Positioning Your Store for Maximum Customer Satisfaction

Let’s add power to “Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind” by Al Ries & Jack Trout. Go beyond positioning your store among competitors.

Integrate your store with results & experiences people want to start or improve. Your store is positioned as a necessity when it’s an integral resource for people’s results & experiences.

Products are just ingredients. Product & method combinations make results & experiences special. Since people want benefits, promote your ability to produce & maintain benefits with optimal combinations.

Analogy: Meals can be more than food. Though cooks prepare practical meals, chefs are honored for creating meal experiences. Chefs study nutrition to maximize meal benefits. Be a chef of people’s results & experiences.

Ask customers what completes results & experiences for the most satisfaction & least dissatisfaction. Customers might be satisfied with some factors & dissatisfied with others.

Assemble composites of similar experiences & results, so you can determine what worked. When people are dissatisfied, use composites to determine what’s missing or went wrong.

People might be dissatisfied because they didn’t receive every expected benefit. Ask which benefits people want & what they want to avoid. Ask how they gained benefits & avoided problems. Ask which products fit conditions & people’s desires.

Example: Skiers want well-insulated, flexible clothes to stay warm without restricting movements.

Comparisons can help: What made/would make __ better? Specific insights are better: What was less than you expected? What can we change to create what you expected?

Maximize Fulfillment Of Customers’ Priorities.

Market share concepts are share of mind or wallet. Share of life is also a matter of customers’ priorities. When you have a share of people’s lives, your store is a priority.

Share of life is consumers’ time percentage they benefit from your offers. Make those times as easy as possible, especially if products are used for unpleasant tasks.

If using products is an unavoidable need, ask about needs & how customers use products so you can recommend the easiest, most effective & efficient products & methods. Effectiveness & efficiency can increase satisfaction & offset some unpleasantness by reducing time & energy burdens.

If products are enjoyable, ask how customers maximize enjoyment so you can share tips with customers.

When you shape people's results & experiences, there are standards & compatibility issues. Rationalize changes if your offers aren’t compatible with standards indicated by what people have & want. If customers want to maintain results with current products & methods, present benefits to justify energy, time & money needed to make changes.

People’s current resources affect what they recognize & know how to use. As you monitor supplier offers, ask consumers about their knowledge & comfort with current & new innovations.

Analogy: Appliances are prepared to use (recognize) the right electricity (power).

Establish a powerful position for your outlet by offering precise benefits in local circumstances. Big retailers have inventory for multiple cities, so emphasize your local specialization.

Help people recognize what they need & offer information with products customers need to use for results & experiences.

Offer Example: ‘Several problems come up in (season). When you notice problem symptoms, bring descriptions & pictures to (store). Let’s identify problems & choose the best products & plan effective methods for those problems. Get service you deserve from (store) & get product solutions you deserve.’

In advertising, describe consumers’ current & desired conditions enough to resonate with desires & frustrations. Describe how you’ll increase satisfaction & decrease dissatisfaction.

Example: ‘With previous (product) versions, it was hard to __ & you couldn’t __ until now! You can use Version X to __ & __ even in local soil conditions when you use instructions available from (store). Tutorials focus on using Version X especially for local needs, so you can grow (plant). Many people want (benefits) of (plant), but are frustrated because (reasons). Let’s eliminate those reasons & reduce your frustrations.’

Increase Your Success By Increasing Customers’ Successes.

Make your store a superior resource by adopting an investigator's attention to detail to find what's important for customers' results & experiences. Make results & experiences special by asking about consumer preferences & learning about product options.

Consultation Examples: “Since money is one of your priorities, it’s important to consider long-term expenses. In this area, (problem) can build up each year; use (product) to eliminate it instead of buying cheap stuff each year to reduce it. How long has __ been happening? I recommend either __ or __.’

‘I understand you were disappointed because (product & task) didn’t prevent/solve (problem). Let’s review what did & didn’t happen, so we can diagnose & solve current conditions.’

‘While you enjoy (experience), imagine you could add (product benefit). How would you feel about that? Should we try that option or something else?’

‘When you told me about (result), you were enthusiastic about (benefit). Would you like it to last longer?’

Information in these consultations would improve customer service & advertising offers.

Explain how offers specifically produce benefits people want to gain or maintain.

Example: ‘When you use (product 1) to remove damage & apply (product 2), window frames will last longer & keep cold air out.’

Bridges to Benefits

Consider your position to be an evolving destination, not stationary.

Consumers’ personal positions consist of changing conditions, needs & desires. As consumers search for up-to-date satisfaction, you should arrive a bit ahead of them & bridge their gaps. You can do it by communicating with customers & suppliers.

Position your store, products & services as bridges for people to connect with benefits & rise above restrictions & problems.

Customer’s Current Position >> VVV Restrictions & Problems VVV>> Aspirational Position

Customer’s Current Position >> ^^^ Bridge ^^^ >> Aspirational Position

Help customers understand how they can avoid or eliminate restrictions. Help customers understand how they can solve or at least reduce problems. Help customers prepare for conditions & mitigate what can’t be prevented.

Decades ago, a breath mint was positioned as two mints in one. Since it’s hard to people to smell their breath, commercials emphasized inhaling through their mouths to test it. Users could taste & feel the effects. That test assured users the bridge (to positive effects) was working.

Users wanted good first impressions & to not negate good impressions. Instead of encouraging people to keep popping mints, the implied message was ‘This mint is so good, you can be confident. You’ll know when you’ll need another.’ Users probably didn’t have that confidence in competing products.

After you attain abilities, positioning is achieved in people’s minds & established in their lives. Promote your abilities in terms of resources. Link your resources with things people already know or can confirm.

Example: ‘Many people hope to have (result/experience). Convert your hope into confidence with (products) & guidance from (store). When you notice people enjoying (result/experience), you know it’s possible for you to have it. Observe the variety of options & you’ll know what’s available. Bring pictures, samples & descriptions to (store) & together we’ll explore ways to achieve your goals. Whether you want to select products fitting your ideas or want help with plans or project kits, (store) has your level of help.’

People don’t want to miss out on results & experiences, but they don’t always know how to avoid missing out. Establish your position by defining their desired results/experiences & removing barriers.

Consultation Example: ‘When you tried to__, how did you do it? Did you use (product) like this? (Demonstrate action.) How often do you wish you could __? When do you want to do it? If we add (product) & you use it like this (Demonstrate action.), you could __. Would that fit your goal?’

People might be disappointed in their results & experiences because of inadequate products &/or methods. After defining their desired results & experiences, you can help people determine what fits their expectations & make adjustments. Was there a lack of quality or quantity? Did they want it to last longer? Was anything unexpected? Which benefits would they add?

Customer Integration strengthens your position by integrating your added value into customers’ results.

Your added value includes being a conductor to connect people with resources including knowledge for producing & maintaining results.

Conductors are conduits for resources &/or people who coordinate inputs from multiple sources.

Bridge crossing can represent permanent changes or brief trips. Help people choose products & methods based on the levels & lengths of their needs. Even if you don’t offer everything necessary, your product, service & information can be bridges between consumers & other merchants’ offers.

Consultation Question: ‘When you think about results & experiences, which benefits would make your project complete?’ If you don’t offer products for those benefits, consult with customers & other retailers about what would fit the project & customers' expectations.

Each merchant should have a database of customers’ results & experiences. Multiple merchants can build value & competitive strength by combining that knowledge & product offers.

Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.

Copyright 2020 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.

When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here- https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/

Make Your Store Their Superior Choice

Musical Shares

This analogy is based on the musical chairs game. You can search the internet for a description.

Sometimes people use time & energy going store to store to get what they need for results because they don’t enough supportive services.

When project success depends on multiple products, there can be information gaps not covered by the combined instructions. When people get products from many stores, who checks for incompatibilities? Example: If problems happen nearby & solutions (products) are incompatible, which product should be used first? Which problem (solution) should be prioritized?

Support includes finding & combining products with information for creating & maintaining results. Support can include helping customers determine which results they need to solve & prevent problems. Guide people with effective options when standard product benefits aren’t enough.

Relieve customers’ stress by offering results instead of only advertising products & prices. Though people search for bargains, they hope for complete results.

Urge people to invest in results. Example: ‘Will you save money if discount store products don’t fully solve problems? You need long-term solutions but cheap products have inadequate results. Let’s diagnose problems & plan complete repairs to prevent future damage. You’ll get better results from high quality products & information at (store). Invest in planned projects, so you can maintain optimal results.’

Since any store offers product benefits, offer advantages of customized benefits from your product knowledge & awareness of changing conditions. By offering customized benefits, you can save people time & energy, so they don’t need many stores to find options.

Offer Example: ‘It’s frustrating when standardized products don’t solve or prevent problems. Since damage can have a variety of causes, let’s identify problems & combine the right products & methods for the best solution & prevention.’

