Does your website “show up and throw up?”

In the sales trade, a salesperson who “shows up and throws up” pushes his agenda at customers with no concern for their needs or pain points. His canned presentation is all about his products and company. This approach bores customers to tears.

Better salespeople realize that selling is about motivating customers, which rarely happens by dumping product information on them. These salespeople work to understand the customer’s point of view and to put their product into the context of the customers world. Before talking product they might ask questions to find out... 
• What are the problems or pain points unique to the customer?
• How does this customer fit into his or her competitive market?
• Are there technical, regulatory, or financial trends that will affect their needs?
• Which applications or best practices might affect this company's purchasing decisions?

Better salespeople focus on solving customer problems first, product information follows. They collect information and advice helpful to the customer not just with a purchase, but in using the product successfully.    

Now, let’s get back to your website.  Which of these two approaches describes the content on it?  Is your content just about your company and products, or do you also have information helpful to solving customer problems? 

Problem solving content can... 

• Motivate registration (for a newsletter or webinar etc.) and capture early stage sales leads.
• Help your customers feel like you are committed to their success. Don’t you think this is more meaningful than just telling your customers how committed you are?
• Your customers become familiar with your website. Wouldn’t it be better if they were familiar with your website before they head into their next product purchase?

In a recent blog post, Junta 42 founder Joe Pulizzi shared a great example of this this on the Monster.com website. Pulizzi noted that the needs of Monster's customers, as they look for jobs in the recession, were addressed directly on the site:

 "Let's take a look at challenges faced by those people looking for or trying to keep their job:

• What jobs will be readily available with the passage of the stimulus bill?
• If I'm downsized, what do I need to do now to protect my career?
• How much am I worth in a downturn?
• How do I protect my job in a tough economy?
• Can I still get a raise in a recession?

Those five questions that employees are struggling with are actually the first five articles on the Monster.com site."

Sure, Monster.com provides a job search service, but the content on the site does not hype their service, instead it services the customers.  

What content is on your website? Hopefully, a balance of product and company information, combined with content that helps your customers solve problems. If it's all about you...your customers will not be frequent visitors.

Comments

[Nursing gowns]

excellent tips! i had this problem too, but not now, thanks to your help. yay! love it!

[Ralph]

Great blog, here are some other articles you might be interested in: http://blog.huthwaite.com.au/

[Noel]

Nice post! Emphasis on customer needs should always be considered when selling is involved. As a sales person, it is a given that you know all there is to know about your product. What can make you stand out from other sales people is the ability to appeal to your clients immediate needs and offering to solve them.

More information on sales can be found here at http://salescoursetraining.co.uk Drop by and share your thoughts.

[new jersey dui law]

So you will need a list to narrow down people that can do the job for you.

[KAP Proposal Automation]

Great post! having very useful and informative tips. Thanks
You can also increase your business sales volume by using sales and proposal automation softwares. These are very easy to understand, and no specific training required to get work from them. just log on to http://www.globalkap.com to get great sales automation solutions, and many more that you wants.

[Proposal Software]

Great tips on the issue.I think the best way to sales dramatically is to give customer what he is looking for. If you can do this, you are succeeded.

[eugene party bus]

Great beat ! I wish to apprentice whilst you amend your site, how could i subscribe for a weblog site? The account helped me a acceptable deal. I have been a little bit familiar of this your broadcast provided bright clear concept

[Personal Trainer]

Hello to every , for the reason that I am really keen of reading this webpage's post to be updated daily. It carries pleasant data.

[Detoxing Your Body]

I tend not to drop a comment, but I glanced through a few comments on Sales Training Blog : Does your website “show up and throw up?”. I actually do have a few questions for you if you do not mind. Could it be simply me or do some of the responses appear like they are coming from brain dead folks? :-P And, if you are writing on additional social sites, I would like to follow you. Would you make a list of the complete urls of your social pages like your Facebook page, twitter feed, or linkedin profile?

[bluetooth speakers]

Heya i am for the fikrst time here. I found this board and I in finding It really useful & it helped me out much. I am hoping to provide one thing again and aid others like you helped me.

[www.victorswatches.com]

Howdy! This iis kind of off topic but I need some advice from an established blog. Is it tough too set up your own blog? I'm not very techincal but I can figure things out pretty quick. I'm thinking about setting up mmy own but I'm not sure where to start. Do you have any ideas or suggestions? Thank you

[maxidressesnow.com]

It's actually a nice and useful piece of info. I'm satisfied that you simply shared this helpful info with us. Please stay us informed like this. Thank you forr sharing.

[http://www.alllacedresses.com]

Right noww itt sounds like Expression Engine is the preferred blogging platform out thnere right now. (from what I've read) Is that what you are using on your blog?

[http://www.designerhandbagsplaza.com]

Incredikble sttory there. What occurred after? Take care!

[wireless speakers]

It's actually very complicated in this full of activity life to listen news on TV, so I just use the web for that purpose, and obtain the newest information.

[breitling watches]

Hey there! Do you know if they make any plugins to protect against hackers? I'm kinda paranoid about losing everything I've worked hard on. Any suggestions?

[http://www.victorswatches.com/michael-kors-watches/]

Howdy! This is my first visit to your blog! We are a group of volunteers and starting a new initiative in a community in the same niche. Your blog provided us valuable information to work on. You have done a outstanding job!

[wireless headphones]

We're a gaggle of volunteers and opening a brand new scheme in our community. Your website provided us with helpful info to work on. You have performed a formidable activity and our whole group shall be grateful to you.

[allreddresses.com]

Yes! Finally someone writes about shrike.

[http://www.flatscreentvreviewer.com]

Peculiar article, totally what I wanted to find.

[home jobs]

Hi, i read your blog from time to time and i own a similar one and i was just curious if you get a lot of spam responses? If so how do you protect against it, any plugin or anything you can advise? I get so much lately it's driving me insane so any help is very much appreciated.

[tube cash code]

Link exchange is nothing else except it is simply placing the other person's weblog link on your page at suitable place and other person will also do similar in support of you.

[tube cash code]

This piece of writing offers clear idea designed for the new viewers of blogging, that actually how to do blogging and site-building.

[http://www.externalharddrivereviewed.com]

Hello my family member! I wish to say that this article is amazing, nice written and include almost all vitl infos. I wpuld like to see extra posts like this .

[tkonsult.org]

hello there and thank you for your info - I've certainly picked up something new from right here. I did however expertise several technical points using this web site, since I experienced to reload the site many times previous to I could get it to load correctly. I had been wondering if your web host is OK? Not that I'm complaining, but slow loading instances times will sometimes affect your placement in google and can damage your high-quality score if ads and marketing with Adwords. Well I am adding this RSS to my e-mail and could look out for a lot more of your respective fascinating content. Ensure that you update this again soon.