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/

Help Consumers Win Daily Battles.

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.
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/

If You Want Different Results, Use Different Concepts & Methods.

Would you rebel or submit if you were required to adopt the same practices of other retailers? If every retailer had the same practices & inventory, many stores would close because consumers would choose the most convenient locations.

Small stores have failed by copying successful big retailers & big retailers fail when competitors offer better value. Instead of just promoting product features &/or benefits, offer the value of helping customers produce & maintain results.

As retailers test offers & consumers’ lives change, offering superior value is a challenge.
Example: As conditions change, products & methods can lose effectiveness or cause damage. Help consumers adjust what they do, so they can adopt new necessities.

Relevant Retailing

Since consumers have a variety of choices, test a variety of services instead of competing only based on products & prices. Your services should integrate your store into local consumers’ lives. What I write about Customer Intimacy is how to integrate your store into consumers’ lives.

When people want low priority results, discount stores' commodities are OK. Small stores should offer what people need for high priority results.

Big retailers try to be more relevant to wider segments by experimenting with customer services, product types & quality levels.

When big retailers focus on big segments, they miss some individual desires & needs. Fill those gaps by aligning your practices with local & personal conditions, so you can integrate with consumers because you understand them better than competitors.

You can help people produce better results when you ask what people want & need from certain results.
Example: Medical problems can restrict people’s movements & force people to change their homes. Some businesses push new cabinets. Organizers & different shelves would help people store & retrieve things & the installation would be less disruptive.

People Want More With Less Risk

Some retailers have easy product return policies, but people still have unsolved problems if they return products. Integration involves helping people find what they want & avoid what they don’t want.

People are more concerned about losing what they have than about progress. It’s common for retailers to offer products without promising specific benefits. Some encourage progress but ignore consumers’ other concerns.

Customer intimate retailers ask about concerns & help people build loss resistant foundations.

This foundations concept means people can retain benefits if problems happen.
Help people understand: 1) what causes their current conditions; 2) positive potential of making changes; 3) negative potential of not making changes; 4) what could go wrong with some products; 5) how to avoid mistakes.

Step-by-step instructions for specific conditions can limit risks. When steps are completed, other tasks won’t disrupt what’s secure because of your advice about avoiding problems & mistakes. Based on expected results of each step, people can recognize potential problems & learn to preserve progress & prevent losses.

As people consider other projects, you can help them check compatibility & be sure new projects don’t interfere with past projects. Example: If people have gardens, planting trees can cause too much shade or even chemically kill other plants.

Offer advice based on total goals & conditions since soil conditions & placement also affect plant health.

Urge customers to consider short- & long-term issues. Examples below are analogous for other projects.

Before planting trees, people should consider how long they’ll live in their houses, future tree size, growth speed & raking leaves year after year. People add rooms to their houses under growing tree branches & wind knocks branches down.

Since people have deductibles, insurance doesn’t always fully cover damage from accidents or severe weather. Insurance doesn’t restore satisfaction when people lose results of their work. Your customer service can include products & information for protecting completed projects & works in progress.

If insurance only covers completed projects, help people reduce vulnerability by determining when to start & how to speed up results.

People might hesitate if they can’t get full insurance coverage for expensive projects. You can show you care by advising people to be sure they’ll have insurance coverage before starting projects.

Project results should be worth more than the insured value of the materials. Do you have examples of insured value of projects to show to insurance adjusters?

You’ll show you care when you help people anticipate opportunities & problems.

What Reassures Customers?

Promote your ability to coordinate products & project tasks because confused people might hesitate to buy.

Shopping for the right product is frustrating without knowing if features solve specific problems. Help people plan projects by matching product benefits with customers' needs.

Stress from problems is compounded when people struggle to learn all they need for projects.

To reduce people's frustration, offer details they need for the best solutions.
Example: ‘You noticed (symptoms) & need quick solutions. After you evaluate your conditions, you need a plan & to learn about tools, materials & compatibility issues. It’s hard to control problems while learning every important detail, finding the best products & planning your project. All you need is at (business) because we recommend what works after comparing problems with product instructions & specifications.’

Ask what frustrates people, so you can help them avoid wasting time & energy.
Example: ‘You need persistence to maintain __ with cheap, discount store products. At (business), we specialize in helping you use high quality products for consistent long-term results. We’ll help you eliminate frustration, so you’ll be satisfied with projects. You can finalize projects & move on, when you’re sure about quality.’

Pride Is A High Priority Result.

Struggling to create & maintain high priority results is especially frustrating when personal pride is involved.
Example: People, who make lawn care a high priority, might link their reputations to their homes. If they personally tend their lawns, they want to understand lawn products because their job-to-be-done includes a high standard of lawn excellence.

If neighbors prioritize uniformity, their job-to-be-done is matching a standard, so they want to know just enough to buy the right products.

