Picture this: You're on a first date with someone you're really interested in. The conversation is flowing, and you're both enjoying each other's company. Then suddenly, out of the blue, your date drops to one knee and asks you to marry them.
Awkward, right?
Just like proposing marriage on the first date can send someone running for the hills, trying to rush people through their buyer journey by offering them your product or service too early on can have a similar effect on potential clients.
So, if you’re finding you’re struggling to get past those initial conversations with potential clients and aren’t getting any replies to your follow ups, here’s why…
Awkward, right?
Just like proposing marriage on the first date can send someone running for the hills, trying to rush people through their buyer journey by offering them your product or service too early on can have a similar effect on potential clients.
So, if you’re finding you’re struggling to get past those initial conversations with potential clients and aren’t getting any replies to your follow ups, here’s why…
The pitfalls of rushing the buyer journey
Like in dating, a lot of marketing is about building relationships with people - which is why this analogy works so well. Whether we’re aware of it at the time or not, there’s several phases in the dating game which help you to feel confident in your decision to move forward with a person. The first being the ‘getting to know someone’ phase.
When you’re dating you want to know that your partner shares your core attitudes and values about certain things and that they want what you want in the future, and it's the same when you’re entering into a business relationship with someone.
Imagine if your date barely knew anything about you and hadn't taken the time to get to know your interests, values, and aspirations. That hasty proposal would feel forced and quite frankly pretty awkward. Similarly, rushing into a sales pitch without establishing a solid foundation can lead to scepticism and mistrust. Without finding out this key information first, it's pretty unlikely that they’re going to offer you exactly what you were looking for, making it unlikely they’ll say yes.
When you’re dating you want to know that your partner shares your core attitudes and values about certain things and that they want what you want in the future, and it's the same when you’re entering into a business relationship with someone.
Imagine if your date barely knew anything about you and hadn't taken the time to get to know your interests, values, and aspirations. That hasty proposal would feel forced and quite frankly pretty awkward. Similarly, rushing into a sales pitch without establishing a solid foundation can lead to scepticism and mistrust. Without finding out this key information first, it's pretty unlikely that they’re going to offer you exactly what you were looking for, making it unlikely they’ll say yes.
Understanding your customers pain points
Just as in a first date conversation, it's important to be a good listener when you’re building a relationship with potential customers and in sales conversations. This hopefully shouldn’t be news to you! But, what a lot of business owners forget to do, is to address these key pain points and concerns within their marketing so that people feel more comfortable reaching out.
By actively listening and showing empathy, you can uncover your customers' pain points and challenges. What keeps them up at night? What are their aspirations and goals?
A one-size-fits-all solution is unlikely to resonate strongly enough with any potential customers. But, using this information to tailor your pitch and address your ideal customers specific pain points demonstrates that you have invested time and effort into understanding their unique situation. This can not only help to increase your conversion rates, but also allows you to position your product or service as a solution that genuinely addresses their needs to avoid the dreaded buyer's remorse.
By actively listening and showing empathy, you can uncover your customers' pain points and challenges. What keeps them up at night? What are their aspirations and goals?
A one-size-fits-all solution is unlikely to resonate strongly enough with any potential customers. But, using this information to tailor your pitch and address your ideal customers specific pain points demonstrates that you have invested time and effort into understanding their unique situation. This can not only help to increase your conversion rates, but also allows you to position your product or service as a solution that genuinely addresses their needs to avoid the dreaded buyer's remorse.
Standing out from the crowd
Imagine if, on your first date, your potential partner displayed genuine curiosity about you, your interests, and your future aspirations. It didn’t seem forced or like a chore, it just felt natural and easy. They stood out from the crowd because they invested in getting to know you on a deeper level. Similarly, by taking a patient and thoughtful approach to your marketing and sales process, you demonstrate that you are not just after a quick transaction. Instead, you prioritise building genuine connections and becoming a trusted partner in your customers' journey
So, what’re the signs you’re pushing the sales pitch too early?
As always, there’s plenty of signs your customers might be displaying if you’re proposing marriage too early on in your buying journey, but here are a few of the most common ones we see…
In the world of sales, slow and steady truly wins the race. By avoiding the urge to propose marriage on the first date and instead focusing on building connections, understanding customer pain points, and offering tailored solutions, you create lasting impressions and foster meaningful relationships.
If you’re seeing any of the above signs that you might be proposing marriage too soon in your business relationships, get in touch with us today to find out how we can help.
- You’re being ghosted (a lot!). We’ve all been there, where you’ve come off a sales call feeling confident about how the conversation went only to be met with crickets from your potential customer.
- You’re having a lot of initial conversations but you’re not getting many (or any) sales off the back of them.
- You’re getting limited referrals or repeat business from new customers.
- You’re seeing a high level of returns or clients asking for their money back. You might even be getting a run of bad reviews online if people have felt pressured into buying and weren’t fully satisfied with their purchase.
In the world of sales, slow and steady truly wins the race. By avoiding the urge to propose marriage on the first date and instead focusing on building connections, understanding customer pain points, and offering tailored solutions, you create lasting impressions and foster meaningful relationships.
If you’re seeing any of the above signs that you might be proposing marriage too soon in your business relationships, get in touch with us today to find out how we can help.
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