” What we got here is a failure to communicate.”

- Cool Hand Luke, 1967

How many times have you set out to buy something but encountered a sales process that was so out of kilter with your buying process that you moved on – regardless of the quality of the product or service?    People, whether consumers or businesses, have wants and needs that generally can be solved by other people.
It really is that simple.

So why does it get so complicated?

Many buyers can clearly communicate what they want.   Others can’t or won’t.
Regardless, a seller must continually focus on finding out:

♦ What buyers want

♦ How buyers find solutions to their needs

♦ What triggers a buying decision

♦ Buyer’s preferred communication methods

Who gets this right? The sellers that focus less on selling and more on listening to their buyers.  Spending time understanding your existing customer base (and not just the vocal, squeaky hinges) can and will help increase existing customer satisfaction AND provide valuable insight into uncovering how and why these buyers selected your product or service in the first place.

Making a Connection

After finding out how buyers in your market find solutions to their needs, focus efforts on maximizing communication in the manner that buyers desire.   Choices include internet marketing, search engine optimization, social media marketing, direct mail, trade journal advertising, email marketing, industry trade conferences and the advice of advocates and influencers, such as bloggers, consultants and industry experts.

Helping Buyers Evaluate Options & Make a Purchasing Decision

What do potential buyers fear the most? Making the wrong decision. Trials and samples provide the perfect opportunity to showcase your product’s capabilities, establish priorities and preferences with buyers and alleviate concerns and worries of making a bad decision.   People buy from people and the consulting and care displayed during this process provides the pre-purchase assurance of post-purchase customer care and satisfaction.

Next-> Know Your Customers

Considering the significant cost associated with marketing and advertising efforts, when was the last time your company spent some quality time ensuring the correct features and benefits were being utilized across all marketing efforts?

Features

Every marketable product or service has features, but what makes a feature unique?
Take the apple.

Features
Common: Round, comes in multiple colors
Unique: Contains soluble and insoluble fiber
Obscure:   Contains quercetin

Developing a robust feature list

♦ Compile a full feature list for each product or service offered, from common features to the obscure.

♦ Brainstorm with the entire organization (development, sales, customer service, implementation, etc.) to uncover all product features and customer uses.

♦ Document alternate terms or names used for features by customers and competitors. (Make sure you’re comparing apples to apples ~ pun intended).

♦ All features should be fully documented and clearly described to provide customers a clear understanding of the attributes of the product or service.

The “So What?” Test

Now, take the list and feature by feature, ask “So what?”

♦ Some features are merely features.

An apple is round, but aside from the fact that the human eye finds round objects more pleasing than square objects, it is not really a marketable benefit.

♦ The middle ground will most likely yield benefits for the most wide segment of customers.

Apples contain pectin, a soluble fiber that can lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of stroke, and insoluble fiber, which provides a filling effect that helps suppress appetite and improve digestion.

♦ The obscure facts will appeal to niche segments and those with more educated needs.

Fresh apples have a high level of quercetin, an antioxidant that researchers believe may help fight the cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

So What Marketing

The list of significant “So Whats” should serve as a foundation for developing or uncovering any required updates to the marketing positioning and marketing messaging.

♦ All marketing collateral, such as product brochures, web design copy, PPC ads, etc. should be created using the most relevant features and terms, while highlighting the product’s unique benefits.

♦ The more unique or niche features and benefits may be good for developing long tail search terms.

♦ Conduct an annual or semi-annual check-up to ensure features and benefits remain up-to-date.

Next-> The Buying Process