Twice within the last two weeks, I made purchases totally on faith. One, a gliderbike from pvglider.com, and the other a Groupon purchase from Canvas on Demand. Admittedly, the Canvas purchase was a bit less worrisome because it was backed by Groupon, but I still paid $USD45, to purchase something that a company that I had never heard of before.
Both experiences were amazing! From the moment of purchase, they stayed in touch with me by email. I always knew what was happening and when. With Canvas on Demand, the photo I sent, when blown up to the size canvas I wanted, turned out to be a bit fuzzy. They actually looked at my photo and sent me a great email. Here it is in part:
Regarding your recent order, the image you have submitted appears to be slightly blurry. This means that the image is not completely in focus and we are concerned it might be a little distracting when we enlarge it to canvas size. We want you to be completely satisfied and are concerned that this image may not meet your expectations after it is processed.
The primary reason your image is blurry could be because the camera was not completely in focus when the picture was taken. This might be intentional on your part and can look very artistic, but we like to make sure before we move forward. If you are okay with it looking blurry or if that was the intended look, please reply with: PLEASE START ON THE ORDER. I UNDERSTAND IT IS BLURRY.
If you would like to choose a different image, please follow the instructions below.
There are two ways for you to submit another image:
Their email is friendly, helpful and totally focused on delighting me.
Pvglider.com was another enchanting experience. I ordered the bike at 3:43p and at 3:43p, in addition to my PayPal receipt, I received an email from the company:
Thank you for your order.
You will receive an email when your order is shipped containing the Tracking #
if you don’t within 2-3 days please contact us right away at
sa***@pv******.com
.
And then they stayed in touch, sending me tracking information and delivery information. Fabulous customer service.
These orders got me thinking about what the companies did that was so important and how we, as salespeople, can help our prospects feel so charmed with us.
It’s simple really. They built trust. They helped me feel safe and smart with my selection. They helped me feel confident and comfortable that I made a safe choice.
How can that be accomplished prior to the sale? Instead of focusing on features – the information they’ll get from your website anyway – focus on helping them feel confident that they can trust you. Help your customer by answering their unasked questions and you’ll not only delight them, you’ll convert the lead to booked business:
• Prove to me you’re trustworthy (Reputable recommendations on LinkedIn, blog posts, association memberships)
• Prove to me your company is trustworthy (Authentic testimonials; TripAdvisor/Yelp links in your email,
• Prove to me that I’ll look smart buying from you (Examples of why my customers and stakeholders will be happy with me)
• Prove to me that what you provide is right for me, in this instance – not just for other people (Align what you have to offer with what I’m saying is important)
Reassure your buyers that they can relax when buying from you and you’ll find selling much easier.
And thank you Canvas on Demand and PVGlider!