To serve them all, express dedication to their causes.
Example: ‘Your neighbors don’t keep many lawn care secrets because they want beautiful neighborhoods. We have products & information you need for high standard lawns. Home owners are often frustrated because they have different lawn conditions. We’ll help you understand how to adjust for different conditions.’

People, who feel personally linked to results, invest dedicated efforts & expect high returns on their investments. Promote your ability to contribute high quality value that matches consumers’ standards.

Ask about consumers’ standards & if you can exceed their expectations, explain how that quality is realistically achieved.

After people have been frustrated, satisfaction promises can seem too good to be true. Does satisfaction mean pride, relief from stress or other benefits? When you know what satisfies people, explain how products fulfill satisfaction with specific benefits.

Integrate your store into people’s efforts by learning about their successes & frustrations. How do problems affect customers? Why are certain results important? What leads to customers’ successes & frustrations? How can you influence those causes & effects?

After you ask about customers’ goals, you can explain how to use your product kits to increase successes & reduce frustrations. People’s success & frustration are affected by their comfort with products, results & risks. With questions & suggestions, you can help people determine how comfortable they are with product performance & risks.

Make offers based on benefits & how comfortable people are with products. Examples:
This general offer doesn’t specify why the product is safer or any specific benefits: ‘(Chemical) reduces effects of mold & is safer than __.’
This offer is more specific about safety & benefits: ‘Formula ABC kills without poisons by blocking mold's ability to absorb water. ABC also safely reduces odors & stains in X days.’

Some advertisers promise to exceed customers’ expectations, but some things should be considered. Should you promise to exceed expectations before you hear them? How much extra does that quality cost? Why is that extra quality worthwhile? Why is ‘good enough’ not enough? If people can only afford ‘good enough’ quality now, can they upgrade later?

Explain why & how exceeding expectations can match people’s priorities.
Example: People might want a home improvement to last until they move out in 5 years. Your improvement kit might increase their comfort, pride & home resale value enough to offset the price. If people use lower quality options, their homes might be less attractive, so they might have to wait longer for a sale.


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/

Offering Happiness Means Reducing Problems Plus Increasing Benefits

Customer intimacy makes your store a valuable product & information source that improves lives.

You should offer happiness elements based on customers’ definitions & ways of pursuing happiness. Do customers explore new experiences regularly or occasionally to end monotony? Do customers try avoiding problems by repeating experiences to maintain safe, predictable happiness levels?

Problems can cause losses & interfere with pursuits of happiness, so avoiding losses is a high priority. Help customers comfortably balance exploration & familiarity.

Nebulous happiness is hard to achieve. After helping people identify what makes experiences enjoyable, offer necessary products & plan the steps. When people know how to consistently plan experiences, they can avoid mistakes.

People don’t want to lose what they’ve gained & problems make people vulnerable to losses.

Do customers use familiar, but possibly suboptimal ways to mitigate lingering or intermittent problems? Well-known methods & products seem easier & better than what’s unknown. Explain better options to make them familiar.

Expand your knowledge because better explanations can make offers successful. Learn about new conditions & problems, so you can find causes & recommend products.

Stand out from competitors by offering each element of new solutions & experiences including instructions for adjusting for conditions.

Successful offers often depend on these insights: People prefer what’s comfortable & familiar. People are more apt to buy what they want than what they need. People often emphasize avoiding problems more than gaining benefits.

Influence choices by explaining key details to increase desire & familiarity. Offers can seem too good to be true until you explain how products avoid problems & produce benefits.

Offer kits with product explanations & step-by-step instructions, so results & experiences will seem realistic & familiar. Descriptions can virtually build familiarity by helping people audition experiences in their imaginations.

Do you offer enhancements for familiar experiences? Describe enhancements based on added value & reduced frustration. Example: ‘Use Grill Monitor, so you won’t increase the cooking time by repeatedly opening your grill to check temperatures. Plus, you can spend more time with guests. Grill Monitor works by __.’

Offers are more powerful when you improve conditions by decreasing negatives & increasing positives.

Offer stress relief, plus things people can enjoy after problems are solved. Identify problems & distractions you can reduce & which benefits bring happiness. Make things as clear as possible.

Offer to increase specific benefits by reducing specific problems. Example: ‘Tough Shine resists rust, so your car lasts longer & looks good for your pride of ownership & higher trade-in value.’

When multiple step projects are necessary to reduce problems & produce benefits, plan tasks with instructions for specific product combinations in customers' conditions. Explain how different products would change results.

Boost Confidence To Make Offers Attractive.

Reduce people’s frustrations & stimulate confidence with each offer, so they return.

Help people increase skills, boost confidence & self-satisfaction by achieving goals. As people work with high quality products & methods, they’ll become confident in end results. It can increase their confidence in your ability to guide them in future projects.

People accept offers based on confidence in themselves, businesses, products &/or services.

