At the point of sale, customers need to be told how to make the first step.
If left alone or uninformed, customers may walk away even when they were ready to buy.
Last week I had to get our car’s alignment fixed. As I was waiting in the lobby, I observed several customers enter the shop and look around confused, not knowing who to talk to or how to request service.
This mechanic shop had a counter where you’d expect to see an employee, but no one was there.
The customers would stand around, looking into the garage bay or oddly around the room. After several minutes, one of them walked out into the garage and tracked an employee down.
This was too much work for a customer.
Don’t Make Customers Work to Buy from You
You need to make it extremely easy for customers to place their order, request service, and buy your product.
Contrast the mechanic shop with the bakery down the street. This bakery had a sign on the counter with a bell that informed the customers to make a choice and then ring the bell for service.
Just like the mechanic’s shop, the bakery will have employees actively engaged in performing work and may be out of the customers’ sight.
Nevertheless, the bakery made it very clear how to proceed.
Show Customers How to Proceed
Give your customers a way to say “I’m here” or “I’m ready to buy.”
Without the clear path to a sale or checkout, you are losing frustrated customers that simply give up instead of going through the effort of figuring out the quirks of doing business with you.
Don’t be quirky. Be obvious. Your customers and bottom line will thank you.