Why your product/service isn’t what people are buying.

Written on April 18, 2010 by Ali Davies in Business Success Blog
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Why your products aren't what people are buying. Providing good quality products/services that people want and need is important to business success. However, many sole traders and people running a business from home overlook that this isn’t the decided factor in people’s buying decision. The deciding factor that is often overlooked is this:

YOU

This is important because:

PEOPLE BUY PEOPLE!

People are more likely to buy from people they know, like and trust. You can have a great quality product/service but, unless your potential customers buy into you, you’ve got a problem.

Think about this for a minute. How many other sources can people get your type of product or service from? The answer is loads! So, as a sole trader, whether someone will buy off you will depend on how they feel about YOU. That is why it is essential to allow time in your business activities to develop yourself.

How does your potential customer experience you?

Do you ever consider how you come across, what sort of energy you give off or what impact you have on people? If not, it is time to start. Don’t underestimate the importance of these points to your bottom line.

3 tips for upgrading how you impact on other people:

1. Create a real kick ass self care programme. Your mental, physical and emotional fitness has a dramatic impact on the energy you give off. The energy you give off will influence how people feel about you. How they feel about you will influence if they are going to buy off you. It’s a total no brainer. If you don’t have a self care programme, don’t wait – get started now.

2. Build genuine relationships. We have probably all experienced networking events when we felt pinned to the wall by people whose only interest was selling their stuff. Not attractive huh? I don’t know about you but I wouldn’t buy off these people in a million years and would certainly never recommend them to my network. Don’t be that person. Be interested in people. Listen. Help them without strings.

3. Self development. I know a lot of people don’t like the phrase “self development” as it conjures up all sorts of images off woo-woo stuff for them. But like it or not, people who continually develop themselves are more likely to be successful in all areas of their life. What areas do you need to upgrade yourself in?

So the next time you are putting time into upgrading your products and services, don’t forget to also review how you can upgrade yourself. Your results depend on it.

What do you think?

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  • http://www.cormacmoore.com Cormac

    thats so true.

    No amount of printed adverts, signs, posters or even web pages can truely capture your sense of self and as you said the energy you give off.

    For me now, I'm running evening workshops as a way to get people in to experience what it is i do and offer – money far better spent on that than a newspaper ad that no one will read!

    Thanks for the post

    Cormac

  • http://twitter.com/CrisBuckley Cris Buckley

    Thanks for a great post, Ali! Timely advice for me! I was all burnt out for several days last week and no good to anyone from disregarding #1. #2 & #3 kind of go together for me. Develop yourself and then offer that in genuine relationships. It's what people want and it's also very fulfilling!

  • http://alidavies.com/ Ali Davies

    Cormac, good luck with your workshops. Thanks for dropping by.

  • http://alidavies.com/ Ali Davies

    Chris, sorry to hear you were feeling burnt out. Hoping you are on your way back to flying form. I wish more business owners would take the impact of self care on their business more seriously. Many seem to see it as a “nice to have” when in fact it is essential for results in all areas of their business, personal and family life.

  • barneyausten

    Hi Ali. I like the focus of this post. A nice fresh approach to help us think about how we can make the best of ourselves to help us succeed in our “people buy people” engagements . Thanks for sharing.

  • http://twitter.com/amandatigerfish Amanda Jackson

    I do so agree. For many small businesses, we are our own USPs. In the flurry of the day job though, it's sometimes easy to lose sight of that!

  • http://alidavies.com/ Ali Davies

    Glad you liked it Barney. Appreciate you dropping by and leaving a comment.

  • http://alidavies.com/ Ali Davies

    Amanda, you sum it up perfectly “we are our own USP” – so it makes sense to nurture, develop and grow that USP as part of our business and personal strategy. Thanks for your comment.

  • http://designresumes.com/ juliewalraven

    I've said this forever to my resume clients, Ali! They are the product! My job is to position them to the employer showcasing their talents and accomplishments. Such good advice and a great reminder to me. I find I personally change with the weather. You give me sunshine and I am bouncing! I can deal with rain and bad weather but only if I fuel myself with positive music, positive books, and inspirational people.

  • http://alidavies.com/ Ali Davies

    Julie, thank you so much for your kind words. You make a great point – we are the product. As sole traders we should always be looking for how we can upgrade and improve that product.

  • http://www.arushafairtrade.com Catherine Byrne

    Great post Ali, you've made me think today; my investment in my business goes beyond products, marketing etc.

  • http://alidavies.com/ Ali Davies

    Catherine, that is so true. Investing in your products and marketing is very important but you are the business so your investment in yourself is vital. Thanks for dropping by.

  • http://twitter.com/coblyn Christine Livingston

    This is so true, Ali. I love that you've put self-care at the top of your list. My experience is that, if my own state and energy are shot, I have nothing really to give. In my business, like yours, I am so much my product that looking after myself is essential.

  • http://alidavies.com/ Ali Davies

    Christine, I so wish that more sole traders would get that self care is essential in business terms, not just personal terms. Some people look at me like I've gone nuts when I suggest that their self care programme should be part of their monthly business review and planning sessions. My experience is the same as yours – when my self care programme falls down the impact in my business (as well as my roles as a wife and mother) is really noticeable. I know I keep saying it but it is a complete no brainer.

  • Frederick A. Basa

    Once a great artist composer, Yannusee Said, something like this; If a person has the compassitated thought to conceive of one-selves dream to succeed in what ever their goal in life may be. There success was only accomplished by one-selves dream. The true successor that lives in each and everyone of us. Can anyone of us ever recall, while during one of our dreams, feared of our dream going bad during our dream? Self-control!

  • Frederick A. Basa

    Once a great artist composer, Yannusee Said, something like this; If a person has the compassitated thought to conceive of one-selves dream to succeed in what ever their goal in life may be. There success was only accomplished by one-selves dream. The true successor that lives in each and everyone of us. Can anyone of us ever recall, while during one of our dreams, feared of our dream going bad during our dream? Self-control!

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