What is the primary reason your customers or clients purchase your product or service? What is the Number One problem you solve for them? If you aren’t certain, your marketing could be missing the mark, and you could be missing out on sales.
Keeping Your Marketing Customer-Focused Can Be a Challenge
It can be difficult for small business owners to determine what their single marketing message should be. Why? Because they are too close to their business. We know we should be looking at our business from our customers’ perspective, but that’s often easier said than done. It’s easy to get caught up in all the amazing features of our product or service and the reasons we THINK our clients are attracted or are buying.
So how do you pinpoint the real reason customers are attracted to your product or service and the true reasons they are choosing to buy? Very simply, YOU ASK THEM! Okay, I know it seems obvious, but you’d be surprised how often we don’t think of the obvious.
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask How You Can Serve Them Better
What you find out could be extremely valuable in helping you to build and grow your business. Your prospects and customers (and yes, even those who visit but don’t buy) can provide great insights about the benefits they value most in your product or service and why they chose to buy or not buy.
You don’t have to have a large customer or prospect base to do some research to see if you are on track. Even if you only have a handful of clients or customers, contact them and ask them what they like most about your product or service.
There are any number of ways to collect information from your prospects and customers. You can telephone, email, ask them to complete an online survey, or you can meet with them in person, individually or in a group. Choose what works best for you and your business.
It Will Help You Better Serve Them
The more you can learn about your prospects and customers, the better you can serve them. And the more effectively you can market to them. Very often what you hear can help you zero in on a Unique Selling Proposition that you never thought of. And because it came from the mouths of your customers, you know it is compelling and effective.
[tweetthis]Don’t be afraid to ask your customers’ opinions on how you can serve them better.[/tweetthis]
What to Ask
Ask Your Clients or Customers:
1. What is the one thing that got them to purchase?
2. Have you delivered on that promise?
3. How could you improve your product or service?
4. What else (in your business category) do they have a need for?
5. How else could you help them be successful, happier, or solve whatever problem your product or service solves for them?
Ask Your Rejecters:
1. What product or service they bought instead of yours? And why?
2. What did that competing product or service offer that yours did not?
3. If there is anything you could do to get their business in the future? Product or service changes, additions, deletions?
Ask Your Prospects:
1. For feedback on your newsletter or ezine content.
2. What topics are they interested in learning more about?
3. How can you help them to be more successful, happier, etc?
And in all three cases, if it seems appropriate, ask for a little information about who they are: age, gender, profession, where they live, how much they typically spend in your product or service category. This will help you get a better understanding of your target audience and you’ll know if you’re attracting the kind of people you thought would be interested in your product or service. And if you need to change your marketing strategy to reach a different audience, or to perhaps change your target audience.
And Don’t Forget to Say “Thank You”!
You will also want to consider offering an incentive to encourage your prospects and clients to participate or respond. A bonus, such as a special report, or a discount on a future purchase is a nice way to show your appreciation for them taking the time to respond to your survey.
What are your thoughts on ways to learn what your clients and prospects want? I’d love to have your comments below.
Deidra Miller
Marketing and Administrative Consultant
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