Superior service gives people reasons to choose your store, so they don’t need other stores. Instead of telling customers you don’t have products, ask about desired results & suggest options.

Show concern for customers with questions & suggestions. Example: ‘Though I don’t have those products, let’s consider the results you want. What are you trying to avoid or solve? Based on what you want, you need (products). Do you have any of these now? Have you started a project or should we form a plan? What are your questions as you look at this plan & product list? Does this result fit your needs? You can use (product) like this (demonstrate method) to make it effective.’

Top of Mind Awareness

When competitors offer similar products, typical product & price ads won’t differentiate your store. Build awareness of how you offer complete results for specific needs.

To earn consistent consumer awareness, show you’re aware of consumers’ needs & concerned about their results. Awareness & concern are more than rotating seasonal inventory & offering discounts.

Your monitoring of emerging local needs is a valuable service because each person’s attention is divided among many issues in life. Serve people with your awareness by alerting customers of upcoming problems, plus offer solutions & prevention methods based on individual needs.

By specializing in certain results, you can focus on narrow, deep inventories dedicated to high quality, specialized benefits & advantages. When big retailers need to sell hundreds of product units, they focus on general products to appeal to wide populations.

Without condition-specific methods, high quality general products can produce incomplete, short-term results.

Offer Example: ‘Paying low prices for low results isn't a bargain because you need to solve & prevent problems. Instead of being frustrated in discount stores, get what you need quickly from (Store). Consultations focus on what’s wrong, so we can plan to make it right with effective, efficient steps. Solve & prevent problems with planned projects, so you can relax sooner & longer. Whether you’re sure about your needs or have questions, (Store) has what you need for __ results as (season) starts.’

Logical Limited Time Offers

Since limited time offers can seem arbitrary, emphasize preventing problems, preparing for seasons & acting while opportunities are available.

Eventually it’s too late & opportunities are gone. Whichever games you use for analogies, people know about time running out.

Offer Example: ‘When you have opportunities, it can seem like a fun game. Act now so you don’t miss out. Now because of __, your opportunity is __. But it’s limited because __. (Store) has (products) & information about methods to make products effective. You don’t have to wait & hope you won’t be too late. Let’s check your conditions & choose your best option. You have this chance to achieve your goal before the season ends, let’s be sure you get benefits you deserve!’

Consistent Market Share & Compelling Value

If your product offer is better than competitors’ offers, you can temporarily increase your market share. Competitors might match your product offers since there are limited manufacturers. Competitors are less apt to match your knowledge & skill.

Combine your knowledge with concern for customers into curiosity about what makes experiences special & achieves complete solutions & preventions.

Since inadequate products leave a lot to be desired, determine gaps between customers’ needs & product results, so you sell complete results.

Exceed competitors' offers with insights from asking customers to define satisfactory results.

Discover how experiences can satisfy people & still inspire desire for more, so you can fulfill current & future desires.

Consumers can be motivated by limited time prices & limited supplies, but those inducements don't optimize consumers’ conditions or solve problems. If you can’t run consistent sales promotions, will consumers stay with you or return to competitors?

Attract people who realize value is a matter of results instead of cheapest options.

Offer Example: ‘It’s time when (problem) often starts. Prevent it now & reduce stress, plus later you’ll have more time & energy to enjoy favorite activities. Let’s review your conditions to find what's necessary for immediate & long-term results. Let’s compare viable options with your needs & budget to find your best option. Let’s optimize your best option by planning your project & maintaining results. You need relief & enjoyment now. You won’t solve problems & relieve stress by waiting for sale prices at other stores. Don’t delay your enjoyment or endure problems longer than necessary. (Store) has kits you need now to prevent & solve (problems). These products are made for high quality __ results. Let’s adjust products & instructions in these kits to create & maintain your desired results.’

When value is more than prices, value doesn’t end when promotions end. Your store should be a fountain of continuing value, so you provide necessary resources for each step of gaining, regaining & maintaining progress.

Since conditions change, help people reverse declining conditions & maintain results.

While discount retailers focus on low prices, you should focus on value being effectiveness & efficiency of results. Develop & offer your ability to help people to determine results they need. Consult with people to choose products & plan tasks.

Build Consistent Market Share.

Build consistent market share by increasing integrated value to reduce people’s workloads & increase enjoyment better than competitors. Integrated value is how offers fit people’s needs & desires now, plus help them update & upgrade as products improve, conditions change &/or you gain more knowledge. That’s more long-term value than temporary bargains.

Market share is temporary when consumers go to stores for the latest bargains instead of integrated value.

Integrated value involves connections to maintain or increase customers’ benefits. Products & results should connect comfortably with various aspects of people’s lives.

Connections depend on knowledge about people’s concerns & showing concern for their details.

Offer Example: ‘Before rough weather starts, you need advice about emerging problems. What should you expect? What should you prioritize now? With so many products, how will you choose what you need? Many retailers push products without helping you choose your best options. It’s like doctors prescribing drugs without checking symptoms. Let’s diagnose causes & effects, so we can choose specific products & actions to fix current problems, plus prevent damage.’

Earn market share by helping people understand problem causes & effects & how to control or eliminate causes & effects. Retailing is helping consumers avoid losses & gain what’s important to them.

Increase credibility with knowledge from manufacturers, academics, government agencies, professionals & consumers. You need knowledge to compare product & method effectiveness & efficiency with various problems.

Details of previous customers’ conditions before & after projects help you determine if their needs & results match new customers’ needs & expectations. Explain how people developed satisfactory results & ask about their expectations.

Consultation Example: ‘Previous customers needed __, they used (products) & they did (tasks). Based on what I understand from our conversation, you can get what you expect with some product & task adjustments. If we substitute this new innovation, you can __. Is this what you expect?’

Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.

Copyright 2020 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.

When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here- https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/

Optimize Customers’ Results Better Than Competitors Do

Customer integration optimizes results; it isn’t just a matter of selling. Customer integration can make your store necessary for consistently high quality results.

To attract consumers, explain why results are necessary & the value of your offers.

Example: ‘Even when weather is rough, (product) protects your __ with (features). The price of protection is lower than paying to replace your __. Discount retailers want you to be satisfied with cheap prices. Your satisfaction is apt to decline when cheap discount products wear out or break. It’s hard to avoid risks & solve problems when cheap products wear out or break. You get long-term safety & satisfaction from products at (store) because the service includes matching high quality products with results you need. If your need changes, let’s check your updated information & find the newest options.’

Instead of just selling products, help customers optimize specific results with high quality products & information about using products in specific conditions. Since product quality is a major factor, people need to learn how to optimally use that high quality to maintain products & results.

Without advice pertaining to their goals & product limitations, people might overestimate high quality products & misapply or overuse them. Or people might get fewer benefits than they deserve if they’re accustomed to cheap products & underestimate high quality products.

As an integrator, combine resources to offer the most complete kits for optimizing conditions by preventing & solving problems. Your offers should inspire customers to connect with your store as a consistent benefit source, especially since people don’t want to risk interruptions.

Optimize People's Lifestyles

Explain how you & your product suppliers use knowledge of products & local conditions to help people maintain or upgrade their lifestyles. When people are accustomed to lifestyles, they resist disruptions.

You should help people optimize their living standards, so they stay with you to avoid setbacks. If your store is just a product source, you’re apt to lose to price based competition. Surpass competitors by making your store an optimization resource.

Integrate with customers’ lives by coordinating customers' product choices & actions to produce the best results. Integration includes what customers want & why because reasons determine how (long/often) & when people use products &/or results. Confirm whether customers’ reasons fit conditions & product results.

You can provide more service than discount stores with product recommendations after talking about customers' needs & desires.

Example: If people want to feel & look athletic, they might wear running shoes for brand appeal & comfort instead of sports. Compare options based on customers’ needs. Do they need support for hours of standing & walking? Do they stand & walk on floors or soft, uneven ground? Would specialized shoes provide enough support? So people can adjust support for different activities, would basic shoes & removable inserts be better? People might need heel pads for walking & arch support for standing.

Optimal Product Choices

To guide product choices, ask questions. Examples: Until it became necessary to replace shoes, what did customers like about their current shoes? Do they want/need the same kind of shoes? In customers’ current conditions, what makes replacements necessary or desirable? Are there additional benefits that would make particular shoes ideal?

Ask about expectations because people might opt for low prices & lower quality options without considering how long or often they want to use products &/or results. Low quality products might not support customers' kinds of uses or frequencies of use. When results or experiences depend on multiple products, determine which products could fail or degrade results or experiences. Develop kits with plans & options for people to create & maintain results or experiences. Instructions should include information about choosing options based on needs & changing conditions.

As conditions change, product limitations (due to features or quality) can interrupt results & experiences. What can people do to prevent interruptions?

