we need to sell ?’ It asks , ‘ what does the customer want to buy ?’
Understanding the customer thoroughly well , will help in developing a strategy that is not only customer driven but is customer driving . Without deep consumer insights , it will be difficult to design a marketing strategy that will get into the customer ’ s mind and heart , and inspire action . And as Peter Drucker said , “ strategy is a commodity . Execution is an art ”. Therefore , only the part of the marketing strategy that is executed , will deliver results . The results can only be measured through customer response .
To understand the customers really well for effective strategy , a business must commit to continuous learning on matters relating to their main needs , motivations , challenges and pain points . Below are the essential questions to augment understanding of customers and give you a starting point in the journey to be aligned with their expectations . These are questions that anyone who is in business , or who intends to start a business should ask and find suitable answers . These are questions which , when well answered , are capable of empowering the business to attract , win and keep customers . This will ultimately enable the business to achieve growth . One thing is for sure , before you can get a prospective customer to whip out his wallet , to pay for a new product or service , you must first get into his mind and heart .
First Question : Why The Customer Buys
It ’ s important to understand the motivations , needs and challenges that drive customers to buy products or services in your category . You need to have a clear picture of the reason behind the customer ’ s need , for your product . People buy to meet their needs , wants and desires or to solve problems . They focus on benefits and not features when presented with choices . You need to understand the customer ’ s real motivation . What purpose does the product or service serve in the customer ’ s life ? Determine the specific problem that your business solves for the consumer . Thinking from the customer ’ s perspective , focus on benefits and not features . This way , you will be able to get to the real motivation that influences consumer choice .
The main words to consider are why , motivation , needs , desires , values , and
Indeed , if a business does not get any customers upon inception , it dies a natural death . It becomes part of the statistics of the many business start-ups that fail within the first year of birth . And what would we say is the cause of death ? Perhaps , in this context , even without a post mortem , we could say that the business died of malnutrition or lack of air .
benefits . Furthermore , the question of motivation carries emotion . Research shows that people commonly decide with their emotions , but justify their choices with logic . So , follow the logic , but also seek to interpret the emotions behind it . The idea behind this question is to identify what drives the buying decision , so that you can develop effective marketing strategy , and use the right messages in your marketing communications . It will help to use the appropriate consumer language in your messaging .
In your communication , you need to emphasize the benefits to your target customers . You can do this by defining your unique value proposition . Work to identify the distinguishing value that makes your offering different from other competitors serving the same market segment . For example , if you are in the personal care industry , your uniqueness could be that , you are open minded and willing to learn new styles and methods . Another value you can bring to the personal care business is to be a good listener . This will enhance the depth of understanding of your customer desires , and enable you to provide innovative solutions . This will give you a competitive edge in a sector where there are so many providers , who are fixed in their ways .
Second Question : Who Makes The Buying Decision ?
You need to have a good insight on who actually makes the buying decision . There are many players in the consumer decision process , especially for non-routine purchases . You need to know who are the influencers , the information keepers , the decision makers , the buyers , and the users of your product . All these could be represented by one person , but at times are represented by different people .
It is important to know with clarity who you are working to influence . Knowing who makes the buying decision helps to keep you focused and guides you on how to organize things to fit customer expectations . The question of who makes the buying decision is simple when it comes to routine purchases or convenience goods such as milk , bread and other commonly used items . It ’ s also less complicated in the case of impulse goods or emergency goods . We see hawkers running out to the street corners , with umbrellas for sale when it suddenly begins to rain . And the customers are willing to pay high prices at that time , because of the sense of urgency , when faced with the risk of being rained on . However , it becomes more complex when it comes to the purchase of durable goods or products and services that are used by more members of the family .
Various people in the family play different roles when it comes to family buying decisions for durable household purchases such as television , furniture and furnishings . Some may play the role of influencer , others are buyers , while others are users , and then there is the decider , or the person who makes the final decision about what to buy and how to buy it .
If you take the case of baby food , the mother is the buyer and the decider and the baby is the user , but the baby also exerts significant influence in the decision . You might wonder what level of influence a baby can hold as a user . However , while the mother may focus on nutritional value in the definition of quality , the only factor that the baby cares about is taste . If the mother ignores this silent point of interest for the user , the baby will reject her choice by spitting out the food , or refusing to swallow . The mother will be forced to reconsider her choice to include the baby ’ s taste preference , so that there can be alignment in the purchase choice . This serves to show that both the mother and the baby play important roles in the
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