5 Secrets to Selling Products & Services to Your Audience

>Is what you're offering soft or hard-edged
enough for thekind of audience you want to
1. Know your audience.attract? What are the qualitiesyour audience is
How can you tailor information to your audience iflooking for from you? Is what you docompletely
you don'tknow who they are? In almost everyclear? Are the products you sell filled
article, book, or manualon publicity and marketingwithknowledge and information (or in the case of
you'll hear this one--and yet fewpeople heed it.3-D productsoriginality and true value) your
When I spoke at the Los Angeles Gift Showbuyers can't get from yourcompetitors? Do you
itbecame evident that many retailers and buyersmake it easy to buy? Remember that
didn't knowtheir audience. Fellow speaker andmostinformation can be found elsewhere, but
communications expertKare Anderson ( polledyour wisdom cannot.
over 60exhibitors and discovered that only 2 felt5. Your website image must match everything
they knew thetype of person they wereyou *do, say andare.*
targeting. Huh? How can they sellproducts toCreate continuity, in person, on paper, and on the
people they can't even profile?Internet.You must come across as professional,
To serve your market you'll want to know whattrustworthy, andknowledgeable. When I was
problems youcan solve for them, and moreinterviewing people for my book,*Sell Yourself
specifically what your audiencelongs for. Most ofWithout Selling Your Soul,* I turned to
us have what we need, but desire more orless oftheexpertise of a professional PR listserve to
what we have--or we yearn for somethingwhich Isubscribe. One woman, whose knowledge
different orbetter. A poem by the Japanese Haikuand online manner I'dcome to admire, was first on
master Basho describesthis essential state of themy list to call. I visited herwebsite to research her
human condition--this longingfor something otherbackground before I contacted her. Iwas baffled
than we are or have.to find little dolphins and other
Even in Kyoto- Hearing the cuckoo's cry- I longsilly-lookingcharacters that had nothing to do with
for Kyoto.a theme or anythingelse for that matter, on her
Give people what they are longing for and you willsite. Needless to say heresteem dropped in my
find apermanent place in their hearts.eyes. I never called.
2. Test, test, then test again.On the other hand, my client Leslie Kirk Campbell,
Many webmasters don't test your shopping cartFounderof the Ripe Fruit School of writing, took
on differentcomputer platforms (Windows, Mac,the time toruminate over her website for months.
Linux), with differentbrowsers, or with variousShe carefully chosephotos that gave her potential
computer configurations. This isessential!clients a real sense of heras a teacher and leader.
The $10,000/hour speaker discussed aboveShe poured over hundreds oftestimonials to select
insisted that theshopping cart on his websitejust the right ones that captured theessence of
worked from his computer,though he admittedtaking a class or going on a writing retreat.
that he'd heard from a number of peopleit wasAndshe thought intensely about what it was that
often *down.* I tested it on my Mac andpeople whosecreativity was stifled, stalled, on
Windows PCwith both Netscape and Internetbrief hiatus, or in fullroar, would need from her.
Explorer and couldn't get itto function at all.Her site isn't *perfect* and it'sstill in evolution, but
Understand that I'm no techie (biggestthe basics for what her audienceneeds are there.
understatement ofthe year) so these were theSee what she came up with that representsher
most basic of tests, all donefrom a marketing vs.teaching/living style and her love of language at:
technical standpoint. If you are yourownA Wall Street Journal article about the best
webmaster, have your friends and associatesSouthern porkbarbeque,illustrates my point.
