It probably seems counter-intuitive to teach your customers how to do what you do. But it can be a great marketing tool if you do it well. Here are 4 reasons why it’s a good idea to teach customers to do what you do:
It builds trust
Letting customers know how you do what you do allows them to understand what you do and gives them a better idea of why you charge what you do. Once they realise how much detail, skill or knowledge goes into what you do, they’ll be more open to you. It also lets them know that you’re not hiding anything and gives the impression that you’re an open book. It will also make them more open to communicating about what they want which will make the job a lot easier!
They can do it themselves
Particularly the ones who would otherwise be continually questioning the price and trying to bargain you down. They are often the customers that you don’t really want. So, giving them the knowledge to do the work themselves allows them to keep the costs down and may even lead to them coming to you when they have bigger jobs. Giving customers the knowledge to do it themselves also helps the customers who can’t afford you. But instead of making your services out of their reach, you give them the opportunity to do it themselves and possibly refer you to their friends and families.
It builds your reputation as an industry leader
When potential customers search for information on your industry, having a lot of useful content about your industry will help improve your position in search results without having to pay for ads. It also keeps you in a good position when changes are made to the algorithm to remove the influence of bad content. Having high quality content on your website means that your potential customers will find it, your competitors will see it (and maybe even refer to it) and you may even get requests for further information from members of the press. Quality content will always help your business become more influential and well regarded.
It gives them knowledge to ask for what they really want
Having quality how-to content allows your customers to see the steps involved in completing a job. That means that they’ll have a better idea of how and why you do things. In turn, that will give clients the knowledge to tell you what they actually want. They should have a better idea of what is possible (and what’s not possible!) and they will know what’s customisable and what’s not. Then they’ll be able to talk to you more clearly, using the correct terminology, about what they want.
Giving customers a how-to cheat sheet for your business will empower them to act for themselves. It will position your business as an expert in your field. It may also help siphon off the customers that will be a lot of work, leaving you with educated customers with realistic expectations who are willing to pay for the service. Making it more than worthwhile to take the time to teach customers how to do what you do.