All businesses solve problems or help fulfil the desires of their prospects and customers - or at least they should! So why do some customers buy from you and why don’t others?

It doesn’t matter what industry you are in, with the 'giving people what they want' principle there is very little difference between any and all types of businesses. It is these general principles that we will look at here.

If you want to attract prospects and get a good percentage of them to buy from you over and over again, you must give them what they want. If you don't, they won't do business with you and they will continue to search for another business that will give them what they want. So if you can determine what people want and then give it to them better than your competitors then you are well on your way to success.

Q - So how do you get to understand what people want?

A - Put yourself in their shoes.

The following series of questions are designed to illustrate the main points that you can apply to your business – from your customers point of view:

When it comes to choosing a business to buy from, would you want?

A business that is far away from you and inconvenient?

OR

A business that is close to you and convenient?

ANSWER: They WANT convenience (Location, Location, Location)

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A business that has only one solution (products or services)?

OR

A business that has a variety of solutions for you to choose from?

Answer: They WANT variety

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A business that gives you less value for your money?

OR

A business that gives you more value for your money?

Answer: They WANT more value, never less value (bonuses, gift, rewards, more product or service for same price, etc.)

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A business that treats you like you are an inconvenience and a bother?

OR

A business that treats you like you are vital and important to them?

Answer: They WANT to be treated like they're important

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A business that doesn't give you free information to help you make a good purchasing decision?

OR

A business that gives you plenty of free information to help you make a good purchasing decision?

Answer: They WANT free information

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A business that treats you like you are invisible and keeps you waiting and waiting before acknowledging you?

OR

A business that treats you like you are important and acknowledges you immediately?

Answer: They WANT to be acknowledged immediately

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A business that has only one way for you to pay?

OR

A business that has multiple ways for you to pay?

Answer: They WANT multiple ways to pay

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A business that looks unprofessional, disorganised, and dirty?

OR

A business that looks professional, organised and clean?

Answer: They WANT professional, organized and clean

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A business that never follows up with you to ensure that you are happy with their service?

OR

A business that follows up with you to ensure that you are happy with their service?

Answer: They WANT to know that you care enough about their business to follow up and ask

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A business that never rewards or shows appreciation to you for being a long-term, profitable customer?

OR

A business that regularly rewards or shows appreciation to you for being a long-term, profitable customer?

Answer: They WANT to be recognised and rewarded

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A business that makes it difficult to learn about the features and benefits of their products and services?

OR

A business that makes it very easy to learn about the features and benefits of their products and services?

Answer: They WANT easy ways to learn about the features and benefits of products and services (think Product / Services information sheets, FAQs, and web sites, etc.)

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A business that has inconvenient hours of operation designed to keep the owner and employees happy?

OR

A business that has convenient hours of operation designed to keep the customers happy?

Answer: They WANT convenient hours that keep them happy

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A business that refuses to stand behind their products and services with a solid guarantee?

OR

A business that does stand behind their products and services with a solid guarantee?

Answer: They WANT to know that they aren't going to get ripped off.

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The answers to most of your marketing questions are within this list. People want to be treated with respect, to be treated like they are important. They want to get the best value they can for their money. They want convenience. They want to know that they can trust you and your company, etc. This list of human wants in relation to choosing businesses to buy from is at the heart of your business success.

Don't make an error in thinking that 'I don't make any of those mistakes - I'm perfect!' You may think you are but your customers and your sales and profits are perhaps saying you are not.

The message is that prospects and customers always want the same things, and neither business owners or employees always think about what the prospects and customers want. Look objectively at your business and your marketing as a customer would, not like an owner would. Make it your committed purpose to find weaknesses that you could improve.

1.  Plan

 Be Prepared! Plan meticulously. Knowledge is power, especially in a negotiation! More deals go wrong because of the lack of preparation than for any other reason. Before you start, be absolutely sure to separate out your 'must haves' from your 'would likes' - and don't confuse them! Try to find out what theirs will be, too. How important is this deal for each party, and how can you build your power base? Whom will they field – and whom should you? What is their probable opening position – and what should yours be?

2.  Be realistic

Is a deal possible? Negotiate only when both parties are willing in principle to do a deal and have the authority to do so. This means that both parties must have the power to vary the terms of the agreement. If one side does not have this authority, the other side should insist on talking to whoever does. And if a deal is not likely to be possible, consider investing your time better elsewhere?

3.  Aim high

Be brave in seeking concessions from the other side. If you don't ask, you won't get! One of the key skills in negotiation is to ask for as much as you can. And more? So be ambitious - aim high. If you don't ask, you won't get! And remember? You only get one chance to do this and retain goodwill? – at the beginning!