test yourecommerce sections, and your websiteRestaurateur Wilbur King whogot started doing
in general, before youunleash your brilliance on themail order Bar-B-Q by sending carepackages of
world. It's amazing all thethings that can go wronghis *Kingston, N.C., 'cue to displaced locals,*said
on a web site, including thingsthat you or yourthat he didn't want to make his website too
tech help hasn't thought of. While it'simpossible toslick.*People have an image in their mind, and if it's
go through every conceivable configuration, itisnot threerednecks over a pit in the woods, they
possible to take care of all the major ones.think it's not thereal deal.* Smart marketer this
3. Take the annoyance out of shopping.Bar-B-Q salesman.
In other words, make buying from you aAnother great example of how look and feel
pleasure. I was on a*professional marketer's* siteserenely match isFeng Shui expert Shannon Lee
to scope out a product hesells for $97. I muddledTurner's website. Visit at to get a sense of how
my way through a century of copybefore I couldthecontent, images, design, graphics, and services
get to the actual *click to buy button.* Iknow hearecompletely congruous. Besides offering classes
and other Internet marketers like him thinkand businessor residential consultations, Shannon
thisdirect marketing technique (long copy,also has a free weeklynewsletter called *Feng
addressing everyobjection, the illusion of givingShui Tips.* You'll get manyfascinating ideas about
away meaningfulinformation) really sells thehow to run your business better withinsights on
product--but it doesn't workif they don't make itstructuring your environment. Her newsletteralso
easy to get the product in the basket.perfectly matches the sensibility of her business.
After about 5 minutes of clicking forward andTosubscribe to the list, send your name and city
backward, Igave up. (By the way, women haveof residenceto I look forward to getting this one
less patience on theInternet than men). Chalk upin my mailbox. It alwayscontains both wise advice
another lost sale for him.and a beautiful quote or poem. Bythe way, there
Use the fewest number of clicks to get a buyeris no archive of the past tips so the onlyway to
to wherethey're going (to the checkout). Thisget them is to subscribe.
means in navigatingforward, toward the final sale,6. BONUS TIP! Don't give your customers too
or backward to add moreitems to their cart.many choices.
Don't have your potential customerwaste timePotential customers will log off if they're
and effort trying to figure out where or whatconfronted witha dizzying display of decisions.
toclick, because they won't--they'll simply leave.Case in point, a friend ofmine was looking to buy
Modelyourself after who makes the processthe Herman Miller Aeron chair on asite that
simple andeasy.advertised it for a great price and free
Also, explain every step of your ordering processshipping.First he needed to choose a size. Then
so thatpeople feel confident of where they arethe color of theframe. Then the color of the
going and what theycan expect from you. Thismaterial. Next, the color forthe arms, and the size
means everything from screens thatverify theand type of casters, and on and on!He decided he
information is correctly filled out on forms, toemailcouldn't make a decision unless he saw thedarn
messages confirming and precisely explainingchair.
theshipping method and timeframe.The solution? Offer a few of the most popular
4. Don't sacrifice image for speed.standardsfirst. Then note that any of the items
Think about it. If someone is paying you acan be customized.It's your job to help guide your
substantial sumfor your services and yourcustomers to the optimalanswers to the most
website comes across like a poorpauper, do youcommon asked questions--before they'reasked.
think they'll retain their confidence in you?Since you're tracking your most popular items
It's important to concern yourself deeply aboutyou canlet people know what has worked best
the kind ofimage you're projecting before youfor others. You'rehelping them make an intelligent
slap something up on yourwebsite that you'll bedecision. In other words,simplify the thinking and
sorry for later. Donald Rumsfeld, ourcurrentordering process so it's a quickand easy process.
Secretary of Defense, former chairman ofBack to my original point. While the ordering
the*transition team* for President Ford, and theprocess iscrucial, the look and feel of your
former WhiteHouse chief of staff, gives thiswebsite may be moreimportant than you think.
advice, *Think ahead. Don'tlet day-to-dayIt's a surprising fact that peopleremember feelings
operations drive out planning. Plan backwardas wellmore than the specifics of what you say.Make
as forward. Set objectives and trace back to seesure your online image matches your expertise
howto achieve them. You may find that no pathand thefeeling you want to leave with people.
can get youthere. Plan forward to see whereWarrant that everystep someone takes on your
your steps will take you,which may not be clearwebsite is in the direction youwant them to go.
or intuitive.*Finally, take the time to ensure that theirjourney
Some questions to ask to help you get clear:is the guided tour you want them to take.