My buddy Tim Worstell (a.k.a. T-Dog) asked me a great question:
Question: What are the 1, 2, 3 steps of selling something online?
The hardest part of internet marketing is NOT THE INTERNET!
The internet and all its’ tools are really not that complicated. Trust me, if it were I wouldn’t do it. I regularly talk to business owners that have built businesses and products far more complicated that anything I do online.
The answer to Tim’s question has little to do with the internet…and it applies to any business that sells stuff. And that would be everyone.
Answer: Step 1 to selling anything (especially online) is to first get inside the head of your customer.
Work backwards. Begin with the end in mind.
There…lesson’s over. That will be $10,000. I accept Paypal. 
Seriously though, getting inside the human psyche and pinpointing what makes your customer buy is THE SINGLE hardest part of selling anything…online or offline.
Even with methods of selling online like search engine marketing where the prospect has told you what they want before coming to your site, finding accurate answers to these questions has a direct benefit to your marketing efforts.
Every Good Marketer Has This in Their Tool Belt
Every good marketer has a list of their favorite questions to identify their “ideal prospect”, or to weed out tire kickers. One such list I acquired from John Paul Mendocha (a.k.a. Dr. Speed Selling) is The 5 Power Disqualifiers.
Today I came up with the list of questions below when planning out a social media strategy. I think they apply to all forms of marketing.
If you don’t know…or
If you haven’t asked the questions below (and others like them) you can still have a successful business. But it’s WAY, WAY harder…like pumping water uphill vs. letting gravity move it down. And, you’ll be leaving money on the table.
Don’t you prefer easy? Then get inside your customer’s head.
Answer These About Your Customer Before Going Online
This is not intended to be an exhaustive list. Just a place to start. Each question gives unique insight into your ideal customer’s psyche and how to connect with them.
- Are they a doer, or a delegator?
- Who or what is their primary enemy?
- What do they believe about time? I.e. what do they consider a waste of time? A good use of time?
- What are their primary interests? Secondary interests?
- What personality types do they find attractive? repelling?
- Who or what is the thorn in their side, providing frequent aggravation?
- Who or what is their greatest source of influence?
- What are they an expert at? What do they want to be an expert at, but aren’t yet?
- Where do they enjoy spending their money? I.e. is your offer a painful spend or a pleasurable one?
- What does it take to get them up early in the morning (if they’re not a morning person)?
NOTICE – all of these relate to pleasure and pain.
What questions would you add to the list? Please make a comment below.
