What's Really Stopping Your Customers?

Have you ever stopped to wonder why more people don’t buy from you?

Your company does a great job, you’re passionate about what you do and you know that the people who do buy from you love you. So why is it sometimes such a battle to get more people to do the same?

There could of course be many reasons. You might still be reliant on too few sources of lead generation; your sales skills could be letting you down; or you could just simply be getting the wrong message across. The great news for you here is that tweaking any of these could open the door to an increase in profits for you. But there’s often one thing that’s totally overlooked by business owners and entrepreneurs, and it will completely stop customers buying from you at any price.
It’s risk.

The simple fact is, that to many of your potential customers, buying from you for the first time could well be a considerable risk. You might know that you’re, perhaps, a good florist, but to somebody else you’re the success or failure of a wedding day or a funeral. You might be quite happy in the knowledge that you’re a great courier, but you’re the potential breaking of an important business deal to somebody else.

Taking that first step to buy from you is a huge leap of faith. And it’s never going to be easy for your potential customers to make a huge leap – especially if it’s away from the comfort of another supplier. So we need to break that leap down into far smaller steps. Steps that allow them to walk towards the point of buying from you in a far easier way, until the very last step before they become a full paying customer is just a totally natural progression for them. This is called risk reduction strategy and it’s used all around us by large and highly successful companies. It also often provides us with a far more enjoyable and more profitable way of doing business.

There are many ways you can reduce risk for your customers and all will have a significant effect on your ability to get new customers into your business. Here are a few of my favourites:


• Guarantees or warranties

• Money back offers

• Try before you buy

• Full demonstrations

• Customer testimonials

• Payment terms that show confidence in your quality

• Payment terms that spread the cost of an investment

• Free samples / advice

• Relationship building (people trust those they know better)

• Reduced price (or loss leading) introductory offers


That’s a list that could provide a huge boost to your sales or profits although right now I understand if it looks a bit frightening. Some of that stuff might look expensive or risky for you to do. If you give free samples, won’t that be expensive? If you spread your payment terms out, won’t you have a problem getting paid?

You naturally need to take the options that work best for you, but don’t not take them through your own fear. Once risk is removed for your customers you will find that people will generally be happier to pay more for your goods or services and they will come to you in far greater numbers – you’re now a low risk option for them after all. If you’re still worrying that people will take advantage of you then let me tell you that you’re worrying unnecessarily. Yes, you might just get the odd person who wants their money back, or who has a bit too much of the free sample, but most people just don’t behave like that.

Most people who start taking these steps towards you are doing so with a genuine amount of interest. And if you do get the odd one who takes the Mickey? So what? Don’t get annoyed – put it down to human nature and concentrate on the additional sales and profits that you’re generating.
Risk reduction strategy is one of the most psychologically powerful tools in your marketing armoury and it will give you some very cool results. Don’t be afraid to use it wisely.