Entrepreneur & Innovation Exchange

Published online at EIX.org on July 08 2024

DOI: 10.32617/1098-668c04ec75030

12 Strategies to Get Customers to Buy Your Product

Jay Mulki (Northeastern University)

KEYWORDS: Sales, Marketing, Advertising,

Entrepreneurship, How to grow your business, How to
grow a family business.

Many entrepreneurs struggle to get their products into marketing professor teaching sales strategies, there are
customers' hands. Yet, their survival and profitability several important tactics that I recommend to
hinge on convincing customers to buy their products. entrepreneurs struggling to gain sales and effectively
Compared to large companies, entrepreneurs often lack introduce new products. While many of the tactics are
the substantial financial resources needed to embark on particularly effective in selling to businesses (B2B), I
significant advertising or marketing campaigns or to hire offer both consumer and business applications as
specialized marketing talent to help with product examples. The advice listed below is based on my real-
launches. They also need help adapting to changing life business-to-business selling experience before
market trends and knowing where to focus their efforts. entering the academic world, information from trade
publications, and academic research. By following this
Entrepreneurs often make the mistake of focusing advice, entrepreneurs can increase their sales and the
extensively on product features to convince customers success of new product introduction.
to buy their products. While having superior product
features is crucial, it is essential to understand that 1. Identify businesses that can use
customers buy products not for their features but for the
benefits these features provide to resolve their issues or sell your product.
(Futrell, 2005). When entrepreneurs focus too much on Find the companies in your area with operations where
the product's features, customers can easily become your product can be used or sold (Futrell, 2005). To
overwhelmed by them and find it hard to relate to and illustrate this, consider an entrepreneur in a tourist
translate what the product can do for them. destination who wants to introduce a unique souvenir
tied to the destination. The first step would be to
To understand how customers make purchase develop a list of boutiques, gift shops, B&Bs, craft fairs,
decisions, let us think of a car-buying situation. restaurants, and hotels in the area that cater to tourists.
Potential customers may be very impressed by the The aim would be to identify businesses where tourists
horsepower, fuel efficiency, torque, etc. of the car. Still, visit that have the ability to sell goods. This list should
their interest is in how the car will make their commute be a starting point for targeting marketing activities.
comfortable, be a good fit for their family, and provide a
smooth driving experience. As another example, 2. Target Customer Segments
consider purchasing managers looking for inventory Once you have your list, sort it based on business
management software. They may be impressed by the potential. Focus on customer groups or retailers with the
features of the software, such as real-time stock most significant potential. Gather information about
tracking, automated reordering, barcode scanning, etc. these potential buyers, including their business type,
However, their objectives and buying decisions are revenues, owners, decision-makers, and reputation in
based on how the software eliminates stockouts, the marketplace. They are your audience, and
reduces costly errors, saves time, and decreases labor understanding them is crucial for effective
costs. So, an entrepreneur who focuses too much on the communication and tailored messaging for selling.
features rather than how they will help the customer may
lose out to a competitor who spends time describing the 3. Identify Decision Makers
benefits that are helpful to a customer’s operations.
Entrepreneurs must map the buying organization and
identify decision-makers to avoid misdirecting and
After spending most of my career in sales and now, as a

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(Mulki, 2024) Page 2

wasting efforts. This may require talking to people within the reliability of supply due to logistics, highlight your
the business to determine how buying decisions are advantage as a local supplier and your record as a
made and who influences them. Be careful relying too reliable supplier during supply disruptions that
much on individual titles in the firm as titles can often be paralyzed businesses.
misleading. Instead, identify and focus on individuals
who influence purchasing decisions. 6. Create Comparison Tables
Develop side-by-side comparison tables showcasing
4. Identify Buying Centers your product's advantages and benefits compared to
Entrepreneurs who supply complex component parts or competitors' products. Recruit a friend or an unbiased
supply/install systems should be aware of the presence third party to get an honest assessment. Once
of Buying Centers (Cabanelas et al., 2023) in the developed and verified, present this information to the
businesses they may be targeting. In procurement customer, show how your product differs from
processes for expensive and intricate systems, competitors' offerings, and, more importantly, how it can
businesses establish a group of functional experts who help buyers increase their revenue or decrease costs
collectively evaluate and decide on purchases. For (Chung, 2021).
businesses that have a Buying Center, recognizing and
engaging with this group is critical to your success. 7. Focus on Customer Benefits
Recognize that customers purchase products not for
For example, if a university is looking to replace its air their features but for the benefits those features bring.
conditioning system, individuals representing users Business buyers' interest revolves around three points:
(faculty/students/employees), the Finance Department, revenue increase, cost decrease, or preventing or
and the Facilities Engineer may be asked to join the minimizing potential threats to the business (Bursk,
Purchasing Manager to form the Buying Center. This 2006). To get buyer's attention, structure the benefits of
group will evaluate the proposals to identify the one that your product around these points and look for ways that
best meets the technical specifications and budgetary your product can create value for the customer (Senn,
limits and also assures trouble-free operations, reduces 2022). Highlight how the features address your
maintenance needs, and has acceptable contractual customers’ specific needs and help their business
terms and conditions. The Buying Center is entrusted (Mulki and Jaramillo, 2011).
with ranking the proposals and recommending the best
proposal to purchase. Therefore, in order to be For example, the Buying Center evaluating the new air
considered, an entrepreneur must connect with the conditioning system will look for technical and
Buying Center and submit a proposal that aligns with operational details. While it is critical to meet the
their specified requirements. technical and operational specifications, the focus of the
sales pitch should be on employee comfort, trouble-free
5. Conduct a Competitive Analysis operation, minimizing trouble calls, lower operating
Before creating your sales message, it is important to costs, staying under budget, and installation schedule --
understand how your product compares to those of and not onerous terms and conditions.
competitors. Identify how customers are currently
addressing their needs and which products they use for 8. Highlight Points of Difference
the applications you have identified. Make a list of the Compare your product's features and benefits with
products currently used (your competitors) and gather those of competitors to identify points of differentiation.
as much information as possible about them, including The differentiations should be unique features that the
price, features, amount used, and purchasing cycle competitive product does not have. For example, it
(Johnston and Marshall, 2013). It is also important to could be an advanced MRI system for a hospital that
identify any issues or problems the customer might have lowers costs and increases patient throughput. The
had using the product. These concerns can include proposal for supplying this advanced MRI system may
price, supply reliability, dependability, availability, billing also include free training for system operators and free
issues, delivery problems, etc. These issues or maintenance for the first two years. The supplier could
problems create opportunities for the supplier to position also bring in some intangible benefits by pointing out the
as a solutions provider. For example, if the issue is with indirect benefit of helping the local economy, supporting

