There’s nothing more off-putting to a potential customer than a pushy salesman who doesn’t know when to back off. Even when transactions are being done online, there’s always a sales guy who can’t resist sending endless emails offering this, that and the other.
Well, congratulations. That salesman just lost his lead, which means the potential buyer is now looking to make a purchase somewhere else. Play your cards right, and it could be you they turn to.
But you don’t want to make the same mistakes that other guy just made, as losing a lead for being pushy could have a bigger impact on your business than you initially realised.
Fear not, though, as I’m on hand to help you avoid using pushy sales tactics online.
Identify your Leads First
There are two different types of leads that you’ll come across: MQLs (Marketing Qualified Leads) and SQLs (Sales Qualified Leads). It’s important to know the difference between the two, as you have to approach both leads in different ways.
MQLs
An MQL is a lead who has been deemed likely to become a customer at some point down the line. This is an educated assumption based on what sites the lead visits, their downloads and how they engage with the content you’re currently putting out.
These are leads that are looking for more information on the product or service you offer. The mistake we see businesses make at this point is they confuse a potential customer’s intrigue for a desire to buy.
Approaching an MQL with ‘buy now’ deals and spamming their email inbox with Decision-stage blogs will soon see them unsubscribe from your newsletter and social media pages before they decide to blank your site altogether.
SQLs
Your SQLs have already gone through the marketing stage and they are ready to be sold to. In many cases, they have already bought from you.
When it comes to these leads, you need to make sure you’re not plying them with information from the Awareness and Consideration stages, as they’re already customers.
Instead, nurture the relationship you’ve already formed. They may become brand ambassadors or they could just keep you in mind next time they’re looking to buy.
What is the Effect of Using Pushy Sales Tactics Online?
Long story short, you lose out massively because no one wants to feel pressured into buying something they’re still in two minds about. Your potential customer doesn’t lose out, as there’s a whole host of other service providers out there they can turn to when they decide the time is right.
Let’s have a closer look at what pushy sales tactics mean for businesses.
Loss of Sales
We might as well start with the obvious one. If you’re going to insist on pushing your potential customer to buy your product or service, they’ll quickly turn away and never look back. This means you aren’t just missing out in the short-term, you’re missing out on ever winning a sale with this potential customer again.
Bad experiences have a way of sticking in people’s minds, and when it comes to sales, most buyers are rarely in a forgive-and-forget mood because there’s always another company they can turn to.
Move at your potential client’s pace, and you greatly improve your chances of them eventually buying with you.
A Bad Reputation
In a consumerist world, nothing remains a secret. If you’ve given someone a bad buying experience, chances are they will have told as many people as possible about what it is exactly they disliked.
And word of mouth is just the start of the issue. Online reviews sites are the first place people turn to when they’re looking for a reputable place to buy.
Once a review is on the internet, it’s more than likely it’ll be there for life and can be easily found by typing in your company name.
If this happens to you, all you can really do is respond to the review saying you’ve learnt from your mistakes and prove it by gaining some good reviews. Prevention is always the best cure, though, so just don’t be pushy in the first place.
Wasted Time and Money
I’m sure you’re already well aware of this, but I’m on a roll hammering home points in this blog; your marketing efforts cost time and money. If you’re not taking your marketing campaigns seriously, then you’ll never recoup the costs that go into them.
Instead of trying to push your blogs onto people, let them find them naturally. Proper keyword research and SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) will keep your blogs at the forefront for years to come, and strategic social media efforts will give your blog views a decent boost, too.
By taking this approach, you’re more likely to be found by potential clients that are actually interested in what you have to say, meaning you’re putting your time and money in the right place.
Your Loss is your Competitors’ Gain
I touched on this point before, but it’s worth looking into in a bit more depth. Every customer that gets driven away still needs to find someone to buy from. If they’re not making a purchase from your business, then it stands to reason they’ve gone to see what your competitors have to offer instead.
Your competitors have more than just a chance to make one sale here. If they do right what you did wrong, they’ll receive good feedback, positive online reviews and a potential customer for life.
By thinking in terms of what others can gain from your mistakes, you’ll soon realise why it pays to get things right from the off.
How to Approach Customers the Right Way
Nailing your content marketing campaigns goes way beyond writing great blogs; it takes a skilled marketing expert to get your blogs seen at the right time and by the right type of leads.
If you need help creating great content that will provide value to customers at every stage of the buyer’s journey, which will ultimately lead to sales, get in touch with one of us here at Strawberry Forge.
