310: The Questions People Need Answered Before They Buy

Speaker A: You're listening to the Black to Business Podcast, an educational podcast providing black entrepreneurs with the tools and resources to start and grow their businesses. We chat with vetted black entrepreneurs, thought leaders, and business owners as they provide tips and resources to help take your business to the next level. I'm your host, Monique T. Marshall. Well, hello there and welcome to the Black to Business Podcast. I'm your host, Monique T. Marshall. You know what's so interesting is this fact that most people don't make buying decisions as quickly as entrepreneurs think that they do. So by the time someone finally signs up, they might book a service, submit the inquiry, or just even click purchase. They've usually been thinking about that decision for a minute, and oftentimes it's a lot longer than we as entrepreneurs think. So the customer has been weighing that decision. They probably been wondering if this is the right time. They also might be wondering if they're ready to even move forward. And all of this is happening long before you even hear that yes from them. So as a business owner, we only see the decision side of things. So, uh, we don't always see everything that came before that decision. And what we often forget is that people aren't usually just deciding whether they like the offer. They're deciding whether they're comfortable making the decision. And I want to make that distinction because there is a big difference. So sometimes we assume that people need another reminder, maybe even another email or just another reason to buy. And sometimes they simply need answers to questions they haven't really worked through yet. And that's why two people can look at the same exact offer and make two completely different decisions. So one person is ready while the other person is still trying to make some sense of whether this is the right fit, whether they are ready, or whether now is the right time. Same offer, different place in the decision making process. And that's exactly what I want to talk about today. The questions people need answered before they buy. And not necessarily the questions that they ask out loud, but the questions that they are quietly answering in their own minds before they even decide to say yes. Because once you understand those questions, you stop feeling like every sale depends on, uh, saying the perfect thing. Instead, you start understanding how people actually make buying decisions. So, without further ado, let's get into it. So before somebody decides whether they want to buy your offer, they're usually making another decision first. So they're deciding whether the problem is worth solving in the first place. And I don't think entrepreneurs think about that enough, because from our side the problem feels obvious. We deal with it every day. We. We've seen how frustrating it could be. And we've also seen what happens when people ignore it. So naturally, we assume everybody else sees it the same way, but they don't. So think about your own life for a second. How many times have you known you needed to do something? Maybe it was organize your finance, maybe it was update your resume or even go to the doctor. And you knew that these things needed to happen. You just didn't feel the urgency to do it yet. And business owners do the same thing. Sometimes people aren't saying no because they don't see the value. They're saying, okay, not yet, because they haven't connected the problem to something that feels important enough to solve today. And I like to say people haven't felt enough pain in the area. And so these are the conversations that we have to have. Because if somebody believes they can keep living with the problem just a little bit longer, they probably will. And people don't usually move because a solution exists. They move because the problem has become expensive enough to deal with. Maybe it is costing them time, maybe it is costing them money or creating unnecessary stress. Whatever it is, something is shifting now. Solving the problem becomes more important than putting it off. And that's when people start looking for answers, and that's when they start paying attention, and also when they start seriously considering investing. And I think this is a good reminder for us as business owners, because sometimes our job isn't to just convince people they need us. It's helping them understand the cost of leaving the problem exactly where it is. Because once somebody decides, I don't want to keep dealing with this anymore, they're much more open to hearing about the solution. With that being said, once someone has decided, now, okay, this is my problem, I actually want to solve this. The next question usually is something like this. Is this the right way to solve it? Because here's what we have to remember. Most customers have options. They can do nothing. They can try to figure it out themselves. They can hire somebody else, uh, or they can try to piece together free information online. Your offer is one of several paths that they can take. And that's why people aren't only evaluating what you're selling. They're also comparing it to every other option that they have, even the option of doing nothing. And that's a high bar. And honestly, that's why simply telling somebody what's included is not enough. People want to understand why this actual approach makes sense, why this process, why this service, why your program? Why is this the right next step for someone in my position? And those are the questions that keep running through, uh, their mind. And this is why. It's also, you can see sometimes two businesses can sell similar services and get completely different results. One business can talk about what they do, and the other is going to help people understand why their approach fits the problem that they're trying to solve. So these are two different things and approaches. And you want to think about it this way. If someone wants to get healthier, there are countless ways that they can go about it. Maybe they can get a gym membership, a personal trainer, a nutrition coach, or even a workout app. They are all trying to solve the same problem, of course. But the question then becomes, why is this the option that I should choose? And your customers are asking that same question. They don't need you to convince them that your offer exists. They need to understand why it makes sense for them. And once that connection clicks, making the decision becomes a whole lot easier because they're no longer comparing random options. They're choosing the solution that feels like the best fit for where they are right now. And so let's keep going with this. So even after someone decides the problem is worth solving, even after your solution does start to make sense, there's still one more question that can quietly hold people back. And that question could be, am I actually going to do this? And I don't mean, like, buy it. I mean, like, stick with this thing. Because we have all bought things with the best intentions. We've signed up, we've made the investment. We've also told ourselves, okay, this time, I'm really going to do it. And then what happens? Life starts lifing. Maybe work got busy, other priorities came up, and before we know it, weeks have gone by. And your customers know that about themselves. They're not walking into the decision with a blank slate. They're bringing every single past experience with them. The things they finished, the things that they never started, the things that they started but they couldn't stay consistent with all of that is showing up when they're deciding whether to buy. And that's why earning someone's trust is only a part of the equation. They also need to feel like they'll be able to show up on the other side of the purchase. And so think about how many times that you've heard somebody say, okay, I really want this. I just don't know if, um, it's the