How do customers describe their concerns? Example: What do long-term quality & dependability mean? Do people expect fully solved problems without frequent maintenance, so they can focus on other things?

Happiness can be affected by people’s confidence in their abilities to create & maintain results. People can be more comfortable if somebody explains how product quality matches their conditions & if results will last as long as they need.

Planning boosts confidence when people know what to expect. Confidence also is easier when people know how perceived risks are controlled.

Perceived risks generally decrease happiness. By applying information, you can help people adjust perceptions.

Often people will perceive risks until there are positive actions. That only works when people are confident about methods, products & results. They need know how to solve problems with product & method combinations even as conditions degenerate.

Limited Risks

When customers consider product quality, do they think about inadequate results or total losses? Risk reduction is easier when people know how products fit into causes & effects. Explain why products affect results.

Show how combining resources can produce strengths to avoid specific weaknesses.

When problems happen, guide customers in checking results, determining what to salvage & making new plans for new conditions.

Plans can ease people's concerns with step-by-step instructions of when & how to start projects.

Even when potential risks can’t be eliminated, people want to limit losses at threshold levels.

To eliminate as many risks as possible, advise customers about all necessary resources.

When you help customers compare offers, ask about their current & needed resources to determine if they're ready. Which products, services &/or information would complete their projects?

In dealing with current or potential damage, people should compare repair & prevention options, plus consider risks of waiting. ‘How long can they wait?’ might mean ‘Will conditions decline until problems are solved?’

Without guidance, people might misjudge problems & use inadequate products from discount stores. People feel good about saving money, especially when they feel they’re risking less money. They might save money for a short time until discount store products fail.

People need to know how to compare risks & choose less risky options.

Consult with people on evaluating conditions & combining specific products & information to produce & maintain customized benefits.

Help customers get full value from high quality products by identifying what will fulfill their desires.

Define long-term results & plan methods to maximize key product attributes. It should encourage people to invest in high quality instead of settling for what’s barely satisfactory. Example: Walk-in bathtubs with fast drains are good if pipes are watertight & unclogged. Explain what contributes to corroded & clogged pipes, plus how to avoid problems with proper care.

Avoid Disappointments

When people avoid disappointments by not trying, they deny themselves chances to grow. They compare what they want to what they have & the gaps seem too big.

People don’t always think of incremental growth. If they can’t afford to close big gaps, determine if step-by-step solutions & preventions are practical.
To manage jobs-to-be-done, people need to know what could limit project & experience quality.

Encourage people to buy from you to get advice about methods that fit product specifications. Help people set realistic goals for result quality.

As people describe desired results, consider if those results are compatible with people’s lives. People don’t always know how things are linked.

Example: If customers want flower gardens, do they want to replant each year or maintain the same plants? How will they deal with insects & wild animals? Do they have outdoor pets?

When people have jobs-to-be-done, they might not have clear goals or firm results. They might take steps from tentative starting points & get stuck. Help them define criteria & quality standards, so you can recommend products.

Since conditions restrict possible results, ask if customers are comfortable with those restrictions & possible results. Based on that, you can help them continue.

If they need long processes, milestones should be recognizable to know if they’re on track. To get back on track, they might different methods &/or products.

People might trade down to buy commodities for less important factors that have minor effects on total quality.

Help customers determine if short-term minor effects might have bad long-term effects.

Even if people want challenging projects, they need to match product strengths & limitations with local conditions. To achieve & maintain desired quality, people need to know when to trade up for key products & which commodities could be adequate.

Irresistible Offers

Consumers might resist what you think are irresistible offers because they don't understand some things. When you’re a subject authority, you might not know what confuses novices.

Make notes about what seems to confuse people, so you can offer essential guidance in the present & future. Check advice web sites for people’s questions.

Don’t try to compete directly with big retailers because they succeed with different value propositions. Base your value propositions on your methods of helping people maintain or improve their conditions.

Explain how your offers help to maintain or gain results & avoid problems. Sometimes people want to maintain results plus reduce vulnerabilities.
Those issues may be clear to you, so people need you to clarify & simplify their needs.

When people don’t understand, issues feel complex & risky, so hesitation feels more comfortable than potential mistakes.

Use your knowledge to explain your recommendations, so people feel comfortable. Show you care about people, you know about their conditions & have product knowledge, so they’ll feel more comfortable.

Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2019 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/

Build Credibility by Managing Expectations & Experiences

Advertisers seem to present products as ideal for everybody. Customer intimate retailers build trust with realistic promises about products for specific conditions.

Prevent disappointment by defining quality according to effects in local conditions because similar products vary in skill requirements & results.
Example: ‘You need (result) because winter is near. (Product A) can __ if you use it before frost hits. (Product B) can temporarily__ if used in cold weather. Come in now & we’ll make the best recommendations by comparing your needs with product benefits & limitations.’