Offer Example: ‘(Store) is a resource for you to prepare for local conditions. If you’re not prepared, you might feel stressed while preventable problems intensify. Let’s find the right resources to prevent & solve (specific problems) by reviewing your conditions & choose coordinated product kits for full results. Advanced warnings help you prepare. (Store) has checklists for inspecting your__ & preparing as summer approaches. When you find emerging problems, you can prevent much damage. Prevention saves you time & money, plus reduces your stress.’

Urge people to invest in high quality essential products.

Example: ‘Though some basic products are interchangeable, your __ results depend on (specific factors). (Store) is designed for optimizing your __ results & experiences with products for __ & information about __. Cheap products can deteriorate quickly & cause results & experiences to decline. (Store) has guides for helping you choose & use the best products for your goals. After you achieve your goals, our regular reviews will maintain or upgrade your results by tracking new technology & monitoring conditions.’

Product & Retail Issues

Customer integration reduces consumers’ product & retail inconveniences.

Help determine how many of each product people need for gaining & maintaining results & experiences. Which products will people need to repair or replace?

Some low quality products aren't made to be maintained or repaired, so failed products can permanently end results & experiences. Failed products could injure people or damage property. When products can’t be maintained or repaired, benefits are interrupted when people shop for replacements. Replacements might be worse than originals when product quality decreases as manufacturers are pushed to cut costs.

If people don’t find exact replacements, do they forfeit projects, results & experiences? Are people stuck without recourse if products break or wear out before people recoup their investments? Are product warranties too short for people to get satisfactory use? Are product return periods too short for people to determine satisfactory quality? If manufacturers discontinue products, are there substitutes or upgrades? Are upgrades usually backward compatible?

Guide Customers with Knowledge

Help people match high quality products with desirable long-term results & experiences. Guide customers based on their expectations & desires, plus product warranties & specifications.

Example: ‘Based on what you said, (product) is ideal for (result) because __. Your results will last __ years because of the warranty. In addition to product instructions, this kit includes guidance for your project.’

Though customers recognize problems from the inside, they don’t always know about long-term consequences. Customers need knowledge to use products for specific results & avoid consequences.

Offer Example: ‘Uncertainty is stressful. (Store) will increase your confidence with high quality products you can trust & tutorials of effective techniques. Incomplete solutions waste your money & cause unpleasant surprises at inconvenient times. You need to totally solve problems but cheap discount store products might only reduce minor problems. Solution kits from (store) totally solve & prevent (specific problem) from recurring. Kits start with problem diagnosis guides for identifying symptoms. Bring your diagnosis results & get the next guide to help you determine which repairs you need, so you choose & use products correctly. You’ll also get a guide for determining causes & effects, so you can optimize preventative maintenance. Optimal preventative maintenance depends on the right products to repair problems & avoid original causes.’

Help customers compare expected/desired results to current conditions & probable future conditions. If customers’ chosen products or services can’t fulfill expectations, emphasize their priorities when adjusting choices & expectations. Should customers expect better benefits (things you can optimize with your knowledge)?

How do product & service results fit customers’ current & future conditions? What kind of value do you add to produce better results to fit conditions? If you & competitors offer the same products or kinds of services, how & why do your customers benefit more?

From the time people perceive their needs or desires, what do they have to do to start benefiting from products &/or services? What can you do to reduce customers’ costs in time & effort?

Examples: What do they have to learn for comparing offers? What more do they have to learn to get full benefits? Efforts can include driving in traffic & parking before & after shopping. After purchases, their efforts can include hauling, setting up & storing products, plus they might have to do maintenance.

You can improve your offers by helping people reduce their efforts with knowledge &/or supportive products to decrease inconveniences.

Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.

Copyright 2020 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.

When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here- https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/

Success Depends On Helping Customers Shape Their Conditions

Customer integration includes helping customers choose which products & services best fit their needs. Your degree of integration can determine how much customers need & want your offers.

In The Discipline of Market Leaders, Michael Treacy & Fred Wiersema suggest customer intimacy as a practice for using thorough customer knowledge.

If you know customers’ conditions & products thoroughly, you can maximize benefits of your offers compared to competitors.

In this post, I’m using conditions to mean things that might respond to people’s efforts.

Since retail success depends on fulfilling expectations, help people produce & preserve comfortable conditions. Ask customers to describe desired conditions & how they expect to produce & preserve desired conditions.

Ask how customers define comfort, then use their criteria & product specifications to plan actions. Planned actions adapt conditions to produce & maintain results. Actions can include advantageously placing products &/or combining products with tasks for specific benefits.

Help customers review what increases & decreases quality, so you can augment positive aspects & eliminate whatever reduces satisfaction. Reviews can begin like stories in current conditions before benefits are created & conclude with achieved goals of improved conditions. Determine which products & actions will fill gaps between current conditions & achieved goals.

Visually-oriented people can use story boards to track the beginning, interim results & goal achievement. Replace pictures or descriptions that don’t fit a goal or available products until all seems comfortable & realistic.

I’ve heard about a landscape & architecture firm making models, so clients knew what to expect. You can use computers & graphics to produce similar effects that can be adjusted until your & clients’ expectations match.

That could be done with clothes also. Use pictures of people dressed like those expected at meetings or events. Determine if customers’ potential clothing choices blend in or stand out as expected.

To determine if expectations are realistic & how to fulfill them, these stories could compare project steps with the progress customers expect. After describing total expected progress, determine if each step fulfills its role.

How do customers currently maintain progress & improve conditions? What should their next steps be? What do they need for their next steps?

Since copycat products can reduce benefits & quality, help people choose optimal product versions. Checklists can help customers know when steps, tasks & projects are completed, so they get full quality.

Offer Example: ‘You get full quality at (store) with information about creating & maintaining lasting results. You need to use high quality products in optimal ways, so (store) has those products & that information.’

For successful preventative maintenance & repairs, it’s important to determine problem causes & effects. Help people identify negative effects & determine if maintenance is still practical or repairs are necessary.

Offer Example: ‘Instead of buying cheap products & getting unreliable results, your best option is advice from (store) to identify problems you need to prevent & repair. After finding what you need, let’s choose products & plan your tasks for long-term results that protect what’s important to you.’

If maintenance or repairs are necessary for consistent results, consult with customers about what they need & should expect from maintenance & repairs.

Examples: Would maintenance preserve original results or should customers expect some shortfall? Would repairs restore original results? What level of results should customers expect from tools & materials?

Help customers compare benefits of maintenance or repairs with upgrades.

Example: ‘Since your enjoyment depends on your equipment, let's review your options of maintenance, repairs or upgrading to new technology. Upgrade your current activities or experience new options. Now you can increase your enjoyment of (activities) because (products) have (features) that produce more vivid __. (Store) has everything you need for setup & enjoyment. New product maintenance is easier because __, so you can spend more time doing __. Occasional maintenance makes your enjoyment last for years.’

Set Expectations for Satisfaction

When people know what to expect from products, they can set budgets for producing & maintaining desired results.

Without advice, people might buy what seems adequate instead of comparing specifications with desired results. Help customers avoid failed results by comparing what they need & what’s possible from available products. If necessary, advise them about adjusting expectations &/or choosing other products.

Service Offer: ‘(Store) is designed to help you with specific home comfort results. Ask questions & express concerns, so we can choose the best options based on your needs & desires. Your time & money spent here are your investments in maintaining your comfortable home.’

High Quality & Less Stress

Make your messages & offers fit people’s needs for confidence & comfort.

When you compare your higher quality offers to competitors, explain why high quality affects results.

Example: ‘Cheap product warranties are short because products & results don’t last long. (Manufacturer) has a __ warranty; that gives you certainty because you can depend on (products) when you need (specific result). Good maintenance & repairs are important for protecting property & reducing your stress. Cheap products can be hard to maintain & repair because manufacturers want you to buy replacements. If you don’t know when products or results might fail, that uncertainty makes life harder. (Store) offers what you need to ensure your home is reliable. (Store) serves people instead of just selling products, so let’s be sure you get the right products & results.’

Optimize Opportunities & Gain Security

Discounters focus on SAVE, but people prioritize SAFE. If quality isn’t quite enough for fully secure results, people can lose what they needed to protect, plus what they’ve spent on cheap products. Many retailers push people to shop for products instead of results. Since people buy for results, differentiate your store by focusing your advertising & customer service on specific results for specific reasons (Examples: increase pleasure, decrease discomfort, solve &/or prevent problems).

Offer Example: ‘Let’s review your current needs & future results you can expect, because after solving problems, you should prevent reoccurrences. When discount store products don’t fully solve problems, prevention is harder. The priority at (store) is recommending high quality products to fulfill your priorities.’

In your store, you can guide product choices based on customers’ answers.

