When you were younger, did you ever participate in fundraisers for your school or church? You know. The ones where you sell as much product as you can to your family and friends (family mostly, since your friends were just kids themselves). Being the band nerd that I was, I had the privilege of doing this on multiple occasions.
I remember it like it was yesterday. I would work my butt off to be the top seller in my class, selling cookie dough and canisters of candy to any sucker who was willing to buy. At the end of the fundraiser, I would add up all of my points to see what “awesome” prize from the prize brochure I was eligible for.
What an irreplaceable feeling of success I had each time someone agreed to buy something. An even greater feeling of accomplishment came when they actually paid me for the product.
The thrill (is gone)
Unfortunately, those feelings faded the first time I actually held the product in my hand and delivered it to its new owner. I realized something. I was selling crap. Expensive crap at that. It dawned on me that my customers hadn’t bought from me because I was an amazing salesman, or because $30 for a small metal canister of gummy bears is a bargain. But rather, they bought out of love and sympathy. I mean really, who needs a $50 tub of Christmas cookie dough?
Thinking back on this experience reminds me of the importance of truly offering a great product or service that meets a need and that is worth every penny. You can bet your bottom dollar that if you don’t believe in the product or service you are selling, no one else will.
As a member of the FoxyCart team and one who handles many of our pre-sales calls and emails, I often have the amazing privilege of being the first person to tell a potential user about why FoxyCart is so awesome. I don’t just give them a huge list of features (though we do have some amazing features). I don’t just revert to testimonials of current users (though we have lots of testimonials). But rather, I share my own experience.
You see, I have been a FoxyCart user since 2010 and have been with the team since 2012. Like many of our users, I was in search of something different when it came to e-commerce. I had tried almost every option out there, but it was never a good fit. That all changed when I discovered FoxyCart. I haven’t looked back since.
I would like to think of myself as one of the biggest believers in FoxyCart. I use it everyday, when I’m working and when I’m not working. I live and breathe this stuff. So when I tell a potential user that FoxyCart is going to change how they do e-commerce, I truly mean it and believe it. It’s amazing how the dynamics of a pre-sales call changes when the user finds out I am a FoxyCart user myself.
So enough about me and FoxyCart. What about your business?
Do you live and breathe the product or service you are trying to sell? Are you its biggest supporter and believer? Are you more passionate about your business than anything else? (besides God, family, relationships, etc.) If not, then right there is the answer to why your sales are down (or why you have no sales at all). The reality is that believers make the sale. True passion for a product or service is contagious and it’s a bug that your potential customers will get if you let them.
If you’re not already, I challenge you to start believing in your product or service. Start believing it’s worth every dime you are charging. If you can’t believe in it, be honest with yourself, figure out why, and fix the problem. Become its biggest fan and you will see a significant difference in the growth of your business.
