Stop Hiding! People Buy from People they Like
When customers make a decision to buy, they go on a journey that looks something like this:
- Identifying a need
- Evaluating the options
- Making a choice
You may have very little to do with them discovering what they need, and ultimately you may not change their minds when they make the final choice, but you have a ton of opportunity to influence them when they are evaluating their options.
When potential customers are exploring their options a lot of things can influence them, one of the biggest influences can be their personal connection to a brand. When customers can relate to a brand or simply like the business, they tend to choose them over other similar businesses.
Being Yourself Attracts Your Audience
You’ve heard the term ‘like attracts like’ That’s because familiarity feels comfortable. As your brand’s ambassador, the truer you are to yourself the more authentic your brand will feel. If you own a coffee shop and love fishing, sharing your passion for trout may be the thing that sets your coffee shop apart and boosts sales.
Hiding your true self from your tribe could lead to missed opportunities to connect and build the important know, like, and trust factor.
What You Hide Could be Gold
Sometimes the aspects of ourselves that seem irrelevant to our business can be the very thing that draws people in. Hiding yourself from your customers can come across as aloof, avoidant, or uninterested. Sometimes, showcasing the elements of yourself that are unique and seem unrelated to your business are the missing links to more engagement and ultimately more sales. What you’re hiding could be the gold.
Use these tips to share more of yourself with your tribe
- Tip: Be social on social media- Recycling memes or sharing infographics is boring. Use your social media to showcase yourself as well as your business. Find ways to intertwine your on and off-duty persona and allow others to get a good feel for who you are and what you stand for.
- Tip: Email as if you’re writing to a friend- Use your email as a way to make personal connections. Thinking of your customers in a friendly way can help break down the wall of professionalism which can be downright boring. Imagine you’re connecting with a trusted friend or relative and write content that is appropriately personal and inviting.
- Tip: Choose your focus- You don’t have to live a fully transparent life to be seen and liked by your customers. Choose an area of life you feel comfortable sharing and regularly offer a behind-the-scenes all-access pass. If you’re a new parent, bring your tribe along for the ride. If you’re balancing work and a life-long passion for sailing, meld the two together.
You may think you’ve got to keep a strong boundary between your on and off-duty life, but as a business owner the two are often one in the same. Stop hiding and allow others to see who you are as a well rounded person and they will learn to love you… and your brand, even more!
This article is part 3 of a 5-part series called, Five Unexpected Ways to Make More Sales, you may also like to read:
- Part 1: Focus on Benefits vs Features
- Part 2: Increase Your Email Engagement
- Part 3: Ask Your Customers for What they Want
- Part 4: Stop Hiding! People Buy from People they Like
- Part 5: Make Customer Engagement Your Top Priority
We’d love to hear which tip you will implement first. Share in the comments below.
Make sure to explore our website at www.mawb.ca to see all the information available for our extensive network of local business women. There are links to FREE Tools and Resources that are MAWB-approved and recommended, other Resources that have been provided by women within the network to help you with your business, a business Directory of members, as well as the upcoming Events listings and a Shop with exclusive MAWB products and services. Learn more about the MAWB and its members, participate in our KNOW, LIKE, TRUST philosophy, prioritizing your business networking, and growing your business to meet your goals.