Question Examples: Do you want (result) to decrease discomfort? What causes your discomfort? Are there ever different causes?

Is it the same kind & level of discomfort each time? What seems to change?

If we can’t eliminate each cause, which cause should we prioritize? (Product) costs $__ & might decrease discomfort XX%, should we disregard it & consider a higher priced, better quality option?

Ask customers about obstacles to identifying, solving & preventing problems, so you can remove limits.

Help customers prevent big losses by identifying actual preliminary & potential damage. When damage is preliminary, help customers determine what to repair or replace by identifying causes.

Problems can still happen if people quickly do repairs without knowing causes. If damage is bad, try to find replacements that are less vulnerable recurrent causes.

Offer Example: ‘Let’s identify causes because maintenance should prevent negative effects. When we know which benefits you want & identify problems you need to prevent, we’ll find products & make plans for those results.’

Determine whether previous technology or upgrades are compatible with customers' current property & which versions provide needed benefits.

Explain how products & services help people overcome problems, avoid potential losses &/or optimize opportunities (potential gains).

How do products & services help people overcome limits? How do high quality products produce better benefits than cheap products?

After determining which results people need, explain how products maximize results. How will your service help people save time & effort, plus produce & maintain benefits better than competitors?

When people feel secure against losses, they can focus on opportunities.

Note: People usually will prioritize loss reduction or prevention, even if you offer the greatest opportunities. So, when people feel threatened by losses, you should offer help for their highest priorities.

Since people have ‘conditions’ (plural) they need to divide & prioritize resources among issues to maintain some results.

Some people might prioritize based on importance, ability to do tasks &/or affordability. If they lack money for products &/or knowledge about tasks, it’s hard to prioritize issues they can’t resolve.

To persuade people to prioritize your offers, help them prioritize & resolve issues.

Offer Example: ‘Your To-Do List probably includes seasonal tasks, so you need to find time plus money for supplies. Some products & tasks might be unfamiliar. (Store) has information about products & tasks for preventing & solving problems, so you can quickly learn & finish tasks. Let’s make your efforts effective & efficient by reviewing your highest concerns about repairs & preventing damage. Let’s reduce your stress as we make your home as comfortable as possible.’

Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything. Copyright 2020 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved. When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here- https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/

Integrate Your Store with Customers’ Goals

I’m using functionality to mean ability to produce &/or maintain results. Functionality could mean a number of functions like differences between basic & scientific calculators or basic cell phones & smart phones.

Necessity is tied to functionality. Customers won’t feel they need functions until they understand the benefits. Will they use functions enough to justify higher prices? Would past experiences have been better if those functions were available?

Help customers compare product functionality with their goals & future needs. If products have similar functions, compare dependability & quality, so customers don’t lose benefits.

Promote Experiences to Sell Products

When you find experiences that would be enhanced by product functions, you can promote those experiences & those functions. To persuade customers to adopt experiences, determine how to optimize various aspects. Examples: If experiences are at home, how can people maximize benefits over a time period? Can they refresh those experiences each day, so they’ll have some variety?

If those experiences can only happen away from home, suggest location selection criteria. Which other products &/or services would add benefits &/or reduce limitations?

Usability is closely tied to functionality. Physical Compatibility Example: My fingers are compatible with many basic calculator key sizes. Scientific calculators have more functions & smaller keys.

Physical compatibility can also be a factor in handles, tools, containers, etc.

Dexterity, physical compatibility & skills are necessary to benefit from functionality.

Determine what people need for physical compatibility while planning projects & tasks. Examples: ladders, longer handles & hypo-allergenic materials

Physical stores are better for checking dexterity & physical compatibility than web-based retailers. Web-based retailers can describe necessary dexterity & skills, but your customers can try products while you guide their choices. You can help them find tutorials to optimize dexterity & skills based on their goals, materials & tools.

Find products & services you need for integrating with customers at any skill level.

In sports, crafts & construction projects, skillful people might recognize compatible equipment, but beginners might need guidance. You can help beginners avoid frustrations, so they don’t lose interest in some games or project types. In addition to tutorials, are some products easier for beginners?

You might inspire more interest by helping with customized results to increase personal benefits & overcome limitations.

Adjust Benefits & Avoid Problems

Stores can offer what people need for adjusting benefits & avoiding problems as conditions change. Example: ‘(Store) is dedicated to helping you benefit from gardening. People use gardening for nutrition, exercise & personal satisfaction. Your full benefits include tutorials for ergonomically using equipment plus exercises to avoid stiffness based on doctors’ recommendations for best results. Since gardening is part of your self-care, you need the best equipment & techniques.’

Offer long-term benefits. Garden shops can help beyond harvesting. Example: ‘You’ve mastered gardening skills & rewarded yourself with tasty, fresh food. Now with (products), you can preserve & deliciously prepare foods in any season. Instead of eating your fill in fall, then avoiding those foods, you’ll treasure your favorite flavors all year.’

Optimize Customers’ Results

You can increase customers’ satisfaction with product selection consultations & customized instructions for projects. Consultations help with functionality of products & results, so customers get expected benefits. Customers’ expectations are shaped by desires & perceptions of their conditions. Explore how to use products & services to adjust conditions to accommodate customers’ desires.

Project results might not fit customers’ expectations, desires or perceptions. Guide their planning by comparing local conditions with their long- & short-term expectations & desires.

You can develop other options by combining your perceptions with theirs. Example: ‘I notice different ways people use (product). When they want (result), they use it to __. How would that work for you?’

Questions can bring insights for enhancing customers’ current conditions & skills.

You can help customers explore options with questions. ‘With this product, you can do this. What more could you have if you did this?’ ‘This problem seems small now, but it can lead to __. If you solve this problem, you could prevent that & benefit with this. What would it mean for you to experience this?’

Too many retailers sell products without service. You can help people improve reality by using products to increase options. When people have more options, they can adjust to changes & possibly have less stress.

Ask about customers’ goals & their current tools & materials to be sure products are compatible with each other & customers’ goals.

Link Satisfaction with Your Store

Sometimes, functionality can be improved with small adjustments. Example: I had lawn mower problems until a mechanic recommended using premium fuel.

Link your business with people’s improved results by listing adjustments to improve results &/or reduce frustrations. Put these lists on your letter head so your contact information is included.

Urge customers to check your lists often, so they combine & maximize big & small benefits. Specify maintenance tasks, so people know what to schedule to avoid losing benefits.

Though people want big benefits, emphasize total benefits of multiple incremental improvements, so you can add more value than competitors. Example: ‘Each improvement from these tasks will add to your comfort. Keep warm air in. Keep cold wind & small insects out.’

Big Promises & Big Disappointments

People might not believe ads for big improvements after they’re disappointed. When you explain how products work & tasks produce results, your advertising claims will be credible. You can promise specific ways to prevent & solve urgent problems by adjusting functionality & customizing results.

Manufacturers complicate some products with excessive functions some people won’t use. If complicated products are customers’ only option, help people focus on functions for specific results. Offer Example: ‘Life & products are becoming more complicated, so (store) specializes in results you need for specific purposes. Advice is focused on your life, so you get the right products & information.’

Your store should be an optimal resource for people who want & need functionality to control particular results or conditions.

Control is hard without knowledge about preventing occurrences & reoccurrences of problems. Help people understand how to use products to control causes & effects. Help people evaluate conditions to determine what interferes with functionality & control, so they can prevent & solve problems.

People shouldn’t rely on cheap products because when problems hit, people need quick functionality & control. Offer Example: ‘When you face emergencies, you need quick results, so you need reliable products & necessary information. (Store) has (products) & advice for your emergency response. (Store) is locally owned & focused on local concerns.’

Based on local conditions, help people know what to expect & how to be prepared with products.

Increase Benefits & Reduce Risks

Customer integration includes connecting needs with benefits & reducing risks. Your offers should reduce people’s risks. Though risk reversal is valuable, so people return products they don’t trust, your recommendations can reduce frustrations of product returns.

Your superior quality should encourage people to ignore risks of cheap product offers. Advise people to focus on quality for long-term results. Example: ‘When you need long-term results, you need extra quality. (Store) offers advice about tools & materials to be sure your projects successfully produce results you expect. Maintaining results can be like running a race against rough weather, so choose lasting product quality. Since you can’t control weather, you need to control your results with (products).’

Your product & information offers should show customers’ results & experiences are important to you. Your product & information quality should match customers’ needs & expectations.

Risks or Safety

Even people, who like calculated risks, want safe zones. They prepare for risky experiences. Safety & comfort are individual interpretations. People want safe, comfortable homes & exciting experiences.

Analogy: Sky divers depend on equipment to control some risks. They use knowledge about things they can’t control (like weather), so they know when conditions are favorable for success. Though they aren’t totally safe, they’re comfortable enough for action.

