How to Really Connect with Your Customers on Their Terms to Build Relationships and Generate More Sales

Do you truly understand what your customers want from you? Are you delivering? n Understanding that copy is the secret to sales success is a great starting point. Knowing how to engage your readers with attention grabbing headlines is important and at the same time, it's not enough to really create a relationship, build trust and eventually win a customer or client. You must clearly outline your features and benefits by showing your prospects the "What's in it for me." factor. This will establish interest, trust and value.n nSo, let's start thinking from your customer's perspective because the bottom line is they matter far more than you do. I know sometimes that's a hard pill for business owners to swallow. Get over it and start connecting today by really examining your marketing message. Once you know what you want your promotional copy to do, who you want to talk to and how you need to say what you want to say to get results, it's time to explore features and benefits.nnSimply put, tell your readers/customers what's in it for them. nnFeatures by definition are a distinctive element, a special attraction or a prominent characteristic. In copywriting, features are what you have to offer. What makes your product or service different?nnBenefits by definition are a service or right or something that promotes wellbeing. For copywriting purposes benefits are what your customer gets from the product or service. How does your product or service positively impact your consumer?nnYour goal, and the goal of your copy, is to build relationships that move your customers towards the sale by speaking to them in a way they'll relate and respond to. Again, it's all about them. Paint a picture using the "what's in it for me factor". Think about your customers likes and dislikes, figure out what makes them tick and incorporate that information to build relationships and move them towards the sale.nnConnect with your customers on their terms with language they'll relate to. Of course, your background and expertise is important but it's not the most important thing to consumers. People want to know "what's in it for me (WIIFM)". While they may be interested in your credentials, this isn't solely how people make decisions on who to work with. • What feature or benefit could be a hot spot that your customer's identify with? • When thinking of features and benefits don't forget to include emotions. What emotional triggers connect consumers with your offerings? • What makes your audience tick? Take a moment to review your marketing materials today. Are you really conveying the "what's in it for me factor" to your intended market? Are you building relationships that entice people to choose you, your business, product or service over someone else?