Help Your Customers Reach Their Goals With A Plan
So, your product is top-quality – really something special! You should be seeing sales erupting from your ears in a fit of smoke like in the cartoons, but you’re not. You’re at a loss and feel uncertain about how to turn things around.
The good news is you don’t have to develop a whole new business idea (phew!) You might just be over-complicating things for your customers at the point of purchase – and that’s an easy fix! This blog will show how you can gently force the hand of your customers and encourage them to do business with you with a plan that compels them to take action.
Using the power of story to get results
All the best stories feature a hero with a problem that needs solving. In most cases, this is a problem they can’t fix alone. The grittiest, most captivating stories are those in which the hero starts off slightly puzzled, lost or lacking in a certain area only to eventually transform and win the day. But before this transformation can begin they usually meet another character (the guide), who can give them a plan to overcome the barriers to their success. The plan is the method where the guide is able to help the hero get what they want, solve their problem and ultimately win the day.
Let’s use Star Wars for example. Luke Skywalker wants to fight against Darth Vadar and the Dark Side but is woefully ill-equipped – so ill-equipped that doing so would ultimately end in his untimely death. Instead of doing it alone, we see Obi Wan Kenobi and Yoda guide Luke with a plan to first learn the force on Dagobah, an uninhabited planet with no distractions, and aid him in his battle against evil, helping him to become the hero.
Help your customers take action with a plan
It’s the same for your business. While it’s unlikely that you’ll be helping your customers defeat an evil malevolent force on a planet with hairy man dogs and gnomes with speech impediments, you are still there to help them solve a problem. But you can only do this if they choose to do business with you.
The problem is, your customers are risk-averse people, and spending money is a risk if handed over to the wrong business. Remember, this is the first time your customer is having to take any action themselves, and that can feel frightening. A bit of hand-holding is going to be necessary for them to make that leap – which is where your plan comes in.
Your plan is there to reassure your customer by giving clear step-by-step instructions on how they can go about using or buying your service or product. It can also lessen any concerns they may have about spending money with you and overcome any barriers to purchase before they become a problem.
So what does a plan look like?
There are two types of plans – Process Plans and Agreement Plans – both of which help your customer feel more at ease about doing business with you.
What is a Process Plan?
A Process Plan helps your customer understand exactly how they go about buying your service or product. It’s important that this is kept as simple as possible, typically showing 3-4 steps from beginning to end. It goes like this:
- Step one – tell your customer how to get started
- Step 2 – tell your customer your solution to the problem they’re struggling with
- Step 3 – show your customers what their life will look like once they’ve done business with you (success!)
The goal here is to be as clear as possible, remove any customer confusion and most importantly, make doing business with you feel easy. Customers don’t want to feel like doing business with you will take ten years off their life – if they feel this way they will just look elsewhere.
Here is STORY22’s as an example:
- Schedule a call
Get to the root of your problem in a free 30-minute strategy call.
- Start your project
They’ll get to work creating clear messaging and great marketing to suit your needs and budget.
- Sit back and relax
Enjoy the success you’ve worked so hard for while your business thrives.
It’s clear, concise and makes the process feel simple, while simultaneously touching on the success customers will experience after working with us.
What is an Agreement Plan?
An Agreement Plan is a way for your business to further lessen any concerns your customer may have about doing business with you. Different to the Agreement Plan, your Process Plan should always feature clearly on your website to show customers exactly how to do business with you and how things will play out. Agreement plans don’t have to be posted in the same step-by-step manner but can be worked into the copy on your website.
Agreement plans often showcase the risk reduction and/or shared values between a company and a customer. For example, a stationary company may promise that they only use responsibly sourced materials in their products if this is important to their customers, while a printing company may certify that they only use the most up-to-date technology with machines that adhere to strict quality control testing for customer satisfaction.
The aim of both Process Plans and Agreement Plans is to show the customer they don’t have to continue facing the problem they are currently having and that there is an easy fix – doing business with you.
If you confuse you lose
An important thing to keep in mind when creating your plan is clarity and simplicity. There may be 20 steps between your customer picking up the phone and getting the success they desire, but it’s important you don’t confuse or overwhelm them by listing all 20.
Research has shown that when businesses list even just 5 or 6 steps for people to follow, engagement decreases by 75%. You may think that you are being helpful by telling your customer every little thing they will need to do, but in reality, what you’re telling them is; “this is going to take a lot of time and energy” causing them to switch off and look elsewhere.
By giving your customers a clear, straightforward plan you’re showing them you’ve got the skills to help them remove the stressor in their life, and that it’s easy for them to do so. A great plan will help your customers win the day, while simultaneously helping your business win in the marketplace.
Need some help?
STORY22 is a full-service marketing agency, that uses the StoryBrand Framework to help businesses with their Email Marketing, Website Development, Social Media Management, StoryBrand Copywriting and Pay-Per-Click Advertising. Find out more about STORY22 here.
