HTSS201 - How to create a buyers guide to help close deals - Scott Sylvan Bell

How to create a buyers guide

One of the coolest things you can do for your service and or industry is create a buyers guide. A buyers guide is an explanation for what a buyer could do to make a good decision. This guide is your way to influence the sales process. You get to put your ideas out in front of the buyer before, during, and after the sale. You get to have some help with some of the buyers purchasing behavior. Part of the buyers guide is to help overcome things like getting 3 bids, shopping on the lowest price, and time stalls. 

Most consumers dont know how to purchase items 

Most people don’t know to buy the products and or the services they need. Most companies make it all about the price so it becomes a discounting game. Having a buyer's guide automatically makes you an expert. You are distilling information to make it easy for the buyer. In essence, you can become their hero. At the same time you get to distill the concepts and or ideas that you think are important. 

Buyers psychology and buyers guides 

Your buyer has risk when they make a purchase. Nobody wants to look dumb or silly when they buy. As consumers, we all want to make good choices, and we will go out of our way to not look dumb. This buyer's guide targets people's fears and or risks and helps reduce them. Most salespeople skip visualization of what they do – touch, feel, see, hear. Most salespeople leave a brochure behind that doesn’t answer questions and its just fluff

Building a buyers guide framework

You will want to put some thought into this project. You can do some research by looking for the most common questions your buyers ask. Once you look at the questions you can ask the people you work with. If you still need more content you can look at reviews. You will want to write down all of these questions and confirm they are what is asked. You dont want to create objections you dont have. You then take the objections and turn them into questions about your product and or service. The good new is, you already have all of the research to make this happen

 

The aspects of a successful buyers guide:

• 10 FAQs – the FAQs are just that, these are the most highlighted common questions – a few of these can be against you competition
• 10SAQs – This is where you get to differentiate what is your wheelhouse – what do you do better – a few hours reframe -
• 10 common mistakes people make – these are the protections you can explain to the buyer. There is a mix of what you can do to help and a mix of common objections. Story

Tips on how to build a buyers guide 

Salespeople and even business owners struggle with buyers guides. The hope for them is the first version is the final version. You may have multiple versions of your buyers guide before you feel it is complete. Start small and then validate that it is what you want. You do have to start somewhere. Here are a few concepts to help you out. 

• This is going to be a living doc so it will change over time 
• You will find better ways to use it and need to modify as time goes on
• Do not print tons in the beginning, make the first few batches small runs 
• MVO - a minimal viable option - you want to just get this document up and running 

Items to add to a buyers guide 

Once you have your 10 frequently asked questions, your 10 should ask questions and the 10 common mistakes salespeople make you can add more items. You need to have your base work down first so you know what else could be added. 

• Awards from groups 
• Awards from clients 
• Awards from Manufacturers 
• Testimonials that overcome objections
• Warranties -
• Guaranties – risk reversal
• Risk reductions
• Speed
• Longevity
• Savings
• Agreements for service (contracts)
• Service level agreement
• Qr code – sizzle reel
• Chat link
• 800 number

Your goal is to list out all of your best features and figure out how to highlight them. Once you have the framework built out you can turn this into audio – video with a download. 

How to make your buyer's guide even more powerful 

If you want to go even further there are other elements you can add to your buyer's guide. You can go to a graphic designer and have them design this item. You will want to make sure it isnt too perfect. It does need to have the feel of easy and not expensive. You can add images of people smiling as a priming factor. 

How to make a buyers guide even more exceptional 

Giving someone words on a piece of paper is one thing. Being able to walk someone through a decision is even better. You can add a small section in the back of the guide that uses a matrix pre-filled out with your best benefits and options. You can use checks and X’s to fill in the blanks of your service and or business.

Ways you can use the buyer's guide to help influence the sales process 

The whole goal of the buyer's guide is to make the sales process easier for you. This document is meant to be a tool you can use to help influence the buyer's decision. You can use this document as a lever before, during and after your presentation. 

• The buyer's guide can be used as a closing technique
• Your future buyer can download the buyer's guide and or even pay for it 
• You can use your buyers guide in your presentation
• You can send out the buyers guide before your sales presentation
• You can try to get on the news if you have a regional company
• Use this as the framework for a video or a podcast(s)

The mistakes when building a buyers guide 

The goal of the buyer's guide is to reduce friction in the sales process. If the whole thing is a pitch fest you will lose the power this item holds. If the writing is too technical it will be hard to read. If there are spelling errors or punctuation errors people may lose interest in reading it. Yu can always run a FK (Flecsh Kincaid Score) on the writing to make sure it works. Here are a few other things to consider when building a buyers guide.

• Include images, graphs, charts, or anything similar
• Make sure the content is friendly and not condescending 
• The content being delivered is something someone would want to consume 
• You will want the content to be slightly controversial but not over the top. this creates interest and conflict. 
• Make sure to add a call to action at the end or in a few strategic locations
• You do need to make sure your buyer's guide is quality built but not perfect 

Last notes about creating your buyer's guide 

Your buyer's guide does need to be released into the wild. You will get ripped off, its part of “the game” be willing and ready to modify what you have and what you do. It will happen within 90 days. As your competition builds theirs out be willing to up your game. You can buy a good url howtobuya__________.com for people to hear or see in a commercial or ad. Add a reference to your buyer's guide in your call to action. If you are a regional company you could license your idea. You could get sponsorship or coop from a vendor to help pay for your guide if you choose. 

The legal parts of a buyers guide 

You may want to consult with an attorney or solicitor to make sure you have not created a legal risk for yourself. Copyright laws and work laws may be in play here so the few dollars you spend on legal qualification can help you. You do not want to specifically name a competing company and or salesperson. Make sure there are not any implications