At these times, nothing sells without empathy. You might have the rarest of the rare products or best of the best services, but the market still might not fully accept it. That’s because your approach could be incorrect. Most companies think it is all about USPs and features. They believe another upgrade or a unique add-on is enough to become viral for your target audience – which is where they go wrong.
Business was never about good products or extraordinary services. Yes, they form an inseparable part. But there are more important things at stake here.
Very few companies know or care to give the right products or services. Even if they might know the key secrets of great selling, they just try to focus on the short-term goal, which is pleasing the customer. But here is the thing: if you win your customer’s heart with one feature, you can easily make them hate you with another. The key is to make efforts towards winning the customer’s loyalty. That’s the long-term goal few companies aim for. And that requires the right approach.
That is why you must move from being product-centric to solving your customers’ problems.
If your product solves a problem, then that’s how you must market it
Imagine you are the seller of car batteries.
One mode of selling could be showcasing your products’ design, warranty details, longevity, and other features.
Now, in the other scenario, you show a car that has the fastest ignition system, headlights that brighten up the road like it was daytime, and a stereo that never stops playing. Note that you didn’t even show your battery once.
Which approach do you think will work better? The first approach is product-centric. You talked about the technical details of the product, which is good. The second approach is customer-centric, where you talked about the results of having a great battery. In both cases, you are showcasing the same product. However, the second product will speak more closely to your customers because you are making their life convenient.
Identify your customer’s pain points
Extensive marketing or promotion might set the stage, but your product appeals to your consumers when it addresses their pain points. Great companies don’t invest in products first. They carry out R&D to understand the concerns that are on the top of the minds of their targeted customer demography. Next, they try to build products/services that will solve the concerns.
Great products always talk about solving your customers’ issues. Features might help your product stand out, but it takes more than that to make them meaningful.
Take note of external factors
While you are designing your message, never forget to consider the external factors that play a massive role in deciding your ROI. A COVID-affected world wasn’t interested in vacations during the lockdowns. If your product/solution belonged to the hospitality industry, it is highly likely that your revenue received a major blow during the pandemic.
Therefore, it is important to include the impact of external factors while deciding your approach.
The way to success comes with the right messaging. If your messaging is customer-centric and your product is more about the customers than the company itself, selling will be a cakewalk.
