How to influence customers & increase revenues...... #48
- Adrian Dionisio - business737 owner
- Dec 21, 2021
- 5 min read
Updated: Mar 18, 2024
It's worthwhile for any business owner to read Dale Carnegie's book ' How to Win Friends and Influence People'. There are many lessons for business owners. Let's dive straight in and find out how to get people, especially our customer, on our side.
1. Be genuinely interested
Persuasive communication occurs when you’re genuinely interested in solving your customer's problems. They’ll trust you after they’re convinced you have their best interest at heart. The more you're interested — the more you’ll influence their decisions.
“Of course, you are interested in what you want. You are eternally interested in it. But no one else is. The rest of us are just like you: we are interested in what we want.”
2. Give them what they want
No one cares about you…only about what you can do for them (read more). People are inherently self-interested.
“Why talk about what we want? That is childish — absurd”
People can easily be influenced when you give make it all about them. Give them what they want (content, products) and notice the behaviour shifts. It has to be all about your customer from start to finish. This is one of the most important principles of business (read more). Understanding what they want, how they want it, and why they want it will allow your business to flourish.
3. Inspire. Don’t sell.
Consumers don’t want to be told to buy something. They want to feel inspired to buy it on their own.
“Customers like to feel that they are buying—not being sold to.”
Nike is a great example. Nike inspires you to find your inner athlete and then provides you with the equipment to make it happen. At no point is Nike in your face saying to buy their product. Buying is emotional (read here).
4. Build Relationships
Consumers want to have a sense of relationship with the brands they purchase. Now, it’s more important than ever. This is why customer experience is so important in today's market (read here).
Build a relationship with consumers through:
- Doing things that don’t scale (ex handwritten note, email response)
- Referral Programs (read more)
- Customer Surveys
- 1 on 1 personalisation
These activities will make the customer tell other people about their positive experience. Remember that reputation spreads. Happy customers will become your best recruiters. They will do your advertising and marketing for free! Word of mouth recommendations and positive reviews are the best form of advertising. This is why happy and loyal customers are the most important.
5. Be Appreciative
As business owners we can never underestimate the impact of genuine warmth and appreciation for our customers. Yes, some can be difficult. Dealing with others can be stressful. With that said, it is our customers who either make or break our business. With this in mind we must always be thankful and grateful for their custom (read more). Being warm and engaging with your clients can go a long way. We must make our customer the priority. This is why we have the well know saying that “ the customer is always right”. Amazon for example has achieved much of it’s global dominance by abiding by the principle that the “customer is king”
6. Put out the fire
Your customers are always right. A negative customer experience turned positive can create a brand advocate. Don’t fight fire with fire. Be smart — put out the fire. At times you may have to swallow you pride. It may be difficult. Regardless, think of the long term win.
7. Make a good impression
Smile: A smile is a worldwide sign of positive emotions. It invariably indicates approval.
Show enthusiasm: Show other people you are glad to be in their presence. Greet and interact with them in a warm and friendly manner.
Use their name: Calling customers, employees and colleagues by name shatters defence mechanisms It builds immediate rapport. It is also a way to help people feel important because it elevates the person on the receiving end. In Dales Carnegie's own words;
“Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.”
Listen: Pay attention. Demonstrate that you are following what they are saying. Indicate that you want to learn more about their issues and concerns.
8. Believe your vision
A belief in your vision will be transmitted to everyone who interacts with your business. It is very persuasive and influential. Every moment of life offers the opportunity to learn, experience and grow. Embrace the necessity of constant effort, self testing and learning. Confidence, self assurance and belief comes from experience.
“Take a chance! All life is a chance. The person who goes farthest is generally the one who is willing to do and dare.” -Dale Carnegie
Great quotes from Dale Carnegie that I personally find very useful and inspiring
Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success.
Any fool can criticize, complain, and condemn—and most fools do. But it takes character and self-control to be understanding and forgiving.
When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but with creatures bristling with prejudice and motivated by pride and vanity.
Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.
Happiness doesn’t depend on outward conditions. It depends on inner conditions.
Talk to someone about themselves and they’ll listen for hours.
If you are not in the process of becoming the person you want to be, you are automatically engaged in becoming the person you don’t want to be.
Even god doesn’t propose to judge a man till his last days, why should you and I?
Our thoughts make us what we are.
Knowledge isn’t power until it is applied.
You can conquer almost any fear if you will only make up your mind to do so. For remember, fear doesn’t exist anywhere except in the mind.
Be more concerned with your character than with your reputation, for your character is what you are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.
Our fatigue is often caused not by work, but by worry, frustration and resentment.
Today is our most precious possession. It is our only sure possession.
You can measure the size of a person by what makes him or her angry.
I have come to the conclusion that there is only one way under high heaven to get the best of an argument— and that is to avoid it.
All men have fears, but the brave put down their fears and go forward, sometimes to death, but always to victory.
If you want to keep happiness, you have to share it.
We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon instead of enjoying the roses blooming outside our windows today.
Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get.
The successful man will profit from his mistakes and try again in a different way.
Remember, today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.
It isn’t what you have or who you are or where you are or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about it.
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