Copyright © 2024 Jay Mulki, Published by Entrepreneur & Innovation Exchange EIX.org (2024)
DOI:
10.32617/1098-668c04ec75030
(Mulki, 2024) Page 3

minority groups, contributing to the restoration of a reliability, responsiveness, and willingness to help
historical monument, using local labor, etc. The without being asked (Cohen et al., 2006). Do not wait for
supplier can mention that the firm employs local labor the customers to call you. Be prepared to go the extra
and provides high school graduates with opportunities mile with follow-up visits, fast response to requests, and
for vocational training. In conversations with the buyer, provision of relevant industry developments to the
they can casually remark that employees of the firm buyers and users who are busy running their operations
coach the local Little Leagues on weekends. (Boles, 2000; Mulki and Jaramillo, 2011).

9. Articulate Your Value Proposition By following these steps, entrepreneurs can effectively
Use the list of your product's benefits and points of communicate their products' value proposition to
difference to develop talking points that articulate its potential customers and improve their chances of
superior advantages over competitor products. The success in the market. Remember what the industry
focus should be on helping the customer to make sense experts say: ‘Buyers buy for their reasons, not for your
of the unique benefits and feel comfortable making the reasons.’
purchase decision (Cespedes, 2021). The entrepreneur
can highlight the advantages of proximity by stating, “As References
a local provider with 24/7 service, we can guarantee Boles, J. (2000), "Relationship selling behaviors:
minimal downtime for your business.” Or, referring to Antecedents and relationship with performance",
the unique service plan, “Our customized maintenance Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, Vol 15, p
plans are guaranteed to extend the lifespan of your 141-53.
HVAC equipment.”
Bonoma, T. V. (2006), "Major sales. Who really does the
buying?" Harvard Business Review, Vol 84, p 172-81.
10. Offer to be a second/alternate
source Bursk, E. C. (2006), "Low-pressure selling", Harvard
Entrepreneurs often encounter situations where the Business Review, Vol 84, p 150-62.
potential customer already has a supplier. Businesses
are generally reluctant to switch suppliers if they are Cabanelas, P., R. M. Cortez, and J. Charterina. (2023),
happy with the current supplier. However, they "The buying center concept as a milestone in industrial
recognize the need for an alternate source in marketing: Review and research agenda," Industrial
emergencies and want to avoid overreliance on one Marketing Management, Vol 108, p 65-78.
source. Leverage this to your advantage. One way to
get entry to a business is to ask the customer to entrust Cespedes, F. V. (2021), "Selling after the crisis",
you with a small portion of the supply and keep you as Harvard Business Review, Vol 99, p 52-57.
an alternate supply source.
Chung, D. J. (2021), "How to shift from selling products
to selling services", Harvard Business Review., Vol 99,
11. Develop Multiple-Level Contacts p 48-52.
The buyer and the user are often two different people,
especially in business-to-business selling situations Cohen, M. A., N. Agrawal, and V. Agrawal. (2006),
(Bonoma, 2006). It is very important to get to know "Winning in the aftermarket", Harvard Business Review,
personnel in different areas within the firm and Vol 84, p 129-138.
communicate with them to learn about their business,
how the product is being used, their experience with the Futrell, C. M. 2005. ABCs of relationship selling
product, and your eagerness to respond to their needs. (McGraw-Hill Irwin: New York, NY).
These contacts may be individuals who operate or use
your product, people in accounting, billing, and Johnston, M. W., and G. W. Marshall. 2013.
purchasing groups. Contemporary selling (Routledge).

Mulki, J. P., and F. Jaramillo. (2011), "Ethical reputation

12. Offer Exceptional Service
and value received: Customer perceptions",
Research shows that customers value a supplier's
International Journal of Bank Marketing, Vol 29, p

Copyright © 2024 Jay Mulki, Published by Entrepreneur & Innovation Exchange EIX.org (2024)
DOI:
10.32617/1098-668c04ec75030
 (Mulki, 2024) Page 4

358-72.

Senn, C. (2022), "Stop selling. Start collaborating."

Harvard Business Review, Vol 100, p 112-19.

Copyright © 2024 Jay Mulki, Published by Entrepreneur & Innovation Exchange EIX.org (2024)
DOI:
10.32617/1098-668c04ec75030

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