right time. Sometimes they are talking about their schedule. Sometimes they're talking about their capacity, and sometimes they're wondering whether they'll be able to give it the detention that it deserves. And I, for one, think that all those concerns are valid if it's important to be honest. And that's why it's also helpful to show people how what the experience actually is going to look like. So you want to help them understand what they'll be responsible for. You want to help them understand what support they'll receive and also what's expected without making it feel overwhelming. Because the more confident people feel about what comes next, the easier it is to move forward and make that purchase. And at the end of the day, people aren't just investing in a solution. They are investing in their ability to make that solution work. And so when they can picture themselves following through, saying yes, it's going to start to feel a whole lot more realistic. And with that being said, there's also another question that people are usually working through before they actually make a purchase. And it's one that we don't always see, because nobody is saying it out loud. So they are asking themselves, why should I do this now? Not later on, but right now in this very moment? Because if we're being honest, most of us are really, really good at convincing ourselves that we can come back to something later. And for some reason, later feels like you are having time to think about it. And I think with that comes that thought of like, okay, I'm being responsible. I'm not jumping the gun. And. And it also feels safe. It gives us this permission to put the decision back on the shelf without really feeling like we're completely saying no. And so the challenge is later has a way of turning into okay, next month, next year, next quarter. And I say that because we have all done it. There are things that we've known that we needed to do, but we just kept telling ourselves, okay, we'll get around to it when things slow down, when things aren't so busy, or when the timing feels better. And I say all this to say that you think these things. Just imagine the fact that your customers have done or think the same way. And that's why helping people see the value of your offer isn't always enough. They also need to understand the value of making the decision now instead of continuing to wait. And sometimes waiting doesn't cost much, but sometimes it does. And sometimes waiting means another year of trying to figure it out on your own. It means staying stuck in the same cycle, knowing you want to get out of that wreck. And it also means dealing with a problem longer than you have to. And I say that because it. We don't really need to be putting ourselves through stress if there's a solution that will help us. And that's what you want to communicate to. You're also customers. So as business owners, we have to understand that people don't always think about that or these things on their own. But as business owners, we have an opportunity to help them see it. And of course you want to do this without creating that fake sense of urgency or really making people feel pressured to buy. Nobody likes that. I don't even like that as a business owner. But by helping people honestly understand what's at stake if nothing changes. Because once somebody sees both sides of that decision, they're able to make a more informed choice. And that's really the goal. You are not trying to rush people into buying. You're helping them make a decision that they can feel good about. And sometimes that decision is a yes, and sometimes it's a no, and sometimes it's not right now. But if someone is going to wait, let it be because they've made an informed decision, not because they've never stopped long enough to think about what waiting was actually costing them. And also, before somebody spends their money, they're usually asking one last question. And that is, what if this doesn't work? And they might not say these, uh, this question out loud either, but it is there. I know I've made purchases and I've thought about it. What if this doesn't work and every purchase comes with a little bit of risk? People are giving up their money, especially in this economy. They're giving up their time. They're choosing maybe one solution over another. And so naturally they want to feel like they're making a good decision. And that's why I feel like trust matters so, so much. Because people don't expect you to promise them the world and perfect results. They know that business just doesn't work that way. What they're looking for is evidence. So evidence that you've helped people before, evidence that you understand the problem that they, they're trying to solve, and evidence that there's a thoughtful process behind what you do. So think about your own buying decisions. Most of us aren't looking for guarantees. We're looking for enough confidence to take the next step. And as business owners, we sometimes feel like we have to prove everything, and I hate that for us. But the reality is, people are usually asking much simpler questions. It could all be so easy. It could all be so simple. So those questions could be like, okay, has this worked for somebody like me? Does this person know what they're talking about? Can I trust the process? And I think that these are all valid questions. And also why testimonials are important, also why case studies are important. Sharing your experience is so, so important. So even expl explaining why you do things a certain way, that can help somebody feel more confident. And none of these things are going to eliminate the risk completely, of course, but what they do do is make the decision feel more informed. And that's really what people are looking for. They're not trying to remove every ounce of uncertainty. They're simply trying to feel confident enough to take that next step. Invest in themselves sales, invest in their business, invest in their livelihood. And so the easier it is for someone to see that confidence, the easier it becomes for them to move from okay, I'm interested to okay, I'm ready. And so one of the biggest takeaways for this conversation is that buying decisions are rarely as simple as they look. From our side of business, it can seem like somebody either buys or they don't. It's a yes or a no. It's either you're interested or you're not interested. But there's usually a lot more that's going on beneath the surface. So people are working through questions. They're weighing their decisions, they're trying to figure out whether they are ready. And they're also trying to make the best decision that they can with the information that they have. And so the more we understand that, the less likely we are to take every single. No, every single delay. Personally, sometimes people aren't rejecting your offer. They're still working through their own decision making process. And so I hope this conversation encourages you to look at your business slightly different, especially as we go through the week into the next week. So instead of asking why aren't people buying? I want you to try asking, what question might they still need answered? And that one shift can change the way that you talk about your business, your offer. And it can also change the way that you serve your customers and think about sales. Because at the end of the day, sales isn't just about presenting an offer. It's about helping people make informed decisions that they feel really, really good about. And when you approach it that way, you stop feeling like you have to convince people your focus is on helping them move forward and doing so with confidence. And with that being said, I want to thank you for, for tuning in and listening to another episode of the Blacks Business Podcast. I really appreciate you spending time with us, and I can't wait to see you back here next week. But until then, keep bending boldly. Keep pushing the culture forward later.