Don't Tell Your Customers...
It is a commonly known fact, but not acknowledged enough: people do not like being told. They are open to suggestions and ideas but not to the fact of someone telling them what to do and what not to do.
This does not only apply to adults. You might have dealt with kids sometime or the other. Toddlers too have a mind of their own. How can we expect adults, who actually have a mind of their own, to follow instructions?
Earlier, the idea of marketing was more product-oriented. The customer-oriented marketing approach that we follow today was completely missing back then. It was more so because, customers then did not have many choices when it came to products and services. Things were slowly introduced into the market and then the salesperson would go door-to-door practicing push-marketing.
I always thought how difficult their job was and . Pitching an idea of a product which the customer had no knowledge of and trying to sell it to them right away. If not, they would have to keep following up till the sale was made or the customer said a clear "no" to the product.
Coming back to today's date, when the market is filled with alternatives. Awareness about any brand or product is just a blog or a TV commercial away. People nowadays have options and lots of them. They consider themselves knowledgeable on most product and service offerings and like to take decisions based on that knowledge. They might ask for feedback and reviews from peers, but that's it.
However, some businesses still don't get it. They are still living in the age of push-marketing or hard-selling. One good example will be that of an Indian salon. The famous "small-talk" at the salon is one of the best examples of why hard selling is wrong and why a new approach is required.
However awesome you think you look or going to look soon, before your salon session, you will soon be told all that is wrong with your face and hair. Your confidence, if it could be plotted on a graph would look like an inverted bell curve by the time you left the salon. The pH is destroyed and your hair looks like grass. "Whoa, really?" you wonder raising an eyebrow, "I thought it looked great." Next it is your nose, which is giving a stiff competition to Mount Vesuvius with its innumerable pores which now seem like huge craters to you. I hate this gimmick and I have seen fellow customers give that irritated look, as well.
You see, there was a time when this gimmick would work, flawlessly. The salon staff would make people see their "not-so-obvious" shortcomings and would earn more business from them instead of just the regular haircut. But lately, I have seen customers going defensive. The reason? Well, they don't like being told about themselves.
Another example that many of you would relate to would be the timeshare pitches. The pitch will make you feel like you were even holidaying the wrong way. You would lose half-a-day of your much awaited vacation trying to say no to the enthusiastic timeshare sales representatives.
Marching into someone's personal space and telling them what they are doing wrong is not something most people like. Tell your customer what value you can add to them, rather than telling them what they are doing wrong. No need to play offensive.
The best way you can earn a customer is by showing how much you honor and respect their knowledge, awareness, and their decision-making skill. A good pitch is based on showing your customer what value you can bring to them instead of what all they have been doing wrong. The moment you make this pitch, your customer themselves will see what more they can get from your service. Let them decide that. They feel empowered rather than pushed to make a good decision. And since you are so chilled-out, they would most likely to go for your service/product.
You would also often find your customers asking about the price of the product or service offering without even knowing the details of your offering. If you provide bespoke service, the price you mention could as well be a premium one. However, once they listen to the price, they stop listening to everything else.
This is what I do when I am pitching to a client: if they ask about the price at the first go, I reply that once they know what all services I offer (suppose content writing, editing, revisions, copywriting etc) they will know what all they want and then I can customize their package and the fee, likewise. In this case, they are more open to listening to what I have to offer that their business can benefit from. At this moment, they are not thinking about the price anymore. They just want to check off the items/services on their list and listen to the experiences I quote and how I can customize the content as per their need. This approach has worked well for me, till date.
Help your customer ease into the idea of what they are buying and how it can help them, rather than why they should buy it.
This mantra is not only good for new customers but it also ensures returning customers. So, don't tell your customers what they don't have, tell them what they can have and how you can help them have it.
This post was originally published at: https://www.proma-nautiyal.com/single-post/2017/10/20/Dont-Tell-Your-Customers
Thank you for giving it a read. Have a great day ahead!
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Comments
Harvey Lloyd
6 years ago #11
I am more student of marketing/advertising than scholar. I do find the manipulation of behaviour fascinating though. Specifically how it would have someone take risk that they otherwise would not have considered. My go to mantra is always Visa. I can live today like everyone else through payments. Only to realize that the end is nigh, but i am willing to bet. Amazing. Great post and discussion.
Ali Anani
6 years ago #10
this comment and the examples embedded in it are a buzz on their own Proma \ud83d\udc1d Nautiyal
Proma Nautiyal
6 years ago #9
It is always so enriching to hear your thoughts, Harvey Lloyd. The analogies you drew were excellent in understanding the different types of organizational sales techniques the giants of their leagues have established and followed. There is so much to learn. Also, your point about experiential marketing hold so true in today's market. I always feel, it is not only the product/service but also the entire ecosystem that is being woven to support the entire experience of buying a particular product/service. For example, I bought a pair of reading glasses from a budding e-commerce eye wear seller in India. Upon visiting their website, they let me know that on my first purchase the frame is completely free and I just need to pay for the lenses (which is hardly that expensive). The brand was decent and the designs could be tried out using their virtual "try me on" software. I received the product with 2 days of purchase and the packaging was so chic and simply fabulous! This made me recommend their product to my friends and family, too and they got about 5 orders from my WOM, alone. Also, like you mentioned marketers are using the "Fear Of Missing Out" (FOMO) a lot nowadays. People would think that they can always use their discretion when it comes to giving in to FOMO but the truth is that it creates more of an underlying psychological effect rather than appealing to a person's taste and having them want it. I am yet to see the Subaru ads. So will check out YouTube to watch some of their ads. The world of marketing and sales is rather mesmerizing. I have been a finance student all through my student-life, yet it was marketing that I chose to spend the rest of my work-life with.
Ali Anani
6 years ago #8
thank you Proma \ud83d\udc1d Nautiyal for your kind words and lovely response. To think of the customer first and always are the signs of your maturity my friend
Ali Anani
6 years ago #7
this is very interesting comment Harvey Lloyd and I were exchanging comments on my last buzz that are in accordance with yours.
Proma Nautiyal
6 years ago #6
Thank you so much, Puneet Srivastava! Very true. Letting people know what they stand to gain is one of the best ways to hold their attention and help them learn more about our offerings.
Proma Nautiyal
6 years ago #5
Thank you for giving it a read and for your comment, Ali \ud83d\udc1d Anani, Brand Ambassador @beBee. I always try to think from the point of view of customers. "How would I like to be approached?" and I use the same way to approach my clients. Thankfully, it has worked out for me till date. I would love to learn about other options, as well, so reading your buzz will surely give me some great ideas.
Harvey Lloyd
6 years ago #4
Harvey Lloyd
6 years ago #3
Harvey Lloyd
6 years ago #2
Ali Anani
6 years ago #1