), your buyer still has a choice. And they might just choose someone else.

2. Once they've had time to properly consider, your buyer might change their mind...

People change their minds about things. Fact. And if we buy something without giving it enough consideration, we're more likely to return it, cancel our order last minute or, if we do keep it, we’re less likely to buy again. Worst of all, unhappy customers might go online to leave a negative review, or they might advise others to avoid buying.

3. If your buyer has proactively chosen you, they’ll probably keep choosing you.

If your customer has enjoyed the buying process and has proactively chosen to spend their time and money with your business, they’re more likely to stick with you and stay loyal.

Remember, just because someone has made that first purchase, it doesn’t mean that they are automatically long term, loyal customers. They need to build trust in you and your brand which is achieved by allowing them to move through their buyer journey at their own pace - unfortunately there’s no shortcut.

If you’d like some help getting a marketing strategy in place to ensure your marketing supports your customers at every stage of their buying journey, get started today with my free guide and training “How to do marketing that actually works”.