What's the primary reason for choosing a retailer in your category? Location can be important, but people buy based on offers.
As you consider what to offer, you can start with people's general situations, then narrow your focus to an issue. As you explore an issue, determine which aspects you can impact most.
The potential demand for an offer & your profit depends on specializing in a subject or combination that relieves conflicts between reality & people's goals.
Example - Home ownership is a horizontal part of life. By focusing on an aspect, you can go vertical, example: lawn care. When you offer a combination (mowing, fertilizing & weed control), people can pick what they'll do or delegate to you.
Multiple Opportunities From Dividing Life Into Issues
You can explore opportunities by dividing life into issues & determine much relief competitors offer. Compare your offers & competitors with local conditions.
Can you offer more of an advantage for some consumers? An advantage can be an easier, more complete or less expensive way to improve conditions.
What kind of an advantage would inspire people to change brands or stores?
If an improvement requires higher priced products, is the improvement worth more?
A manufacturer can claim a 30% product improvement but its value depends on effects on people's goals & local conditions.
Local retailers should excel in helping people achieve their goals.
Is It A Real Improvement?
In a cold climate, we have ice melting chemicals so we can drive & walk without slipping.
Ice melting chemicals are often improved, but what's a real improvement? They can: 1- melt ice faster or last longer; 2- be safer for the environment, plants &/or animals; 3- be easier to spread; 4- work in sub-zero weather; 5- be less apt to damage pavement.
Whatever the product is, an improvement can negate another, so one product probably won't include each possible improvement. It can be impractical to use multiple versions simultaneously.
Choosing among them can be confusing, so people might ask for advice. You can help find better options &/or eliminate bad options for a condition.
If packages are big, you can have easy-to-hold comparison charts. These charts could focus on specific concerns. Example for ice melting chemicals - You can have a chart for people, who have pets or wild animals on their land. Chemicals can be compared according to effects on animals. You could have tips for limiting animal exposure.
Desires, Needs, Expectations & Affordability
Though businesses can sell products more quickly than services, optimal profitability can depend on product & service blends.
Is your business model flexible enough to offer product & service blends?
Complete solutions often require customized products & services. Since competitors can sell the same or similar products, you should add value with services.
Services can be more than repair & maintenance. Services can be helping people: 1- find the best options for their conditions; 2- get full value from what they buy or rent; 3- mitigate & cope with problems they can't fully solve; 4- enjoy things they couldn't do without your help; 5- reduce uncertainty; 6- save time, money, energy, etc.
The success of your offers depends on how well you understand people's desires, needs & expectations. You shouldn't assume you know.
When you consider what to offer, you can adapt these questions:
What does relieving a problem mean?
Can pain be eliminated or just reduced?
Is permanent relief realistic?
If permanent relief costs more than occasional temporary relief, will people pay more?
Does total relief mean avoiding hassles by paying somebody to solve a problem?
How much do people want to be involved in the solution?
Do they want to help plan the project? Do they want to do some or all of the work?
Would people do all of the work to save money or because they get satisfaction?
What do people expect & what can they afford? They might expect a perfect lawn without realizing how much it'd cost. Offers should be based on expectations & reality. Example - Reduce weeds by 74% in 7 weeks.
Take Customers From Guess? To Yes!
Though products come with instructions, you can give lessons for specific conditions, so people don't struggle with details.
After people notice symptoms, they can describe conditions, use pictures, video & audio recordings. You can use their descriptions, pictures & recordings to process symptoms & diagnose problems.
After a diagnosis, you can find materials & tools, plus create plans for using what people buy. You can teach them or help them find instructions & tutorials about specific problems, materials & tools.
When people have a problem, each guess is another stress. Guesses lead to mistakes & more stress.
Customer satisfaction should start with confident thoughts like "Yes! I can do it."
People feel less stress when they're sure about positive results.
If a total solution is too much to expect, can you reduce a problem by a significant percentage?
You can help people manage conditions & expectations by explaining options & costs.
Often satisfaction isn't found, it's achieved. If they expect too much or too soon, they may never achieve satisfaction.
You can help with a realistic goal & resources to achieve it. Instead of lowering their standards, they may need to adjust.
If they don't know the range of possibilities, they might not buy because they have low expectations. Example - They might be dissatisfied with results of other products. By testing soil, you might adjust fertilizer so a whole lawn will grow evenly.
You know what's possible since you know your inventory. You might help people get more than they expected.
Offer Solutions Based On People's Definitions
Products & services can be sold individually or bundled based on how people define problems.
Example - To some people, weeds aren't bad, so lawn care is limited to mowing. Mower maintenance could be a problem. You could have a mowing service, fix mowers & sell maintenance products. This combination could serve a sizable niche.
If you want to sell a service, determine which tasks people don't have enough time or skills to do.
People might want to do repairs & maintenance. Some products are designed for manufacturers to easily & cheaply build, but repair & maintenance are hard.
Consumers should be given information & advice about durability, repair & maintenance. Cheap discount tools could break or wear out before people finish a project.
You also should warn them if they might have to interrupt a project to replace a tool. It might be better to invest in a more durable tool.
You should have policies about what you will & won't sell, plus how you'll explain policies to consumers.
Some products are intended for professionals only because specialized knowledge is necessary.
Will you stock products for direct sales (for consumer self-service) or only as part of a service you can perform?
Better Offers For Different Needs
Competitors might have undifferentiated offers that don't fully satisfy people. Check with suppliers for products with fewer or more functions that can provide just the benefits people need.
Help people determine the difference between needs & desires. If they can't afford all they want, maybe you can help them get what they need.
As they improve their conditions (including finances), they'll be closer to their desired state. They can do more when they more time & money.
Example - They might want an unblemished lawn, but they can afford only to eliminate weeds. They might remove blemishes from animals later.
As you help people improve their conditions, you can build relationships. You & your clientele can support each other with long-term efforts.
Selling A Service For What It's Worth
Examine a process in various conditions to find valuable changes. Are there people who don't need each process step or product?
Can you improve a process by changing, adding &/or removing steps? Can results be improved with a different product?
Improvements can be reducing costs &/or changing results.
Can you customize some things without compromising your principles?
Be sure customers understand your offers & what you will & won't customize.
You should encourage consumers to talk about their needs, desires & expectations. A little investment of time could save time, money & frustration later.
Are they willing to advance incrementally or do they insist on quick results? Can you accommodate their schedules?
How do they define quality in products & results? Do they expect to pay too little for high quality?
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2018 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
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