Hey First name / Sleep Coach,
It can be really hard to figure out this whole online business thing…
So, I came up with an analogy that you might find helpful!
Is your sleep consulting business more like a luxury boutique…or a dollar store?? 🥴
When you think of the brick and mortar shopping experience, a person first has to make the decision of whether or not to enter the store. The aesthetic of the storefront will heavily influence their decision of whether or not to step into the store. Your social media feeds are, essentially, the equivalents to a brick and mortar's storefront. It's what allows people to peek inside, to see what you have to offer, and if it catches their eye, they'll mosey on in to learn a little more about what you have to offer them.
When the customer enters the store, it's now time to welcome them! Think about it - at a dollar store there is likely no one there to greet you and ask how they can help you…but at a high end boutique, you'll likely be greeted with a friendly smile, and someone saying hello and asking how they can help you or if there is anything specific you're looking for. It's a totally different experience. When it comes to your sleep consulting business, this is your free offer. What can you give? How can you serve this person well? How can you welcome them to your business?
As this person is shopping around, whether they realize it for not, they're being influenced through their senses - the sights of the displays, the smells of the store, the music playing in the background - and because of this, they're beginning to have an emotional experience. They may feel cozy and at home, ready for a nice slow browse through the rest of the store, or they may be feeling like, “OMG this music is awful, the lighting in here is giving me a headache, and I need to get out of here ASAP.” Your website is the overall, sensory- and feeling-inducing shopping experience someone has with your sleep consulting business. Is it so captivating and speaking directly to who they are that they need to keep scrolling and click around more? Or does your website quickly make them want exit as soon as possible?
Let's say they've found something that catches their eye - they grab it off the rack and head to the dressing room. They need to make sure it looks as good on them as it does on the hanger. The dressing room of the brick and mortar store is the equivalent to your sleep consulting business's flow from lead to client; in most cases, it's a CRM system, like HoneyBook, Dubsado, or 17 Hats. In others, there may be a discovery call or sleep evaluation call. This is where they're testing things out and trying things on, ultimately leading them to the checkout. If this part of the shopping experience isn't seamless, you may lose the sale. Trust me, I've been there!
On a personal note, I have to say, I've had quite a few dressing room experiences in my day. The sheer mess and lighting that gives me a headache in some stores will simply encourage me to leave my cart and make a beeline for the exit. And in other stores, I could literally lay down and take a nap on the dressing room floor (jk, obviously). What does this flow look like in your business? And, does a dollar store even have a dressing room?? 🧐
I'm willing to bet you can identify which store I'm going to drop hundreds of dollar at.
So, as sleep consultants, how do we get our people through every step of this buying process? How do we get them to the checkout? Well, we speak to who they are and the struggles they're experiencing. We provide the solution in a way that is comforting rather than triggering. We serve and empathize. We build trust. We present ourselves in a consistent way that looks good and makes them feel good. We make things easy and provide a seamless experience from beginning to end. And then we blow their socks off with our amazing customer service.
Our goal at the Market St. Shop is to provide you with the full, luxury customer experience that I just described above. In the shop, you can find templates that you can take and make yours, speaking exactly to the person - your ideal client - who needs to hear it. We even have subscription options for those who want us to be a part of their marketing team! You can learn more about the shop by clicking the button below.