Since safety is established with limits & some limits are set by product quality, people need to know how to evaluate reliability.

They need great attention to details, so they know which details matter for success & failure. Example: Some limits are strict; others are optional.

Some find adventure in high risk, but they need some boundaries.

Skills & product specifications set boundaries, so people know what to expect & can achieve goals.

When you know people’s goals & which risks & boundaries they accept, you can recommend options.

How much structure & how many details are necessary for safety (certainty) or satisfaction?

When experiences are based on discovery, people don’t start with all details.

Even when customers know what they want to experience, they need knowledge to increase quality. Ask what customers want to discover & how much certainty they want. Help them plan their adventures & determine which products to choose based on what they want to do & where.

Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.

Copyright 2020 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.

When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here- https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/

Customer Integration & People’s Central Issues

Customer Integration & People’s Central Issues

Customer integration can be deeper if your offers connect to people’s central issues. Possible Examples: health, safety, family loyalty, shelter, career, comfort

Certainty Is A Valuable Benefit.

Product returns & exchanges can relieve dissatisfaction but you can help customers avoid dissatisfaction with consultations about combining products & information for certain results. Explain how to use product & information combinations to convert current conditions to desired results.

Study customers’ central issues, so your offers fill as many gaps as practical & remove as many risks as possible.

People need certainty in their central issues, so they need complete (often long-term) solutions. Gaps are differences between current conditions & people’s goals.

Talk to customers about what certainty & completeness is for their concerns. If completeness isn’t possible or affordable, explain how your offers fulfill customers’ main criteria.

People miss benefits when they're skeptical about products or doubt solutions are possible. Skeptics have been disappointed & want more certainty than most people.

You can acquire loyal customers by helping skeptics bypass doubt with authoritative coaching about the right products & techniques for specific problems.

Explain how specific technology combinations of products & techniques solve problems better than alternatives.

Doubt rises when projects fail. Offer to review details of customers’ needs, so they have all products & information for successful, complete results.

Projects might fail if people don’t know about product limitations or how to use features to create specific benefits.

Though detailed learning requires more time, people can be more certain when they understand what to expect from products & results they create. Examples: Are they buying the best tools for producing & maintaining their results? How long should they expect results to last?

Offer extra value that makes your store an irreplaceable part of projects.

Example: ‘Your project success depends on step-by-step plans for using high quality tools & materials. That’s why (store) offers consultations to be sure product features & specifications match your project expectations. Let’s plan tasks & choose products based on your goal, so everything is compatible with your needs & skills.’

Customized Value

Will customers need to adjust long-term solutions? Example: Some people invest in high quality vacuum cleaners, but some cleaners are too heavy as people age. Some stores take trade-ins & sell lighter models, so customers can keep benefits as their conditions change.

Ask for details about customers’ property conditions & desired results, so you can compare how well products fill each gap & reduce risks.

There can be safety & visual issues from damage. Help people identify safety issues that are less obvious than visual issues.

Guide people in prioritizing problems to avoid increasing damage. Example: What would happen if we fix (problem 1) now & fix (problem 2) later?

Help people consider options.

Examples: What’s needed to restore conditions or even upgrade to better level? Should customers replace parts with the same specifications as originals? Would more advanced parts resist damage better?

Help customers choose products based on their desires, plus provide information about needs they might not recognize.

Explore Product Limitations & Potentials.

Do products totally fulfill customers’ needs & desires? Which added details & benefits would make solutions complete?

Are products too powerful or weak for customers’ comfort? Do products have excessive (& more expensive) features than customers need or want?

Review how product advantages & disadvantages affect tasks & results, so people are prepared to work before they leave your store. Example: Tasks take longer if people have to stop work to avoid hazards (vent toxic fumes).

Are there milder products that bring complete results?

When customers are aware of gaps or risks, you can help them avoid problems & maximize value by working around imperfections.

Review risks & help people prepare for unavoidable risks.

Example: Since perfection is impossible, products can fail at the worst times. Is it practical to have a loaner or prorated replacement program? Even if new product versions are released, you could have older versions from trade-ins. People, who use older loaners, won’t have to learn instructions of new versions at stressful times.

Influence People By Helping Them

People are attracted & influenced by value. Gain & maintain attention & influence by offering benefits that fit what people want to control.

When vital issues are at risk, people often have to make unfamiliar decisions. Make their decisions easier by explaining problems & clarify how products & instructions bring specific results.

Even if competitors have wide selections, they have limited influence if they only offer products without guidance. Increase your influence by offering all resources for maximizing people's results.

Effectively helping people can depend on what you offer & how you offer it. You can make effective offers based on physical (what people need) & psychological (why they need it) conditions.

Here are some reactions to perceived risks with general offers for those people:

Fight: Even without full preparation, people might rush to mitigate damage with current resources. They might think they know enough & don’t need other resources. When problems are imminent, it’s important to assure people you'll help them prepare with full solution implementations.

Example: ‘(Symptoms) show (problem) is starting. (Store) has kits for diagnosing & solving (problem). These kits include products, instructions & plans for eliminating & preventing (problem) step-by-step for long-term relief.’

Flight/Flee/Denial: People try to escape by ignoring or denying problems if solutions seem impossible, impractical or too expensive. Authoritative information can confirm problems are real & solutions work. Explain how offers fit people’s conditions.

Example: ‘You’ve probably noticed (symptoms) as (problem) starts. According to (authority), (problem) is caused by __ & (product) is an effective remedy. You can reduce or eliminate (cause) with techniques using (product). (Store) has kits for different budgets. Kits include instructions for products with tasks & information to confirm tasks are completed. For $XX, you can get temporary relief by reducing (symptoms) with a cleanup kit. $YY will bring full relief from a cleanup & prevention kit.’

Freeze: People hesitate to avoid making mistakes because potential mistakes seem worse than original problems. It’s especially true if they’re unsure about causes & effects. They need information, but don’t know where to find it. Assure them you can help with diagnosis & step-by-step plans.

Example: ‘When you notice (symptoms) from (problem), it’s hard to determine what happened & why. You need complete solutions including information about causes & effects, plus advice about (products) & plans for using them, so you can solve & prevent (problem). (Store) has that information, advice & products.’

Focus On Higher Priorities: With limited resources, people tolerate some problems & only solve what seems most serious. Explain why imminent or current problems should be high priorities.

Example: ‘Each summer brings (problem). Symptoms diminish in winter, but damage increases each year until all causes are eliminated. Look for (symptoms), answer the questions below & bring your details to (Store). You’ll find the kit you need for the amount of damage you need to repair.’

You can influence people by helping them regain & maintain control.

Your inventory & marketing should be influenced by customers’ priorities. You can shape their responses to your inventory & marketing by offering more effective ways of fulfilling their priorities.

Describe why products & services are more effective & efficient in specific conditions.

Example: ‘When (product) is used according to instructions, outside air is sealed out, so (describe positive result). (Product) is effective & efficient for local needs because (describe how the product is made).’

People can focus on more serious matters after using products & services to control some factors.

Many offers can be framed as maintenance to control conditions by preventing, reversing or limiting losses. People might prioritize maintenance more than gaining what’s out of reach but if they’ve almost achieved something, they don’t want to lose their opportunities.

Need & Readiness Are NOT the Same.

If people feel they aren't ready for offers, they might not respond. You can decrease people’s distress by integrating with them at different preparation & skill levels.

Example: ‘(Store) has products & advice for a variety of skill levels & needs. Let’s talk about your readiness & find what you need.’

Fast Information Can Reduce Stress.

Your store can be a resource for preventing & solving problems & relieving stress.

Since stress can increase until problems are solved, stress increases while people research & compare solution options. It’s especially true if people don’t know which information is reliable.

Relieve stress by making your store a total source of products plus information about identifying & solving problems.

Offer Example: ‘New product innovations can totally solve more problems. The options can be overwhelming because as questions increase, answers feel more confusing. (Store) is designed to clarify issues & stop problems. Let’s compare your needs & options by finding specific questions & answers. Let’s sift through the possibilities & find what works for you.’

Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.

Copyright 2020 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.

When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-

https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/

Retailers Should Reduce Stress with Full Solutions

Human behavior can be hard to predict when changing conditions cause distress.

Stressful changes are perceived in a range from inconvenient to threatening. Those perceptions influence what people are willing to do. It’s important to understand how consumers perceive conditions & their levels of control.

If customers are inconvenienced by changes, you’ll lose credibility by offering responses to threats. If customers feel threatened by changes, you could miss sales by offering ways to avoid inconveniences.

People reject negative ads that seem like scare tactics. Influence people through their perceptions instead of trying to alter emotions.

Losing or gaining benefits of physical objects can affect emotions through perceptions. Emotions shape perceptions, then those perceptions influence emotions. Your offers can interrupt that spiral. Help people notice damage & understand problems, so they avoid losing benefits.

