How do you convince a client to buy a product?

There is only one thing that really matters to your customers… and here’s why so many businesses get it all wrong

I recently was searching for something and read through a couple of company homepages where they usually state how experience they are, industry-leaders, use state-of-the-art techniques, and have of course the best-educated employees.

That’s absolutely great!

There is only one problem: It is not about them, it is about their clients!

It’s not about you, it’s about the client

Your client does not really care about how good you are, or at least you think you are. They don’t even care how nice or likable you are.

No, surprisingly enough the client cares only about “What can you do for me?”

This is a problem many business leaders and entrepreneurs are not even aware of having it.

Sure, all those phrases might indicate your well qualified to do a certain job (not everybody gets into Harvard, right?).

But what the client wants to really hear is that you can show him “how to increase sales by 10% and more”, for example.

If you achieve this by revamping his marketing campaign using a fifty-year old technique or optimizing a few things in their sales process — who cares?

It is the result that matters, so the output and not the input, like for example hours. The best tools and methods in the world are of no value if they don’t provide a client with the desired results.

This is what a client is happy to pay for, ideally receiving even more perceived value than the actual amount paid.

This is maybe one of the most important lessons I ever learned reading Jay Abraham’s strategy of preeminence:

Always make your client #1 and think about what you can do for the clients’ hopes, dreams and needs!

The long-term success of your own business will benefit greatly if you make this your main objective in all you do.

What is the value you are bringing to your clients?

Maybe this seems obvious now. But think about yourself and your own business: Are you selling or are you serving?

I guess you are very well aware of what value you can provide to your clients, but you need to bring this to the surface.

I remember how I tried in my younger years to make as many certificates as possible and increase my knowledge constantly. It was always quite a proud moment when I could update my CV with a new achievement.

However, the more I slipped into the consulting business the more I was faced with one question: “Jue, how can you help us?”

The thing is: It might feel more relevant for you to update your resume with a new certificate — but it is way more relevant to a client if you can say “Re-positioning of business strategy led to sales increase by 15%”, or even better a former client giving you a testimonial on this.

If you had never really thought about it that way, it is difficult to come up with an instant answer.

Here’s what you can do though:

Look at your own products and services. Take a step back and imagine you were your own client buying your stuff… and now write down what results you expect to get in return!

Your client communication

Now that you are aware of the values and results you are bringing your clients it is even more important to communicate this throughout all your channels.

Just think about it for a moment. When you visit a homepage for the first time — what is more compelling for you?

Is it somebody saying what tools and tactics he is using or the one telling you how to get more and better clients?

That is a good time to review your own company page, your sales pitches or call to actions. Look at them brutally honest.

No matter what you think today but buying is often a highly emotional process and yet most are selling only tangible results.

I believe that if you are selling results instead a lot of clients will only start thinking about it and say “Yes! That is exactly what I need!”

Who can totally refuse to say it sounds great to have for example increased conversions? You would be at least interested to hear more — and exactly this is the point.

Here is what you need to do now — review the values and results you came up earlier before and compare them with your today’s communication, so:

• Your company description
• Your value proposition
• Sales pages
• Sales pitches
• Newsletter
• Call-to-actions
• etc.

Make sure you focus on all of the above on results and outcomes, not inputs or any vague benefits.

Listen to your clients

Note that we did not talk about products or services at all so far? Time to change that, because otherwise how would you make any profit at all?

The great thing is that by focusing so much on the clients’ results we created a goldmine for ourselves.

You need to start putting yourself in his shoes. How does he think? What is between the client and his real dreams, hopes and needs? Talk to your clients and you will start understanding, and this understanding will immediately show you how you can bring in your expertise to achieve the same results for him that you did for others and solve his pain points.

You can immediately start:

• Review your most recent client feedback
• Think back to the last chats you had and write down notes
• Start calling up clients to see how they are doing
• Start researching your target audience

People will buy solutions which solve their problems!

Provide value to your clients, money will come

The one and only thing a client really cares about are results.

Put your client always first, literally fall in love with them and not your own products. You did an excellent job if your clients turn into fans, keep coming back and even refer you to their business partners.

This approach maybe makes less money and more efforts in the beginning, but if you manage to consistently add value for your clients the money will flow in exponentially over time.

Clients will keep coming back and pay even more, they will refer you more business and word speaks for itself eventually.