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Added value is a powerful tactic that can be used by small businesses to acquire and retain customers, increase brand awareness, and differentiate one’s place in the industry. But how do you start adding value to your product offer to gain more clients? In this article, I share 10 ways to add value to your sales process that you can start incorporating today!
What is the difference between price and value?
Before we get into the different ways to add value for your customer throughout their sales process, you need to understand the difference between price and value.
One of Warren Buffett’s most famous quotes is, “Price is what you pay; value is what you get.”
Price is the amount of money your customer pays for a product.
Value is what your customer perceives the benefits of that product to be and the emotional connection he/she has to the product and the brand concerning the price.
The most important distinction between price and value is that price is subjective, and value is fundamental.
>> EP 45: 4 SOCIAL MEDIA MISTAKES YOU ARE MAKING
Price vs Value Example
For example, consider a person selling an acne treatment for $80.
The price of this acne treatment is, in this instance, $80. It’s an arbitrary amount chosen by the seller for reasons known only to them. Yet, even though this acne treatment is priced at $80, its value is so much more.
For instance, think of the emotional value that a product can have on a customer. This is the rate of return in the eyes of the customer. The time, energy, negative thoughts, and limiting beliefs they can get back with your product.
Why is added value powerful?
In short, the price is the same for all the customers, while the value varies from customer to customer. The estimation of value is based on the customer’s opinion and done from the user’s perspective.
Added value is a powerful tactic that can be used by small businesses to acquire and retain customers, increase brand awareness, and differentiate one’s place in the industry.
But how do you start adding value to your product offer to gain more clients?
To start, the technique of creating added value starts with the ability to see your business through your customers’ eyes.
Consider what’s essential to your target audience and how your product or service will benefit them. This thinking goes back to Ep. 53 and your message targeting.
- What problem does your product or service solve?
- How will your product or service help them overcome obstacles or do their jobs better?
Many businesses miss the boat by focusing on features instead of benefits and thus miss out on this added value technique.
By shifting your focus to providing value that focuses on your customers’ needs, you can start serving and stop selling.
When getting started, you’ll need to consider all your business touchpoints, from initial lead capture to post-purchase communication, and adequately maximizing the customer’s added value throughout the process.
Building a customer experience also allows you to develop relationships with your customers so you can connect on levels that go past merely getting the sale.
>>> EP 53: 6 WAYS BETTER MESSAGE TARGETING COULD BOOST YOUR BUSINESS
10 ways to add value to your sales process
So let me share how you can do just that.
Here are ten ways to build a customer experience with added value to develop deeper relationships with your customers so you can connect on levels that go past merely getting a sale.
1. Focus on the presentation of your product.
Whether your customer is shopping online or in-person, there are several ways to add value to your product’s presentation.
For example, if you are selling a digital product as I do, I spend a lot of time setting up the images and copy for a functional sales page.
The purpose of a sales page is to create anticipation and talk about the benefits and emotional connection to the product before you present the product and price.
I offer this service to my 1:1 clients and teach my sales page method inside Step 2 of my Stay in Your Lane Brand Method – the Passive Paycheck Package: Digital Product Workshop Course.
Remember, features are nothing but the product’s inbuilt parts, whereas benefits are something that the customer wants to receive or get from the product.
If you have a brick-and-mortar store, your product’s presentation could be how your store clerk presents the product to the customer.
He or she could use both hands to hand a customer the product, using an open palm, or holding the product out in full presentation as they communicate how valuable the product is.
2. Be personal at all times.
This should go without saying, but many businesses overlook that their clients are real people who communicate on a personal level.
On my 1:1 client application, I have a spot where I ask applicants why they would choose to work with my marketing group and me – and one of the most common responses is how real and relatable I am.
This comment refers to how I show up on social media and inside their inbox. You can be professional yet genuine and authentic at the same time.
So make sure all your messaging, from social media updates to emails, is personal, which leaves a far more favorable impression of your business.
>> Ep 26: 3 Ways To Create A More Impactful Brand Online
3. Include How-To Manuals or Demo Videos
Remember, even after the sale, you should focus on ways to add value.
When you include troubleshooting guides or How-To Videos, this avoids customers using your products wrong.
And better yet, it allows them to figure out how to use the product on their own without contacting you.
4. Offer Free BONUS Resources.
This is probably one of my most used value-added techniques. Free resources are a great way to create added value and showcase your brand’s ability to offer ‘a little something extra’ to customers.
Free resources can also serve as useful tools to help grow a small business’s brand awareness and expose your target market to various products and services.
This bonus resource could include a
- Free Guide,
- Template,
- Checklist,
- Calendar,
- Excel Sheet,
- or other relevant resources.
Remember, although you may be offering something for free, it still needs to have relevance to your target audience and should always be consistent with your brand’s overall purpose.
5. Help your Customers Succeed
Of course, we want our customers to be happy with their initial purchase, but we also want them to become repeat, satisfied customers. Sometimes customers come to us for one product but don’t realize what else we offer.
When you can get to know your customers on a 1:1 level, you can find other ways to help them.
