Although it may sound strange, educating your customer should be the centerpiece of your marketing strategy. Educating the client is one of the best ways to increase your sales and turn people into long-term customers. When someone is first thinking about buying a product or service, they probably don’t know very much about it. That’s going to make a person hesitant to buy the product. They’re not sure if they’re getting a good deal, whether the product they’re thinking about is good, or what their other choices might be. Not knowing makes the customer uncomfortable, and gets in the way of the sale.
If, on the other hand, someone comes and takes the time to help you learn more about the subject, a balanced look at the field and all the different products available, it not only gives you the confidence you need to make a purchase, but also earns your trust and loyalty. You’ll be more likely to go back to that source of information again. What kinds of things can you educate your client on?
Your Product and Company
The most important thing you can educate your customer on is your product and company. They need to know all the important details about your products. Advertising is a good place to do this. Include all the interesting features and details about your product or service in your ads, whether on media stations or posted at your business.
Make sure customers know all the unique advantages they can get from your products and by using your company. Remember your Unique Selling Proposition and make sure your customers know your strengths. Are your products the highest possible quality, or do they have the best warranties? Make sure the customer knows what makes you the best place for their business. Don’t be rude about it, but tactfully describe the things that set your business or product apart. It’s a sad mistake if your customers don’t know the advantages of doing business with you. But be honest about your products, too. Including the less positive aspects of your product will let the client know that you’re trustworthy and are looking out for their interests, not just the bottom line.
Your Field
Knowing about your product and company is a great place to start, but customers also want to know more about the field in general. They want to know about their other choices, and about whether it’s a field they should be looking into in the first place. A great option here is coming up with booklets or reports discussing the field your business and products are in. It should be generic enough that you can use it for a variety of promotions. This will help customers determine how important this purchase should be to them, and what their options will be. They can see how your service compares to the alternatives, knowledge that will make them more comfortable with making a purchase.
Related Subjects
You don’t just have to limit yourself to educating the customer about your specific products and your field. You should also take the time to educate them about related subjects that are not directly related to your business. In addition to pamphlets and booklets about the field your business is in, have other booklets on even broader subjects, of which your field is only a part. So if your company sells home appliances, you could have a broader pamphlet just about home construction or home budgeting, of which the appliances are only a small part. Giving this kind of broader knowledge gains your customers’ trust. You’re not directly selling them anything with this information, since it’s not really about your business or field, so customers will come to see that you are someone they can trust and that has their best interests at heart. This will make them more willing to do business with you in your field, because you were helpful outside of your field.
