Our latest Maine research report raises a useful question: How much are we expecting prospective customers to figure out for themselves?

Most business owners can give you a pretty good explanation of why someone should choose their company. They know their people, their process, and the care that goes into the work. They can tell you what they do differently and probably name a few customers who would happily back them up. But how much of that is apparent to someone who hasn’t met them yet?

Our most recent Maine Insights Lab report, How Maine Researches a Major Purchase, includes some findings that reinforce what you might expect about how people gather information. Others, however, raise questions about how much we count on prospective customers to keep looking, ask around, and eventually piece together the reasons to trust us.

This is a special challenge when considering the group our Mindsets of Maine research calls Disparagers. They represent 37% of respondents, so they’re a substantial part of the audience Maine businesses need to reach. They’re skeptical of trends, cautious about trying new things, and more likely than other Mainers to believe companies don’t understand what Maine buyers need. If you’ve done business here for any length of time, you can probably think of customers who fit that description. You might recognize a little of yourself, too.

Similar starting points, different use of sources

Our latest report asked Mainers where they would begin researching a major purchase and which sources they would use along the way. Online search was the most common starting point for all three mindsets: 35% of Proud Mainers, 30% of Disparagers, and 33% of Change Seekers. Asking family came next for each group, and the third most common starting point was a company website.

The differences between mindsets become more apparent when we look at all the sources people said they would use during their research. Among Disparagers, 56% would use online search, compared with 71% of Proud Mainers. Forty-five percent would ask friends, compared with 59% of Proud Mainers. Disparagers were less likely to select several of the other sources we asked about as well.

That doesn’t tell us they make up their minds after one look. It also doesn’t tell us how long they spend researching or how carefully they evaluate what they find. Someone can spend quite a bit of time with one source. But it does make me question whether businesses should rely on information from multiple places to fill gaps in their own explanation.

Think about someone looking for a heat pump installer. They find a company website that promises quality service and years of experience, but doesn’t explain which systems the company installs, what happens during an assessment, or who handles service after installation. A neighbor’s recommendation might answer some of those questions. A detailed review might help, too. But if that buyer doesn’t seek out those additional sources, the questions remain.

The business may have excellent answers. The prospective customer just hasn’t found them.

Give people something they can evaluate

If a significant part of your audience already doubts whether you understand their needs, it makes sense to look at how clearly you address those needs long before anyone calls or emails you.

Start with the questions customers ask before they buy. How long does the work usually take? What’s included? What could make it cost more? Who will they be working with? What happens if something goes wrong? Your team probably answers some version of these every week. Those conversations are a useful guide to what belongs on your website and in your other marketing materials.

A business describing itself as “customer-focused” doesn’t give a buyer much to evaluate. Explaining that every client has one point of contact, or that an estimate includes a written breakdown of the work, tells them what to expect. The point is to make the substance of your customer interaction easier to see.

Cost is another opportunity. You may not be able to publish a price for work that varies by project, but you can explain what drives it. You can describe what you need to know before preparing an estimate and whether there are options for different budgets. That helps someone understand the process well enough to take the next step.

I’d also look for places where your marketing assumes more knowledge than a new customer is likely to have. An industry term that feels ordinary to your team may mean very little to someone making this purchase for the first time. The same goes for a list of services without explaining when someone would need them. Buyers shouldn’t have to learn your industry’s vocabulary to figure out whether you can help them.

Check what people actually find

Before assigning anyone a website overhaul, take a look at what a prospective customer encounters today. Search for your business by name, then search for the kind of service you provide in your area. Review your business listing, contact information, hours, and the pages those results lead to. Ask someone outside the company to do the same and tell you what they understand about your business.

Then check the details you may have stopped noticing. Are former employees still on the staff page? Is the latest project several years old? Does the contact form explain what happens after someone submits it? An old project doesn’t mean you’ve stopped doing good work, but a visitor has no way of knowing what you haven’t shown them.

This is also a good time to examine your promises. “Exceptional service” may be entirely accurate, but what does that mean in practice? If your team is good at keeping customers informed, explain how. If you have particular experience with a certain type of project, show examples. If you aren’t the right choice for every situation, being clear about where you do your best work can help people decide whether to call.

None of this requires stripping personality from your marketing. You can be warm, enthusiastic, and proud of your company while still being useful and specific. The issue is whether a prospective customer learns enough to feel comfortable taking the conversation further.

A useful question

What I take from this research is a reason to examine the work we expect buyers to do. We may have plenty of information available, but is it actually answering their questions? Are the strongest reasons to choose us visible, or do they only come out once someone sits down with our team?

Those are worthwhile questions for any audience, but the Disparager mindset gives us a particular reason to ask them, because this is a substantial group that starts with more doubt and is less likely to use several common information sources.

Try picking one service or product and looking at it from the perspective of someone considering it for the first time. What would they need to know before contacting you, and how much of that can they find? Your sales and customer service teams can probably help identify the gaps pretty quickly.

You can’t answer every question before a conversation begins. But you can make it easier for someone to see that you understand what they’re trying to accomplish and can credibly help. For a buyer who needs a reason to trust you, that may be the thing that gets them to call. 

The full How Maine Researches a Major Purchase report is available through Maine Insights Lab.