The Era of Building Know, Like and Trust

The experts at Inc. magazine say more patient sales practices are the way of the future. Several companies are avoiding high-pressure sales tactics and using methods that shift the burden over to the buyer. Letting customers control the buying process can be the best way to prevent buyer’s remorse and returns.

Prospective buyers are relaxed and unhurried when making the buying decision at their own pace. Developing KNOW, LIKE and TRUST first is very important.

While the companies used in examples are web-based, their deliberate style of slow selling includes ideas that could be used in other types of businesses.

*Seller of eyeglasses removes the pressure of choosing frames by using technology, instead of a salesperson. The customer uploads his or her photo to a website, where they can take as much time as they like to see how they look in any of the eyeglass frames.

* The Kaplan Commitment program ensures that students make an informed decision before paying for school. Kaplan lets them enroll in classes for over a month and determine if the courses are the right fit to meet their needs.

The slow selling trend is designed to reduce the costs of product returns, customer service time, negative feedback and loss of future sales. Getting a customer to buy takes more time, but the technique empowers the customer to contemplate, choose and commit.

According to Inc. advisors, the lifetime value of a customer is defined not by how much he or she buys, but by how strongly he or she attaches to and defends a brand choice.

For the web savvy shopper, the more perfect alignment of information means the responsibility for the purchase is now theirs. If customers are treated with patience and the control of the sales process is handed over to them, they will take care of the rest.