One of a salesperson’s biggest challenges is the growth of the “Experience Economy.” But selling experiences is also a source of great opportunity. Salespeople today cannot just peddle a product. They need to create a customer experience that is pleasant, memorable and focused on anticipating and solving problems.
Most products and services are the same or very similar to the products and services offered by the competition. A unique product last year has been reproduced at a lower price and is now commoditized in the minds of customers. How do you differentiate yourself from the company down the street, and how can you add a personal, engaging, unique experience to the way you do business? Furthermore, how do you develop a sales strategy that will differentiate your business during challenging times?
Selling Commodities vs. Selling Experiences
Consider that:
- Many families pay as little as they can for commodities so they can spend a lot on an experience. They’ll buy cheap bread, milk, and eggs so they can spend big bucks on a trip to an exciting destination.
- You can either rent a movie or pay ten times as much for a family of four to see it on the big screen.
Many of us are willing to pay extra for a memorable experience.
If you are selling a commodity, price is always an issue. If you are selling an experience, people actually want to pay more as long as you don’t disappoint them. The question becomes: how can you shift from being transactional to leveraging the experience economy?
Ways to Create an Experience
Look at every contact you have with customers:
- Phone calls.
- Brochures.
- Your website.
- Advertisements.
- The look and feel of your office.
- The way you dress.
- The greeting they get when they enter your business.
- The stages they go through to make a purchase.
- The ways you invoice.
- The way you deliver their order or services.
- Your follow-up calls, letters or other forms of communication.
- The professionalism and branding of your business.
- Anything else that is a touch point between your company and your customers
Ways to Stand Out
What can you do differently from everyone else? How can you do to wow your clients? So, can you make your customer’s life easier, less stressful, and more fun?
Make the experience of dealing with you so appealing and memorable that the purchase of your product or service is a natural progression of the relationship.
TAC is excited to share details of our new Pure Selling program designed to help your business stand out!