I’m still expanding the Customer Intimacy concept from “The Discipline of Market Leaders” by Michael Treacy & Fred Wiersema. I’m describing ways to integrate businesses with consumers’ lives.
Consumers think prices are the only differences between stores if retailers don’t produce enough value. Some retailers say consumers are fickle, as if consumers aren’t entitled to superior values. Don’t blame consumers for choosing competitors. You’re responsible for explaining why your offers are superior values.
Customer intimate consultations define superior values & why specific products matter. Consultations help you & customers understand & agree how to use products & tasks to improve conditions.
With that understanding, you can build a reputation of consistently helping people create & maintain improvements.
In “Bottom-Up Marketing”, Al Ries & Jack Trout recommend going down to the battle front (consumers’ minds). Consultations are good for confronting consumers’ beliefs about products & retailers, plus learning about changing needs & desires. Adjust advertising & in-store efforts based on customers’ current beliefs, needs & desires.
In physical wars, each side might promise better conditions for civilians, but trust is built by listening before telling.
The battle metaphor fits retailing because consumers cooperate with the side that provides what they need. You need to provide peace of mind by helping consumers win daily battles (solving & preventing problems).
Consumers need allies for their daily battles. To be a retail ally, make shopping easy with informative advertising & in-store product advice. To win their battles, consumers need reliable supply lines & communication. Consultations show you care about communication & being a reliable supplier.
Promise Example: ‘Many retailers only sell products, so they don’t ask about your needs. We know product details & local conditions, plus we ask questions to confirm which product results you need.’
Big retailers promote commodity products as standard solutions. By definition, problems aren’t standard conditions, so standard solutions might be incomplete. Customized solutions can closely fit problems for long-term quality.
Be Dedicated To People Before You Expect Them To Be Dedicated To You.
Your dedication to local people can attract customers, who won’t settle for standard kits that yield substandard results.
Promise Example: ‘Big retailers often expect people to settle for standard products or kits that don’t totally solve problems. They cater to the needs of regional populations. Instead of buying standard products or kits, tell us about your conditions so we can develop complete, specific results.’
Show you understand customers’ needs & desires while offering solutions.
Promise Example: ‘Daily life can feel like a battle when you try to identify new problems & find solutions while dealing with other concerns. Let’s compare product details & your conditions, so we can customize remedies for your challenges. That’s the value of investing time to understand what you want, so you use the right products & methods.’
When you understand customers, you know which information helps them decide what to buy. Consultations help you learn what to put in your ads & guide customers in-person.
Successful consultations build preliminary trust when you listen before selling. Learn about results consumers expect & their confidence levels during consultations & earn trust by helping customers fulfill their expectations.
During consultations, help customers set expectations based on product specifications & effective methods that fit current & predicted conditions.
Even if only a minority of customers wants consultations, you’ll learn applicable facts & methods to benefit others. When you show deep concern, customers make referrals because they trust you to serve friends.
Customers can help others with methods they learn from you & recommend you as a product source. Customers can reciprocate & keep you in business, so you’ll help them in the future.
Consultations build relationships for mutual benefits. Relationships establish strong positions in the competitive fronts in people’s minds. You need to establish & maintain strong positions in people’s lives.
Advertised product & price lists don’t connect needs with solutions until questions are asked & answered. Your knowledge shows your concern about people, so they can rely on you. Show you just need customers to provide their unique facts & you’ll add the rest.
Solutions = Products + Methods
Retailers typically offer solutions like this: You have this problem; here’s a product, the price is __. The customer intimate approach is: You have this problem; let’s discuss how to solve it with these products & methods.
Customer intimacy focuses on understanding customers’ concerns & recommending specific solutions instead of just selling products. Understanding concerns makes customer service easier.
Build trust by explaining how you integrate your store with customers’ lives by understanding their concerns.
Example: ‘We focus on what’s important for your quality of life. We choose products based on living in our community & discussing customers’ concerns & goals. We study product details & local conditions, so we can recommend solutions instead of just selling products.’
Customer intimate retailers develop confidence in solutions by basing offers on why people want to obtain or avoid things. Ask about customers’ priorities & viewpoints, so you can develop solutions & explain why benefits are important.
People might choose stores for combined reasons.
Example: They want help to accurately diagnose problems & avoid mistakes when implementing solutions.
People Wonder, ‘What If __?’
To help people, ask about their concerns.
Example: ‘Have you heard good & bad things about (product)? Do you want a better alternative? Let’s discuss your conditions. What’s the best result you want? What’s the least you expect? Have you ever tried (product)? What were your results? If __ happens, your options are __. Based on your conditions, __ might be your best option.’
Discuss product expectations & results criteria, so customers understand which products & methods are safe & effective for their conditions & goals.
People need to accurately evaluate results to determine if problems are thoroughly solved or prevented. Help people choose products & evaluate results by discussing how to eliminate causes & create effects.
Offer checklists or internet links to help customers diagnose problems, choose necessary products for specific problems & evaluate results.
Example: ‘Some retailers may claim to sell solutions, but do they help you identify problems or just sell products? When they sell the wrong products, you still have problems & less money. It’s why we have checklists & other resources to help you identify specific problems & confirm solutions are working.’
Even after buying necessary products, people need knowledge that might not be on product labels.
Examples: Since conditions vary, what’s right for some cases is wrong for others. Misusing products can cause problems without fixing anything. If products don’t work quickly, people might use the wrong amount & later wonder if it’s too late to correct. People need to know what to expect step-by-step, so they work at the right pace & adjust methods if necessary.
How precise should people be with methods & measurements?
Example: Product ingredients can have varying effects & safety risks. People might use minimal amounts to reduce chemical exposures, but they’d also get reduced results. Discuss how to accommodate safety concerns so people get results they pay for.
Results of using safety products can depend on materials. Vinyl gloves can withstand chemicals, but if chemical reactions create extreme heat or fire, vinyl gloves aren’t protective.
If project results start varying from expectations, help customers realistically adjust expectations &/or use different products &/or methods.
Strengthen Your Competitive Advantage By Improving Lives
You’ll build your competitive advantage with every bit of exclusive value you add. Though your guidance wouldn’t guarantee perfection, you can reduce people’s risks. You can compete based on reducing people’s risks.
Offer Example: ‘Get customized plans to increase your success & decrease risks. You may be unaware of risk factors. Though we can’t guarantee perfection, let’s discuss your conditions & goals. We can increase positive factors & decrease negatives.’
Project kits can include warnings about potential risks like trying to get faster results or off-label results.
Example: ‘People are often tempted to use higher product amounts or try unrecommended methods to get faster or different results. Please use products as instructed. Even if experienced users advise various changes, serious injuries & damage are possible.’
Though people can find diagnostic pictures & guidance on the internet, they need enough knowledge to determine search terms & evaluate information.
Be a stronger competitor by increasing the effectiveness of products by accurately diagnosing problems or guiding people to find diagnostic information.
Make your store irreplaceable by integrating with consumers' priorities & linking with their desires. Example: ‘Winter is close, so it’s time to plan for (issue). You’ll be sure your home is secure, when high priority tasks are done. Your priority might be __; we’ll help with (products), so you can prevent/fix __. As we fulfill your priorities, you’ll feel less stress & enjoy life more.’
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2020 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
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