(Photo by Chris Gladis)

There’s a phrase that you used to hear a lot from car salespeople, “What will it take for you to leave with this new car?” The phrase was overused and therefore much-parodied by comedians. However, the underlying thought is timeless for your marketing strategy.

“What will it take?” asks the person looking to purchase something to “show their cards” with the salesperson. Once the salesperson knows what the buyer needs to satisfy their concerns, then it’s a straightforward process to see if their needs match the offering. Respond to your customer’s needs.

However, directly asking the prospect is likely to get a lot of push back (“I’m just looking”) since you haven’t met your prospect “half-way”. If you’ve interviewed many of your previous customers you probably know some key “pain” points – perhaps they’re concerned about their appearance, or safety, or making more money. So instead of making the person feel “different”, show them that others had similar concerns and this is how you satisfied them. By making your prospective customer feel like part of a social group, they feel that their decision is therefore less risky and the “smart” choice.

If you don’t know what will change a “looker” to a “buyer”, you need to do your homework. Why do people purchase from your competition? What would make them want to switch to your offering? How much better is what you’re offering? Can you prove it?

What will it take for you to improve your marketing produce results?