Retailers should help people avoid or reduce stresses from significant losses. Customer consultations are vital for individual service & indicate offers to advertise to prevent losses.

Describe how changing conditions can affect people's lives & how you help people control results & limit negative effects.

People could lose progress or chances to advance if they aren’t prepared. You need a range of offers for preparing for emerging changes & adjusting if changes don't happen as predicted.

Offer ways to preserve & adjust benefits gained from improvements, so people decrease stress & don't lose pleasure.

You can build superior value by exploring issues many retailers ignore. Example: People can fully benefit from healed injuries if they know how to avoid reinjuring themselves. Would different product versions reduce injuries or would techniques matter more?

Superior customer service is often a matter of combining products & information.

Distress Makes Physical Problems Worse.

Distress happens when people: 1) aren’t ready to stop or control changes; 2) won’t accept changes; &/or 3) don’t know how to prepare for & recover from negative changes.

Stress increases as people try to avoid mistakes while searching for solutions. When you have a reputation as a solution source, people can reduce search times by starting with you.

People can get faster, better results when you prevent gaps by connecting problem diagnosis, products & facts.

Emphasize how knowledge is necessary for optimal, long lasting results.
Example: ‘It can seem easy to make quick repairs with cheap products because long-term problems appear later. (Store) has information about diagnosing & solving problems, so you’ll know what to do, how to do it & when it’s complete. Products will be matched to long-term results you need.’

The Right Products for the Right Conditions

Communicate with consumers to monitor conditions. Communicate with suppliers to interpret how product specifications fit conditions. Example: Thick oil isn’t always right for every need.

Though perception seems to be reality, help consumers interpret their perceptions, so solutions are accurate.

When you search suppliers’ offers, you need to balance local conditions & what products are promoted to do. Example: Some products can withstand high temperatures, but how often is that needed & does that product withstand low temperatures?

Help customers identify damage & assess their skills, so you can choose plans & kits.

Guide how they do tasks. Example: ‘If you’re learning as you do this, it’ll take longer, so you have to start now to finish on time. We can add basic tool, material & task instructions with the plan. (Product) needs X hours of drying time, so start early on a dry weather day. This advanced tool works quickly, but you’d need time to learn the techniques, so your first project might be relatively long.’

Offer products with proactive plans as solutions to differentiate yourself from retailers just selling products.

When you know about impending issues & work with suppliers, you can help customers with timely plans to reduce stress & mistakes.

Arrange supplier deliveries after helping determine when customers need results.
Offer Example: ‘(Authoritative sources) warn us about (issue). Since neighbors' needs can be different, (store) has checklists for choosing (products) & planning tasks. Let’s review your conditions now & find ways you can avoid problems. We’ll combine products & plans for the results you need at the right time.’

Being in Control is a Benefit.

When conditions are beyond people’s control, priorities change. People are apt to postpone opportunities & focus on avoiding losses. Some losses feel more threatening than others.

Your knowledge might include ways to mitigate or avoid current & potential losses.
Offer Example: ‘Retailers might claim to have solutions, but they only sell products. You need the right products plus actionable information to control conditions & solve problems. (Store) offers full value of consulting with you about products you need for results you want. Investing in total results is better than paying for products.’

Multiple small losses can have negative multiplier effects, so warn about future losses & offer guidance in choosing options.
Example: ‘Let’s solve & prevent problems to save you money & reduce stress. Sometimes you'll stop a series of problems by solving one problem. For example: Water leaking around windows can weaken window frames & walls. Look for evidence of leaks like this (picture). Problems are fully solved by high quality products with specific actions. (Store) combines top quality products plus consultations for identifying & effectively solving problems. The full value you get from (Store) includes understanding causes & effects, so you can prevent recurring problems. Let’s prevent & solve problems that cause stress. Life is the total of your experiences & (Store) is designed to make your experiences easier. How you change experiences depends on details we can discover with questions & answers about your conditions. Let’s combine our knowledge with products to create great experiences.’

It’s Great to Be Needed.

Integrate your store with people’s efforts to mitigate or avoid threats. Determine which losses are apt to happen & which threats you can minimize better than competitors.
Based on current information, is there enough time to prevent losses?
If there's only enough time to mitigate losses now, can you offer a solution later?
Example: ‘Prepare for problems from imminent rough weather. Look for problems like these (pictures). (Product) is strong & flexible enough to resist some hail damage. If overpowering wind & hail cause damage, you can use (tools) to remove & replace damaged material. (Product) is easy to reapply, so you’ll be ready for the next storm. Though weather is stronger than man-made products, (Store) can help you prepare for storms as much as possible. (Store) has products & information you need for local conditions. Let's review your needs, so you'll be ready for summer weather.’

People can be so distracted by current needs & desires, they aren’t aware of looming trouble.

Help people track how causes lead to effects & effects become causes of other effects.
Example: People prepare for cold weather effects on their bodies, but forget about property problems & effects of those problems.

Explain causes & how you help people limit negative effects.
Offer Example: ‘The forecasted cold weather can strain old furnaces. If your furnace breaks down now, you’ll wait for expensive emergency repair service. If your furnace can’t work any harder, it’s time to buy space heaters for your most used rooms. Your furnace’s work load will be reduced as it maintains lower temperatures in unoccupied rooms. Space heaters can match each family member’s individual comfort needs. Bring your family requirements & room measurements to (store), so we can choose the best heaters for your rooms.’

Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2020 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/

Customer Integration Inspires Consumers’ Attention, Interest, Desire & Action

Interruptive advertising gimmicks & blatant sales attempts might gain momentary notice but people appreciate genuine help offers.

I’m adding incrementally to previous posts. Here are more approaches to test & adapt.

Explain how your offers specifically help people fulfill needs.
Example: ‘Each summer when humidity rises, mildew & mold will increase unless you control the conditions. (Store) has checklists for evaluating your conditions. Let’s use your checklist findings to choose products & plan tasks to protect your health, plus increase your comfort. We'll focus on effectiveness & safety for superior results you need by matching product instructions & specifications with your conditions & priorities. (Store) has products you need, plus safety information. You can save time in one store & get effective results sooner.'

People want to control their conditions, so explain how you help them take & maintain control.
Example: ‘By using (product) to control humidity now, you can reduce mildew & mold. If small mildew or mold patches grow in areas of stagnant air, use (product) to stop the spread. Let’s talk about the level of control you need, so you get the right results.’

Make Meaningful Offers Based On People’s Priorities.

Explain how product value fits personal needs & desires.
Product Value: Specific solution kits are more effective & efficient than cobbling individual products together.
Personal Need/Desire: Help customers get effective results without the stress of hunting for information about problems & products.
Example: ‘(Store) has kits to solve (problems). Kit instructions accurately fit specific conditions, plus the products are compatible & effective. These kits reduce your stress by streamlining step-by-step tasks. You don’t need to research problems & products, because (store) has full information & instructions for tools & materials.’

Assure people by building a superior value reputation, so they pay attention to your ads. Differentiate your store by offering solutions, guiding people's choices & expressing concern with benefit descriptions.

Client consultations build empathetic understanding about high priority needs & desires. Your offers should gain attention by showing you understand people's desires & needs.

Ads can prompt people to prepare to shop in your store & expect exclusive benefits competitors don’t offer. Invite people to express concerns & guide them to answer questions with basic checklists in your ads. You can offer more detailed checklists in your store.
Example: ‘When you notice (symptoms), take pictures & write notes based on this checklist to accurately identify problems. When you come into (store), we’ll guide you through detailed checklists to find accurate solutions.’

In addition to helping clients based on their details, you’ll know how & when to adjust offers.

Explain how offers are beneficial & relevant in current or changing conditions to gain people's attention, interest, desire & action.
Example: ‘Checklists help us understand problems & adjust solutions when necessary. (Store) has a variety of products to prevent & solve household problems. Consultations turn these products into effective, efficient solutions. It’s time to end your frustration with big retailers’ lack of service. Reduce your stress from problems by getting satisfactory results from (store).’

As time passes & conditions evolve, clients’ details indicate how problems change & whether solutions are still applicable & popular.

You need to understand needs & desires because priorities affect choices & satisfaction with results.

People might prioritize symptom elimination when problems emerge instead of problem prevention. Guide clients' priorities by helping them understand what they need & guide how they fulfill desires.
Example: ‘Taking early action will reduce problems & your stress. By the time you notice (symptom A) & (symptom B), (problem) has already caused damage. Replace cracked & peeling paint with (product) to stop (problem). (Store) has tools & materials plus step-by-step information you need to eliminate vulnerabilities & fix problems.’

Reassurance Affects Responses to Advertising

When comparing offers, do you prefer buying from somebody who understands products & conditions, plus empathizes with you? Do you already feel comfortable with empathetic people because compatibility is built into the relationship?

