As a business owner, the pressure to increase revenue and grow your business is constant. Sometimes that pressure is at the forefront of your mind. Sometimes it is at the back. 

But it is ALWAYS there. 

For many, the solution is to constantly focus on sales and doing whatever you can to drive revenue. 

This makes sense. Without a steady stream of revenue your business won’t exist. And if you don’t grow your revenue, your business won’t grow, either. 

However, we do not believe the best way to address the pressure of growing your business is to focus primarily on sales. We believe to truly grow your business you need to focus on building a strong and loyal customer base. 

So, how do you do this? 

By building trust and positioning your business as a resource. Let’s examine how this can be done.

Be a Problem Solver First

The first step you can take to becoming a trusted resource is to be a problem solver. Remember: that the best way to create a connection with your target audience is to demonstrate that you understand their pain points AND that you are able to offer the solution. 

Eventually, you want the interactions you have with prospective customers to result in sales. However, if all you do is focus on the sale, you will come off as pushy and potentially untrustworthy. 

If you offer a solution to your audience’s pain points without explicitly expecting a sale, you will come across as genuinely interested in wanting to help your customers. This creates a higher level of trust, and, in the end, it will make closing a sale much easier.

Anticipate Their Needs

While your customer is aware of their pain points, it is important to remember that you are the industry expert. You have years, potentially decades, of experience helping customers just like the ones you are trying to attract. Use that experience to anticipate the needs of your new, potential customers as they work their way through your funnel. 

An example of this would be how Beacon Marketing offers free thirty-minute discovery sessions for potential customers. We know that there are businesses that could benefit from our services. However, instead of just selling a certain service or product, we want every customer to feel they are getting the exact help they need. 

Consider what your customers’ needs are beyond the obvious pain points. Then, detail how you might be able to address those needs. This will create an extra wow factor for your audience and further establish you as an organization they can trust. 

Go Beyond the Sale

For many businesses, their interaction with their customers ends once the sale is complete. However, for the truly successful businesses, the interaction is never really over. The businesses that have large and loyal customers look to create long-lasting relationships. 

This means going beyond the sale. What does that mean for you?

For your industry and for your business, it can mean just about anything. You could:

• Sending a customer a satisfaction survey
• A follow-up call
• Addressing any questions or concerns
• Touching base after a certain amount of time. 

The key here is not to be too aggressive on the next sale, but rather ensure that your customer feels good about the last transaction. If you do this right, then the next time your customer needs something that you provide, you will be at the top of their mind. 

Be Responsive

This might be the most important of all the steps here. No matter if an inquiry is before or after a sale, you want to be ready to respond to any questions, comments, concerns, or even complaints. And you want to do so in a timely manner. 

You might see something via email, social media, or even a call to your place of business. Whatever the case might be, try to respond as quickly as possible. If it is an inquiry before a purchase, chances are the potential customer is not going to wait terribly long. If it is a concern or complaint about a recent purchase or interaction, you want to address those ASAP before it blossoms into something bigger. 

Even if the comment is positive, being responsive in a timely manner shows that you are keyed into your audience and that you truly care about who they are and what they are experiencing. 

Stay Informed on Industry Trends

No matter what industry you are in, chances are that you experience change. Change is a constant in life and business. Technology advances. Societal norms change and shift. Economic and political factors impact the decisions your customers make. 

It is impossible to escape these changes. As the needs, wants, and expectations of your audience evolve, so must you. In order to do this, stay informed as to what is going on in your industry. 

Just about every industry has an online newsletter, website, or podcast dedicated to that industry. Pick one that works for you and see what changes might impact your business. This will help you be better prepared for the constantly changing world that we live in today. 

To grow your business, you must find ways to establish your organization into one that your current and potential customers can trust. The best way to do this is to put the sale second and becoming a resource first. By looking to solve problems, anticipate needs, and go beyond the sale, you are demonstrating that you truly care about addressing the pain points that your customers are experiencing. Once you establish that trust with your customers, closing the sale becomes almost easy.