Did you know that millennials are no longer responding to adverts?
Invasive, outbound marketing isn't working. If you stand in someone's face (metaphorically, of course) and shout about your company, the chances of them walking away are pretty high!
So, the marketing world is having to change. High-pressure selling is shifting gear and the low-pressure selling strategy is becoming the more effective method of showing off your brand to the world.
Learn more to ensure you don't get left behind.
What Is a Low-Pressure Selling Strategy?
Low-pressure marketing is also known as a soft sell. To understand what it is exactly, it's best first to look at what it's not.
High-pressure selling is all about persuasion and talking someone into buying something. Rather than letting them think for themselves, you're saying "No, this is the one for you, and you must buy it!". Cold calls where the caller tries to push you into buying a product or upgrading a contract you already have are high-pressure scenarios.
The decision to buy doesn't always fit what the individual wants or needs. They may not have the money or the requirements, but they're pressured into believing they do need it - or they just want to get off the phone! Some people find this selling method deceitful, aggressive, and irritating.
The opposite of a high-pressure strategy is a low-pressure strategy. This is where you let the individual decide for themselves.
You give all the facts and benefits of the product, but you don't pressure the buyer at all. Instead, you let them weigh up the pros and cons before making a decision themselves. The influence and persuasion are subtler, using unique selling points to win over the audience.
Make Them Think the Decision Is Their Own
You might be thinking that if you aren't pushing a sale, what's the point? Aren't you just stating facts?
Actually, no.
Low-pressure marketing strategists hide their sales techniques. They're just as keen to make a sale, but they don't show it. Instead, they may be clever with the words they use to describe a product and reel the audience in, but in a gentler process.
Through this, the buyer tends to believe the decision was entirely their own. They control the conversation. Of course, this isn't the case, and the low-pressure marketing strategy was in control the whole time.
Low-Pressure Sales Pros and Cons
No marketing strategy is ever faultless. There are both pros and cons to taking the low-pressure approach, and it's important you know both sides before you choose whether this is a strategy you want to use. To help you out, we've weighed up both sides here.
Low-Pressure Sales Cons
Not being so aggressive in your sales technique has a lot of benefits, but it does come with a few downfalls.
For example, you usually have to wait for a potential customer to come to you. This is far less likely to happen when you're not making the first move, and if they never come to you there's not much you can do! You've put the bait out there, but they haven't taken it, and so you have to sit patiently and wait for the next person to come along.
It also takes a lot of work. The absence of pressure needs to be made up for with a lot of effort and clever tactics, and not every salesperson is capable of pulling this off. But, when you do find someone who can, the results can be astounding.
Low-Pressure Sales Benefits
When low-pressure strategies are done right, they can be transformative for a business. One of the biggest effects it can have is building a loyal customer base of repeat purchasers. Because they've made the decision to come to you on their own - or so they think! - they're much more open to coming back again and creating an attachment to your company.
You're also less likely to irritate people, which helps your brand image. If a company is well-known for cold calling, for example, its reputation is going to take a hit. Whereas the company that allows buyers to read about their benefits and come to them when they're ready is going to build a positive image.
Don't forget that your audience is becoming savvy in marketing, too. They know when you're trying to sell and it puts them off. But with low-pressure tactics, you can still market your brand without turning people away.
Examples of Low-Pressure Techniques
There are a number of low-pressure marketing strategies. Some of the most common include:
Social media marketing
SEO
Blogs
eBooks
Podcasts
Infographics
These aren't methods of pushing products directly, but they give plenty of opportunities to build your brand and increase your audience.
At CliqCoach, our marketing alliance, we also recommend the chat marketing model when creating low-pressure marketing plans. This is when you talk directly to the customer through features like the website ChatBots and social media messaging. It's often a form of customer service where the customer will come to you for help, and it's the perfect time to start soft-selling your brand.
Learn More About Marketing With CliqCoach
Creating a low-pressure selling strategy that works isn't a simple task. But, with some research and a helping hand, you can get it right and start discreetly selling while building a powerful, trusted brand image.
If you need help, our team at CliqCoach is ready and waiting! We help businesses get up off the ground and start earning money from a targeted audience, creating foundations to promote long-lasting growth. Book a coaching session today and let's build a brand that's ready to thrive.