Through advertising, your knowledge & empathetic expressions build customer integration before clients arrive in your store. Empathetic understanding shows concern for people & desire to help instead of just desire for their money. Empathetic understanding brings details for maximizing value compared to big retailers’ minimal service & product quality.

Helping customers make optimal choices is a service that differentiates you from retailers who avoid customer contacts.
Offer Example: ‘Discount stores won’t decrease your stress when products fail to prevent & solve problems. Discount retailers want millions of fast sales with little service, so they don't ask for your details. At (store), service is based on your details & desired results. Let’s create your best results by reviewing your current & future needs. Your details determine which products will totally solve problems & reduce your long-term costs.’

Differentiate Your Store With Service

Offer Example: 'Retail advertising is an invitation, but many big retailers invite you then ignore you. How can they serve you while avoiding contact? (Store) invites you to experience the service you need to create long-term results. Summer often brings (problems). Let’s review products & information you already have, so we can choose what completes your project & produces your best results.’

Powerfully differentiate yourself with concern for clients by specializing in knowledge about their needs. Explain your dedication to superior customer service compared to competitors.
Example: 'Have you noticed retailers advertise what's important to them? Many retailers focus on profits by promoting products & prices. (Store) specializes in what's important to you. (Store) has products & information for identifying, preventing or solving local problems, so your tasks bring satisfactory results. Let’s review your needs, so we can reduce your risks & stress.'

Though empathy is intangible, it communicates your desire to understand & fulfill customers' needs with the best product & information combinations.
Empathy helps you connect products’ physical results to people’s personal results.

Differentiate Your Store With Everything You Do To Improve Clients’ Results.

To compete with discount store commodities, you might have to specialize in new innovations. Make that an advantage for clients by explaining how to make innovative products produce better results than commodities.

New innovations can seem confusing, so demystify products by explaining how benefits fit specific conditions, plus customize instructions for specific needs.
Example: ‘(Store) specializes in new innovations to better solve (problem category). Let’s study your needs & discover ways to produce & maintain results you need. You can enjoy (activity) more because (problems) won’t interfere anymore when you learn how to use (products).’

You can show testimonials & even say you expect to earn more testimonials with superior service.

When you connect products & information, you create end-to-end results & reduce customers’ frustrations.

Unfamiliar product selections can frustrate customers, so compare products & match benefits with desires & expectations. Ask for examples & descriptions of desired & expected results to compare with product specifications.

As you develop plans for customers’ projects, you’ll notice which products & details are missing. You can connect customers’ current resources with new products & information they need. When you help customers review conditions & evaluate products, you can determine what would complete their projects.
Examples:
Maybe they haven’t bought necessary things because they need product knowledge to compare benefits with their needs.
Maybe they bought some necessary things but haven’t finished tasks because they need advice about next steps.

Empathy Enhances Compatibility.

When people need solutions, they’re uncomfortable. Your empathy can instill some comfort. Their comfort with you affects their comfort with your offers & vice versa.

Though solution effectiveness is a major concern, convenience & confidence affect satisfaction. Help people be confident in your offers starting with your advertising.

Describe how products fit people’s general expectations & how your consultations fulfill specific expectations.
Example: ‘Discount stores avoid customer service. (Store) is designed to satisfy your expectations & advise you about potential opportunities & problems. Since it’s important to get maximum value for your money, (store) offers __. Consultations about your needs & expectations will help you maximize your projects.’

After you give advice, you can confirm understanding of shared insights by asking, ‘How does that connect with your experience?’ When you offer solutions, you can confirm understanding & acceptance by asking, ‘How does that fit your expectations?’

Customized Kits & Product Displays

Offer kit customization by having products displayed according to planned steps, so clients can quickly identify & use what's necessary at home. Example: Provide what people need to start plants & optimize garden soil & continuing through to freezer bags & canning jars for storing harvested vegetables.

Outline general steps with specific instructions for each step.
'Step 1 includes these products: __. Check chapter 1 for specific instructions. When step 1 is finished, the project should like this __ & you'll be ready for step 2.'


Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.

Copyright 2020 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/

Enrich People’s Lives With Customer Integrated Options

If people only have financial & physical needs, advertising generic products by names & prices might be enough. People buy what they want & they want emotional satisfaction, not generic solutions.

To fulfill needs in special ways, people might need to use unfamiliar products & tasks, so they also want information & reassurance. Customer integrated retailers connect with customers more than physically with products.

Customer integration includes mental factors like confidence to try different products & methods. Since customer integrated retailers want customers to be totally satisfied with results, product satisfaction isn’t enough.

When people are disappointed by results, they might blame themselves &/or products. Disappointment leads to limited options because people hesitate about new things.

Help people explore options to enrich their lives. When you have a specialty, you offer a narrow, but deep range of options. If people are frustrated with limited results, you can offer better options in that deep range.
Example: Fitness stores match products with people’s needs & include information about specific exercises. As fitness levels change, customers can progress with different exercises & products.

You can make your store a necessity for people’s desired results in the range of your specialty. Your store becomes more necessary with each information detail & physical aspect you offer for specific improvements.

Your expertise & option range can reassure customers how well you enrich their lives & how necessary your store is. Since you have to limit your inventory, specialize in specific improvements & be an authority with valuable information.

Inspire trust by offering information that makes improvements complete in local conditions. Detailed advertising can explain how your specialty makes desirable improvements possible. Describe current & near future issues, so people recognize signs & symptoms. Explain how your products mitigate, solve or prevent problems, plus how your information improves product performance.

Eliminate Or Mitigate Risks.

Explain what eliminates or mitigates exposures to risks. Example: Problems cause gaps around windows. Caulking can seal small gaps & prevent some damage, but won’t fix problems that could cause gaps or previous damage.
Example Offer: ‘It’s time to check windows for drafts. (Store) has caulking & information for you to determine if there’s a problem to fix before you use caulking. It’s easy to find stores that just sell products. (Store) has products & information you need to find & fix problems, plus maintain improvements. (Store) offers what you need for long-term maintenance, so you’ll get results that are worth your time, effort & money.’

Attention, Interest, Desire, Action (AIDA)

Do big competitors attend to or ignore regional differences? You should emphasize specialized products, services & knowledge about what matters locally & help people thrive in changing conditions.

AIDA is a common advertising model. It describes effects of advertising on consumers. Customer intimacy & integration emphasizes how retailers make that model optimally effective.

Here are questions to help implement that model:
How much Attention do you pay to customers’ concerns?
How do you Attend to what’s necessary to improve conditions & maintain improvements?
How do your show your Interest in helping customers produce & maintain superior results?
How do you fulfill your helpful Desire with Actions to help customers choose specific products & methods for superior results?

Show you pay attention to & are interested in customers’ details, so you can inspire them to integrate their lives with your store. Offer what they desire for maintaining & enhancing important life aspects. Develop preliminary action plans for using products. When people respond to your ads, you can ask for details to finalize plans.

Integration forms relationships by connecting with what's important to people. There’s little connection in exchanging products & money because it doesn’t express much concern about customers’ results. When you have customer relationships, you want each other to thrive.

People buy discount store products when they think they have enough information or aren’t aware of better options.

Compared to big retailers’ lack of product quality & service, you can focus on improving customers’ results, even if improvements are incremental.

Instead of loading up on discounted products, customers can invest in better products for each step, so they can evaluate & customize incremental results. Explain how incremental progress can be adjusted for budgets & changing conditions.

Offer Full Solutions

Instead of advertising products, offer full solutions by helping people choose their best options by comparing their needs with product features.

Determine which product & task combinations can improve conditions & guide customers in checking progress. When customers check progress based on your guidance, they can adjust to be sure results become long-term solutions.
Offer Example: ‘Since home improvement solutions require more than products, (store) offers full guidance. Let’s review total conditions to determine what you need. We’ll choose tools & materials based on your needs & abilities. If necessary, we’ll explore adding to your skills, so you can create & maintain results. Let’s decrease your stress & increase your confidence with step by step plans.’

People need to know what to expect from problems, so they can choose products. Example: If an illness starts with fever & aches, people buy relief from those. Later, they might lose sleep because of coughing. Signs can help people prepare for what’s not currently apparent. ‘This current virus causes (symptom list). Products on this shelf can bring you comfort. If you have questions about symptoms, ask us now, so you’ll feel better soon.’

Promote Better Options.

People will opt for discount store lower prices & wider selections unless you promote better options.

Customer Intimate retailers offer customized, lower risk solutions. Customer integration goes further by helping people customize experiences.
Offer Example: ‘To offer you total confidence in home repairs, (store) will recommend products & customized plans for long-term, high quality weatherization. You’ll enjoy your warm home & low utility bills. (Store) focuses on your total enjoyment because minimal satisfaction & temporary results aren't enough. Let's make your results special by adding benefits with products & information discount stores ignore. Discount store commodities might barely do what you expect. Let's review what you need & choose tools & materials for the best results.’

