What are people thinking when they see your website, read what you write, hear you speak, or ponder purchasing your products and services? Often, it's hard to understand what's going on in the mind of your customer when you're on the opposite side. It could be a case of being "too close" to what you're doing, or just not knowing.

Face it - if you could read your customer's minds and know every little detail about what they are thinking and feeling, you could very well rule the world. Objections would be overcome instantly and there would be nothing standing in the way of you and how you are perceived by your prospective clients.

To illustrate this point, we'll utilize a little technique called "role-playing". You'll be playing the part of a customer and your only objective is to determine what you think about this particular offer. We'll examine the scenarios at the end, so play along with the following three visualizations:

Visualization #1: The Stranger

You're walking down a crowded street, minding your own business. A total stranger walks up to you, looks around to see if anyone else is watching, and flips open a small box to show you what's inside. He says, "Hey you ... this thing can triple your profits! It's only $300!"

What are you thinking when this happens to you? What's your initial impression? Do you think it's illegal? Do you trust this stranger?

Visualization #2: The Friend

You're home relaxing and you receive a telephone call. It's a friend you don't talk to very often but know fairly well. You spend some time talking and your friend mentions a program they recently read about that was touted to triple business profits. It was a $300 investment, and from what they found it very impressive and recommended you check it out.

Do you believe your friend? Do you trust their judgment? Would you look into it on this recommendation?

Visualization #3: The Expert

You're in a store shopping for some business items. Someone walks up next to you and you instantly recognize them as an expert in business widgets. You talk a little bit about running a successful business and this expert then says, "Hey, I've been using this little widget for awhile now, and it's been great - it's $300, but that's well worth it."

What's your reaction to a recognized expert recommended something that fits into their area of expertise? Do you trust the recommendation?

Any three of those different people could be how your business is perceived by various people. The combination of your products and services, the language on your website, and the professionalism with which you conduct your business factor into how people feel about you.

Do people see you as the stranger? Are you just giving a sales pitch out of nowhere? Are you a good friend? Someone who has some knowledge about you and recommends something based on what they know or see? Are you a recognized expert? Someone who's word is seen as law when it comes to a particular topic? Does your recommendation stand above all others?

All of these scenarios are built upon trust. Gaining the trust of your subscribers, website visitors, and possible clients takes time and needs give-and-take. You can build trust by giving quality information to people and offering sensible help and advice. You don't gain trust by not offering any measure of pre-sales support, ignoring questions, or dodging difficult customers.

Try to examine your business from this perspective. How responsive are the people you deal with daily? Do they pay attention to you? Are you perceived as an expert in any niche, or are you seen as just another shady character trying to make people part with their hard-earned cash? Analyze who you are, and figure out how to make your image better. Earn trust in order to prove that you deserve it, and then guard it like it's gold!

©2005 ViralMarketingTool.com

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