Often, your business’s greatest competition isn’t from other businesses who want your customers but rather from life and the hectic pace of things. As you may be able to relate to, your prospects are probably very busy – and constantly fighting against the distractions and interruptions which occur throughout a normal day.
There is an insulating level of indifference you must overcome in order to gain the attention of your intended audience. With so much noise and intense competition for your customer’s attention, it’s no wonder that most people deliberately develop techniques and strategies to tune out the noise and concentrate on necessary tasks.
As we are all aware, the vast majority of products and services which compete for our attention are either irrelevant or of no interest to us – or, if they are of interest, the message does nothing to convince us it’s worth our time to take action. There’s no obvious benefit in doing anything now, so we decide to wait until it’s convenient and choose from the overwhelming selection of suppliers all offering pretty much the same thing.
So how do you break through the layers of indifference? Getting to know your customers and becoming familiar with their needs will help. Learn what interests them and learn how to relate to them, show them you know how to communicate with them by giving them messages they are interested in, something they will want to hear about. Demonstrate how you are different from your competitors – in those ways which will mean something significant to them.
A lot of businesses make the mistake of assuming that their prospects want to hear about them – what makes their company so great and why they believe their products are the best. Your prospects may at some point become interested in you, but first you need to catch their interest with what you’re offering them. Until they purchase from you, you’re just another business broadcasting noise at them – so they’ve no reason to listen to you until you give them one.
You do that by offering something you KNOW they want – not because you think they’ll be interested, but because your research and experience has indicated they will be interested. You speak their language and communicate with them using channels they prefer, because you’ve taken the time to get familiar with them. You give them solid evidence of how your products are better – measuring them in terms that interest your customers. You give them an incentive to do something – a limited time offer, a sale or promotion. Make it worth their while to listen to you.
If you’ve done these things you have a much better chance of breaking through that layer of casual indifference. Give them a reason to listen… and accept that you have to earn their attention. And don’t forget to make it as easy as possible for your customers to buy from you. When everyone is so busy convenience is a valuable benefit for businesses to provide and can sometimes tip the scales in your favour.
If you’d like to learn more about how to catch your customers’ attention, contact me