Problem solutions can be experiences when people enjoy improvements & confidence in long-term results. Since actions produce results & inspire confidence, you can offer more significant value with products & planned tasks than discount stores.

Discount store executives show their disinterest in consumers’ details by reducing employee contacts. Show your interest in consumers’ details by encouraging contacts. You can learn how to help individuals, plus gather & combine their details for a fuller perspective of local conditions. That perspective can help you offer better kits for preventing or solving problems.

Each detail can help you enhance kits to provide complete results.

Help People Understand Information You Offer

If you only focus on product sales, you’ll limit customers’ options. You can be flexible & help consumers be flexible by adding information.

Unfortunately, information can be interpreted & rejected as opinions. Success can depend on handling or detouring around disagreements.

Though facts seem to be black & white, there are often shades of gray. You can reduce doubt by consulting based on customers’ details. Focus on details that make particular products & methods necessary. When you effectively & efficiently combine those products & methods into superior results, customers’ testimonials can support your statements.

Products & methods work in some conditions & fail in others, but those success & failure evaluations are often subjective.

If nothing worked before, limited effects seem like success, so people repeat methods. They advise others to do the same in similar conditions. They might do the same things until you persuade them to try what’s more convenient, less expensive, easier to achieve &/or more effective & efficient.

Though discount stores might have low standards, people might think commodities are better than nothing or good enough. Differentiate your store by making higher standards part of your offers.
Example: ‘Stores are setup to either push products or help customers. (Store) will help you combine products & information into superior results. When you need full, long-term superior quality, don’t settle for partial relief from discount store bargains. You should depend on store owners to help you use products. Let’s review what you want, so you’ll get lasting benefits that are worthy of your time & efforts.’

Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.

Copyright 2020 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/

Integration Prevents or Solves Customers’ Specific Problems.

Integration makes your business part of customers’ solution processes.

Since products are similar, differentiate your business as a superior choice for specific results.

Compare customers’ concerns & purchase patterns with suppliers’ offers.

If you have the same suppliers as big retailers, do those competitors advertise the same product versions? This information can help you plan promotions & avoid direct competition.

Do products seem alike despite different quality? Compare how differences will affect results.

If product versions are the same, specify how your services produce better results. Example: ‘Customer services make big differences when products seem similar. (Store) will help you plan tasks & choose products based on your goals because results depend on how you combine & use products. You need superior quality, so (store) adds the value you need.’

Customer integration decreases problems by using supply chain communication & team efforts. Encourage customers to share observations & insights. Organize & combine their input with professional level information, including advice from manufacturers. This information can help you optimize ads & precisely guide product choices & methods according to people's goals.

Offer complete results by forming an information & products supply chain. Example: ‘(Store) offers products with methods you need to start & finish projects. With information for each step, you’ll know how to use each product & get effective, efficient long-term results. We’ll guide you in choosing products that are compatible with each other & your goal. Your successful projects will upgrade your home & reduce your stress as you solve & prevent problems.’

Control Quality Issues With Products & Processes.

Problems could change or be uncovered in any process step. When people need to adjust steps &/or ways they use products, they need specific information instead of one-size-fits-all approaches.

When your store is integrated into customers' lives, results depend on the value you add. That integrated value can be customized results from combining products & insights.

Customer intimacy builds relationships & creates optimal insights developed by understanding people's needs.

Good relationships form around mutual dedication to achieving goals. Show you’re more dedicated to customers' goals than competitors by combining details into long-term improvements. Example: ‘We learn from research & solving customers’ problems because (store) does more than sell products. Bring shopping lists & questions, so we can guide you.’

Since suppliers need sizable markets, products might be made for a variety of tasks instead of being specialized. Compare products to local conditions. Some suppliers might offer you better service but their products might less effective in local conditions.

Consumers can get limited results from big retailers' commodities. When customers need something in your specialty to achieve goals, they can’t afford to come up short. To go the distance, they need progress without regression.

Offer confidence by explaining how & why products & methods contribute to long-term progress. Help people invest in more progress without excessive maintenance made necessary by using inferior products.

When you learn about people's conditions & goals, you can integrate with people’s lives. You’ll gain insights about positive & negative details.

Sorting details is necessary to determine what interferes with goals & positive conditions. Sort details & prioritize which factors to change according to people's limits (budgets, scheduling, etc.).

If people can't change each factor, check details to determine what interferes most with goals & positive conditions.

Find positive details & determine which factors to adjust. Example: Cushions & mechanisms make some lift chairs too big or heavy for patients' homes. Customer consultations can focus on appropriate chairs for people & possibly modifying their homes or other furniture.
Discuss Priorities

Since changes disrupt lives & can interfere with progress, discuss whether disruptions might become problems. If people can’t afford to change every factor or solve each problem, review conditions & discuss priorities, so they change or solve high priorities.

Discuss options. Example: Is it more effective &/or less expensive to enhance positive factors or eliminate negative factors?

Some say the devil is in the details. There can be angels in details. Angels are considered good forces (effects). Angels are also messengers, so look for messages (indicators). Details can indicate opportunities or growing problems while there’s still time for action.

Some details to examine are: causes & effects; current & potential problem symptoms; & consequences of disregarding problems.

Check for compatibility among customers’ priorities & goals; current resources; knowledge & skills; previous & developing results from actions in progress.

Help people consider future issues. Example: People want small, easy to park, fuel economic cars. Diabetes patients, who need canes now, soon might need wheel chair accessible vehicles.

It’s important to ask how people define what’s important to them. ‘It seems __ is especially important. I can help with that if you describe what it means to you.’

People use what feels comfortable, so compare results of their familiar tools & methods with what's better for new conditions. Explore options slightly beyond their comfort to expand possible solutions.

As people’s desires change gradually, maybe their current interests don’t match their resources, knowledge & skills. You can help people transition by accepting trade-ins & offering products, knowledge & coaching skills for their new interests. Sometimes, you might help rekindle interests by introducing new methods & products to end boredom.

Promote new details, so people know improvements are possible. Even if people get new innovative products, they might need new methods to get improved results.

Prepare For Changes

As you monitor new products & changing conditions, you can advise people to prepare for what's starting to happen.

Details help you guide people’s actions, projects & purchases in ways many big retailers won’t.

Study product details & methods, so you can help people focus on key details to improve projects & overall quality of life.

Prioritize details based on people’s needs, product availability, current & potential conditions.

If customers’ details indicate immediate needs but the most effective products aren’t in stock or affordable, discuss options.
How long can they wait?
What are their financing options?
Is it practical to start multiple step projects & delay some steps?
Can you plan the best interim results & adjust when better products or more money are available?

Some details could seem to be subjective or objective or at least be interpreted subjectively or objectively. Help people examine product advantages (pros) & disadvantages (cons) based on current & long-term needs compared to their desires.

Use important details about people’s conditions to determine product advantages & disadvantages.
‘(Product A) costs more because it does __ better than competitors’ products. You might need that if __.’
‘(Product B) does __ less thoroughly than competitors’ products. That lower quality is enough if you don’t need __.’
‘(Product C) does __ & __ to a lesser degree. That’s enough if you only need the results for a few years.’

Fiduciary Adviser

Do your best to fulfill a fiduciary role & advise customers to do what’s best for them even if you get less profits now.

Customers might not know what to ask because they don’t have enough information about problems & products.
Example: People might not notice slowly developing odors & wall discolorations until there's a big problem. Noticing problems isn’t the same as identifying causes & effects. Indicate how & where to look for symptoms, then determine what to do about causes & effects.

Even when people know something is wrong, they need to know who has resources. Your ads & in-store efforts (signs & discussions) should describe symptoms, summarize effects of problems & offer remedies.

Put details in ads, so people can recognize problems & know which solutions to discuss with you. Offer total solutions so people are less apt to settle for inadequate products from discount stores.
Example: ‘Have you notice (symptom list) in your basement? Those might be symptoms of (problem) & could be caused by __. Look also for causes like __. Bring your pictures, notes & concerns to (store), so we can confirm the conditions & determine what to do.’

Though it’s common to think about making competitively priced offers, you should make complete solution & prevention offers.

Solving problems can be a process starting with identification, progressing with choosing products & tasks for solving problems & maintaining results. Each process step depends on information.

Review people’s details, so you can help them with questions & answers.

To consistently add value to products, use lists to make basic processes. List questions for examining products & conditions to find details about what’s missing from conditions & which products & tasks could fill those gaps. List details you & customers need to know.

Processes increase effectiveness & efficiency. When you use processes to serve people, use Stephen R. Covey’s wisdom. Be effective with people. Be efficient with things. That’s very important in customer intimacy.

Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2020 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/