One way to do this at checkout is by offering them products in a sales funnel.
Which is a series of sales pages a customer navigates through after they purchase your initial product.
Sales Funnels are incredibly useful in increasing sales conversion and helping your customers succeed with other products we offer to help them.
On top of that, using a sales funnel can easily double your sales conversion.
To set up your sales funnel, ask yourself…
“What’s the next problem they are going to have after using the product they just purchased?”
Then put this solution in the sales funnel and offer it to them on the next page! The worst thing that can happen is they say No Thanks!
6. Set Up A Social Media Community.
For every brand of every size, one of the essential growth strategies is a well-controlled community that aims at growing the brand.
Business.com says, “Cultivating a fan community around your brand and product selection can create enormous opportunities for marketing and experimentation.”
I’ve done this with my Branding Lounge Facebook Group. It’s a place where I can ask specific questions to get an idea of my target audience’s top problems.
You can also make it a place to announce new services and products, giveaways, and deals, and you have loyal fans for life.
“According to a survey by OnBrand, 70% of marketers say that building an audience is more important than direct sales. Building a community and a following will drastically improve your ability to convert followers into customers over time because selling to your entourage of loyal fans is way easier than selling to a stranger who just happens to see your ad on the web.” – from Business.com
When you create platforms where customers can post questions and allow your staff or other customers to add their solution, you’ll have a solid knowledge-base built by your customers for other customers. These online communities can mean all the difference between you and a lower-priced competitor.
7. Add More Components Of Customer Service.
You can immediately add value to your product or services simply by making yourself available to your customer base. I know business owners are time-constrained, but unfortunately, something that many businesses lack, and it’s a quick fix.
You don’t want messages sitting in your inbox or comments on your posts unread for weeks at a time. If you don’t have time for non-paying customers, they may think you won’t have time for paying ones.
Adding value to your products and services through customer support is a powerful way to separate your company from the rest of the pack.
At its core, customer service extends the customer’s experience with your brand well before and far after the sale.
Ways to do this would be to start building your website to provide as much pre and post-sale support as possible. When done correctly with a contact us page, chatbox, and your support phone number and email available – you will begin building a solid foundation of loyal customers.
These are all ways that I offer customer service to my customers.
I also offer a chatbox on my website that I regularly check. I also make an effort to respond to every one of the direct messages on my social accounts.
When you give customers different means of contacting you, they can choose the most comfortable method.
8. Include an FAQ section on your website.
The Frequently Asked Questions segment is a proactive way to offer customer service.
Here, you take the frequently asked questions from current customers and include your thorough response to them.
By adding this feature, customers will be able to answer most of their questions in advance without additional help from you or your team.
An FAQ section is a must-have for every company and most small business owners, without much extra time to answer the same questions repeatedly. If you’re just getting started, think through the customer experience and try to anticipate their needs. Think of this as the table of contents for help.
9. Send Emails Your Customer Wants To Open.
As I shared in Episode #50 – the simplistic sales process I use and teach includes deepening connections with customers using a strategic email plan.
Think about the hundreds of emails that flood your inbox each day.
Which ones do you open, and why do you open them?
The ones you open most likely deliver some sort of valuable content that you care about.
The rest of them become noise.
Knowing who your target audience is and the types of content they want can help you give more value…and keep them coming back for more.
(The Email Platform I use is called COREemail.)
10. Charm Your Customer with Unexpected Gifts.
If you’ve ever received an instantaneous gift of appreciation from a brand you do business with; you know the enjoyment you experienced.
Don’t you want that for your customers?
The gift doesn’t have to be expensive; it could be anything from a handwritten thank you card to a company-branded present at Christmas.
A simple task of capturing your clients’ mailing addresses at checkout will ensure you can add this value.
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Recap
So there you have it – 10 Ways To Add Value To Your Sales Process.
- Focus On The Presentation Of Your Product.
- Be Personal At All Times.
- Include How-To Manuals or Demo Videos
- Offer Free BONUS Resources.
- Help your Customers Succeed.
- Set Up A Social Media Community.
- Add More Components Of Customer Service.
- Include an FAQ section on your website.
- Send Emails Your Customer Wants To Open.
- Charm Your Customer with Unexpected Gifts.
As you can see, a client’s perceived value goes far beyond just price.
People are willing to pay more for your products or services when they see you get more benefits and higher customer service. So lay it all out for them! Make sure they understand the value they get when purchasing from you.
You create more first-time customers when you can add more value throughout your sales process.
But more than that, brands with unforgettable customer experiences are more likely to benefit from word-of-mouth referrals, repeat customers, positive online reviews, higher brand awareness, and can stand out in an over-crowded industry.
Since I share awe-inspiring resources and must-have products for business builders like you who want to streamline their business – my content may contain affiliate links for products I use and love. If you take action (i.e. subscribe, make a purchase) after clicking one of these links, I’ll earn a small commission. While it has no effect on your pricing, it’s my responsibility to let you know that an income (however small or large it may be) is made from recommending products I love, use, and share with other awesome people like yourself. With your support, I’m able to commit time to this blog and to each of you on your journey!