4.  Get the issues out early

Get their whole picture before you discuss the detail, so insist on establishing all their demands at the start. That way, you can prevent them raising new issues later on. So ask: "Is there anything else you want to cover?", before moving on. This does not mean you will have to agree with all their demands, but it will help you to build a better relationship with the other side and help you to avoid personalized and unfruitful argument. (Remember, most people would rather be understood than win petty gains?)

5.  Clarify the real issues

Go on - ask them! Most negotiators will boost their case as much as they can, but not all the points they make will be equally important to them. Find out which are their real issues (and 'must haves'), and which are secondary and less important, or even manufactured to strengthen their case?

6.  Don't take your first offer

Be ready to decline their first demands, and their first offers. Their first bid has to be their best bid (for them!), just as yours was for your side. Even if you don't think you have a good case to refuse their first offer, you may well be pleasantly surprised at the other side's willingness to settle for something less than they hoped for to win agreement.

7.  Remember the whole picture

Keep the whole package of proposals in mind. That way, where you have to concede on one issue, you can reasonably ask for them to concede on others. So deal across a broad front rather than point-by-point. Don't let your side be 'salami-sliced'! Don't forget? - the more you give, the more they will want!

8.  Don't give away freebies

So never give something for nothing! Always seek something back in return, whenever you are asked to concede something. Remember, negotiation is the resolution of conflict by the exchange of concessions, not gracious collapse! Keep looking for new variables, which may keep you happy, or them!

9.  Remember the 4 'P's

Stay Positive, Patient, Placid and Planned. While you need to truly believe in your proposition (be Positive!), many deals will take longer than you have thought (be Patient!), and the other side may well try to destabilise you (so stay Placid!). And back to Tip 1 – keep in mind your 'must haves' and your 'would likes' (so remember your Planning!).

10.  Have you really agreed?

Check that both sides are agreed on what you have eventually agreed. If you don't do this, the deal may easily fall apart if there have been any misunderstandings, with a consequent loss of goodwill. And leave them feeling they have won a good deal. If they don't think they have, it may not stick?

Create an irresistible offer.

You have to give McDonalds credit for the "supersize me" offer. It may only generate another 40p per sale, but because it's such an irresistible offer, more than 30% of customers will say yes. And that 40p is almost all profit, as the company's fixed costs have already been absorbed in the price of the smaller item. The scale of the offer must be relative to the purchase, but once you have acquired the customer you can start to create lifetime value.

Get them hooked with a free sample.

Prospects that test your product or service risk-free will hopefully recognise its value and continue purchasing what you offer. Or even better, your prospect will get "hooked" on your product or service and won't be able to live without it. And the fact that it was given away free will compel them to return the favour by continuing to purchase from you. This principle is called the "Law of Reciprocity". Simply stated, people naturally feel an obligation to return favours as a way of expressing their thanks.

Educate them.

If they could use the product differently benefit more from using associated products in conjunction; buy this much, get this one free, etc. There is a famous story about a shampoo company who doubled their sales with the simple phrase "rinse and repeat".

Communicate with customers.

Communicate more often about your full offering as part of your sales process. This could take the form of newsletters, emails, mailshots, letters, Twitter & Facebook, advertising and PR, events, brochures and literature.

Consider what else your customers buy that you could sell.

The more you know about your customers, the more back-end products and services you can provide. This means that their main purchase simply becomes a foot-in-the-door, and now you can increase the frequency of purchase and average spend

Offer incentives and discounts.

By understanding the lifetime value of customers, i.e. the total value of their spend during their time as a customer, you can decide how much you are prepared to discount to get them back through the door. Position yourself as an expert to gain their trust and confidence. Through your PR, direct communications and website, you can provide information, reviews, reports, and details on your specialist area. Customers often don't know the right questions to ask, so help them out.

Review your ordering process.

See if you are making it difficult for people to buy from you. Look at your website from the point of view of a totally new customer and check if it is plainly obvious how to contact you or make a purchase on every page. Try a mystery shopper service or at least call your own sales line and see how quickly it is answered. Ask for feedback and suggestions for improvement from new customers.

Focus on the benefits.

Customers only care what you can do for them. Benefits build rapport by demonstrating that you understand their point of view. If you don't know what they are, ask your customers. You can never know too much about why people buy from you.

Are your staff selling?

By testing, measuring and analysing all your marketing and sales processes, you can see where the majority of initial sales and back-end sales take place. Are your best people in place to exploit those opportunities? Do you have enough stages in your sales process? Constantly chasing prospects after they've shown an interest can be soul-destroying and border on pushy salesmanship. But by having a longer sales process, prospects are moved from one stage to the next over a period of time, constantly informed and educated, and reminded of your services. Just because they didn't buy doesn't mean they're not interested in what you sell, so ensure you have multiple stages in your sales process, including emails, mailshots, brochures, PR, web downloads, and phone calls.

Hi I’m Justin from Qi Marketing Limited. I’ll be posting interesting and I hope valuable marketing tips and website design advice for small business.