A battle is being waged between businesses of all sizes vying for the attention to gain customers. Each day your potential clients are inundated with information from news, ads, emails. blogs, videos— you name it. It’s getting harder and harder for businesses to stand out in all the clutter.
You may have even already tried to gain ground by following the battle cry of “more content!” with little or no success. And the reason for this is because throwing more content (without value) into the fray is not the answer.
The battle to gain attention is won by offering value, context, and experience.
Always Offer Value
Rather than focusing on your product’s or service’s attributes, focus on making your solution strategic to the target customer’s success. Step into their shoes, really get to know who your target audience is, and then show them how your business, products and services will solve their current problems or problems they had not even realized that they have.
Uncover a problem that had been vaguely nagging at them. Then, present a solution so that the “Wow! They really know me and my business” factor will go a long way in not just making the first sale but engaging a long-term customer.
Give Context to Your Content
Most businesses have fallen prey to the belief that more content is what is needed in our new social media landscape. However, content without context is a lot of energy lost to a losing battle.
A well-articulated story marries your value with the customer’s reality. It will then take them to a new, more successful result, doing wonders to engage researchers and keep them engaged.
This story simply explains why you’re bringing your product or service to market.
And it is told from the viewpoint of your customer in four parts:
- First, part 1 explains what’s changed.
- Part 2 tells the story of solutions from the previous reality that fell short.
- Part 3 presents your business’ solution.
- And finally, part 4 describes a vision of the customer’s transformed future.
Make the Customer Experience Unforgettable
Buyers have shifted from forming opinions and making decisions on the basis of evaluation to experience. Relying on a description or a sales demonstration is no longer the strong play.
Therefore, you must bring out the big guns and win customers by showing the unique value of your product or service through a compelling experience. Customers interacting with content through a variety of senses will leave a longer and more lasting impact than even the most compelling white paper or blog post.
Winning the attention battle is more important than ever— a recent survey by CEB reported that 57% of the typical B2B sales cycle is complete before the buyer’s first contact with vendors. Your customers are more than halfway through their decision process before they’ve even made contact with you!
So how can you stand out from competitors, consistently engage customers, and sky rocket your sales to the next level? It’s by focusing on value, context and experience.
Not sure where to start? Or maybe you’ve been in the trenches a little too long on your own? Our team at 360 Consulting knows the digital terrain and the path to sales success. Contact us today for to schedule a FREE consultation. We are standing at attention and ready to join your battle!