I used to get a unique promotional piece printed by my local specialist printer. They did a great job, always on time, always good quality, and if there was ever an issue, they fixed it quickly and without fuss. I was a very happy customer.

At the same time, I was doing a lot of other printing, brochures, flyers, sales collateral, with other printers, simply because I assumed my local printer was small and boutique and only printed one specific item.

After about 10 years the owner asked me why I did not print more with them. I told him the truth, I simply did not think they printed anything else.

It turns out they could have done almost everything I was printing elsewhere. Over the years, that was easily hundreds of thousands of dollars of work they never saw, not because they were not good enough, but because they had not taken the time to teach me what else they did.

What a missed opportunity. And it’s a perfect example of what’s going on right now, in countless businesses everywhere.

It’s not your customers job to know what you sell

We assume customers know what we do, what we sell, and how we can help them. But customers generally only know what they currently buy from you. They don’t know what else you offer, what you have added over time, or the full scope of what you can do, unless you keep educating them.

That’s the moral of the story, it’s not the customer’s job to know what you sell, it’s your job to teach them, and keep teaching them.

When customers have to figure it out, and it feels confusing, vague, or too hard to understand, you don’t just lose the extra sale, you often lose the sale entirely. Confusion creates hesitation, hesitation kills momentum, and momentum is what sales runs on.

Try this simple test

If you asked your best customer today, “What else do we do, apart from what you buy from us now?”, could they answer confidently?

In my experience, most could not. Not because they don’t care, but because the business has done little to nothing to educate them. And if you’re not teaching, you’re probably missing many potential sales.

There are two audiences we have to educate

First, prospective customers. People who are considering you, comparing you, or sitting on the fence. They need clarity quickly, what you do, who it’s for, what it changes, how you’re different, and what to do next.

Second, your existing customers. These are the people who already trust you. They already like you. They already buy. And yet they often have no idea what else you do, which means the easiest sales you could make are the ones you never even attempt.

How do you educate your customers?

The answer is, however you can, but do it with intention. Build education into your communication, not as a hard sell, but as a steady, respectful reminder of what your business actually offers.

That means weaving it into your email communication, your social media, your website, your proposals, your conversations, your follow up, your printed collateral, and your customer service touch points.

You will get tired of teaching long before your customers get tired of hearing it. That’s not arrogance, it’s just reality. You live in your business every day, they don’t.

Now, I’m not talking about spamming your customers, sending constant sales emails, or turning every social post into an ad, that is irritating and it will work against you. This is about education, the kind that makes your customer feel more informed, more included and more enabled to buy more from your business.

If you want to increase sales, don’t just focus on getting more leads, focus on being understood. The fastest revenue growth often comes from the customers you already have, but only if they know what else you can do.

So this week, do one thing

Email your existing customers a simple message that says: “Most people only know us for X, but here are three other ways we help.”

Because in business, the companies that teach best, sell best. The businesses you buy multiples products and services  from repeatedly, are not just good at what they do, they make it easy for customers to understand what else is available, and when it might be useful.

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