Photo credit:Studio Amore via Flickr under Creative Commons License
A new store opened in town. It looked cute from the outside,but I’d passed by a hundred times without going in. Last weekend something caught my eye in the window.
As soon as I walked in,I wanted to buy everything! I spent over a half hour poking around the shop. The owners were there too. We chatted about the store,what was going on in town and how they find such unique items.
I left with a bag full of treasures. “What a find in my own backyard,”I thought to myself. I smiled all the way home.
Why’d It Take So Long To Visit?
As much as I loved the store once inside,why did it take me months to venture in?
It’s not that I didn’t want to,but nothing was attractive enough to pull me away from my routine stops. When I saw the perfect graduation gift,I had to go in. I wanted to see/know more.
Same Thing’s Happening Online
Shoppers are doing the same thing whether walking down Main Street or surfing the internet. If you want to grab their attention,you have to share information that makes them want to stop in rather than do something else.
But grabbing their attention isn’t shouting at them. It’s offering products and services specific to a target group of people,and sharing or sampling what you have to offer.
The shop owners in town,kept updating their window display. When something spoke to me,I went in.
It’s All About Know,Like,Trust
I was getting to know about the shop each time I passed by. When I saw something I liked,I ventured in. When I saw other things I liked,I stayed. Talking with the owners built trust.
Photo Credit:redwood 1 via Flickr under Creative Commons License
The end result…I bought stuff.
People are venturing onto your website,Facebook page,LinkedIn profile and listening to you on Twitter every day. Just like me,when you say something or show something that meets a need of theirs,they look further,stay longer and listen more frequently. Over time this means purchases.
Know,Like,Trust has been around forever. It’s been a mantra for sales professionals. Heck it was the motto of the General Store!
People Don’t Change
Technology can change,but people don’t. Deep down we still act and react to the same things.
If it’s hard to see how know,like,trust can work online,visit a new store in your town,city or block. Watch what attracts you in. Notice what keeps you there. Stay conscious of moving through the three steps.
Next do the same thing online. Do a search of products or services that interest you. Notice which sites,pages,blogs attract you. Why? Pay attention to how long you stay on some sites versus others. Did any site cause you to click the “Buy Now”button? Why?
What was similar to the two processes? What was different? I’ll bet your reactions were the same,although the venues were different.
I’m Going Shopping
The best part of understanding and cultivating the know,like,trust pattern is people will tell their friends. Voila new customers. I’ve told a ton of people about my new “find.” Wouldn’t it be great if people were saying the same thing about your business?
Jen Vondenbrink is a business life coach who helps small businesses put the systems in place to grow while still finding time to enjoy life. She 
Hey Jen,
A great example of the sales process in action. You have to warm up to folks and that takes time. If you put a roast in the oven at 750,to quick the process,you’d ruin it! Same thing.
g.
I love the analogy of the roast Giulietta! That’s awesome. You’re absolutely right. Sales take time. When we spend the time,we can build customers/clients for life.