Expectations are based on paradigms. Paradigms define people’s criteria. General criteria can be maintaining or upgrading comfort & preventing disruptions.

Define specific criteria based on people’s experiences. Examples: ‘Does comfort mean firm support or floating on a cloud?’ ‘What kind of disruptions do you expect?’

Manage expectations & experiences by balancing between the minimum people accept & best they can afford.
Example: What can people do to maintain or upgrade favorite experiences? How much disruption will people accept? Ask about budgets, evaluation criteria & current conditions, so you can recommend options to prevent or mitigate disruptions & maximize positive changes. You might suggest adjusting expectations. ‘If you can’t avoid (problem), you can use (product A) to reduce it. If you can’t afford (product A), you can use (product B) to __.’

When you know how people evaluate experiences & what they expect, form checklists of what’s important. After that, use scales to prioritize what will maintain, adjust or create desired experiences. You can ask, ‘When you have a choice between (experience A) & (experience B), how important is __? (1 least important to 10 most important)’

After asking about people’s knowledge & skills, recommend products, services & information for creating what they want. Increase options by improving people’s knowledge & skills with recommended tutorials.

People don’t always know how product quality affects experiences, so offer information based on people’s goals.
Example: ‘Achieving goals depends on product quality & activities, so we’ll help you plan tasks & choose products to maintain or increase your progress.’

Use Testimonials To Plan Experiences.

When people report good results, ask for details about products & methods, so you can advise others who want similar results. When you have permission to use testimonials, you can use those descriptions during consultations & ask, ‘Is this what you expect?’

Descriptive testimonials can help others avoid disappointments by finding experiences compatible with their lives.

When people are frustrated, ask for details of their progress, goals & criteria, so you can recommend products & methods.
Example: ‘Based on your goal & what you’ve achieved so far, it seems you need __.’

Create options by learning about several customers’ similar experiences. After customers choose options, help them replicate what satisfied others. If they go off track, use their criteria to guide them back. Use their criteria to form a system, so they can review changing conditions to determine whether to adjust goals &/or methods.

They also might want to adjust when new products are available.

Find New Options

If something isn’t ideal anymore, what are people’s second choice options? Help them adjust by resetting financial & time budgets, including what they need for learning skills to achieve & maintain results.

When new technology is available, help people determine whether to adopt new options or stay with what fulfills current needs.

Help customers determine if new options fit current goals & conditions or if new goals might be better. If preferences change, advise them if new options might interfere with progress.

Act While Risks Are Small.

When problems start small, people might believe there aren’t serious risks.

When you have credibility from product & local knowledge, your warnings seem credible. People may disregard harsh facts, so persuade them (without excessive alarm) to take action while a risk is small.

Help people determine what to realistically expect. Identify symptoms & offer products with instructions.

People like quick fixes, so let people know if multiple step plans are necessary, plus how long symptoms & remedies might last.

Offer details about tasks before purchases, so people can determine if they’re ready. If they aren’t ready, ask which resources they need.

You can build credibility with knowledge & realistic promises even if you don't have every resource customers need. If you need to refer customers to other stores for some resources, work with those retailers to develop plans & solutions.

Credibility can attract shoppers who need assurances about product quality & whether products are compatible with projects.

Since you sell products, your recommendations could be interpreted as opinions, so refer people to objective information sources. After people accept objective information, show how that information applies to your offers. With applicable information, your offers could be their best options in local conditions.

While discussing consumers' concerns & desired results, search for products & information they can optimally use. That effort can increase trust more than general advice.

Coordinate Resources & Reduce Risks

As a resource coordinator, you can attract buyers who need methods for choosing & using products.

Products aren’t enough until people can fill gaps between current & desired conditions, so promote your ability to offer total solutions.

If people don’t fill gaps, they might risk missing something. They’ll feel exposed to risks & expect things to go wrong.

When people are unsure about results, they’re unsure about buying. Gather information about current & desired conditions plus ways to close their gaps. Provide the steps so nothing is left to chance.

People might hesitate until they know how to evaluate options & decide what to buy. Give them freedom to act by providing information. People might stay in an endless loop of old experiences until somebody removes the risk of new experiences.

Risk reversal (refunds & exchanges) can be used after decisions, but people want to avoid bad decisions. By offering guidance, you & your customers can avoid refund & exchange hassles.

Explore Consumers’ Desired Experiences

Customer intimate retailers can specialize in helping people trade up for superior experiences.

People probably trade down with commodities for minor experience elements & trade up to high quality for the best elements. Their best elements define the overall experience quality.

Compare your current & potential inventory with competitors’ offers based on consumers’ desired experiences, not just prices.

Guide people's choices with questions to fulfill the quality they expect.

While talking to consumers, explore these issues:
What did buyers expect & actually experience? Were their expectations based on advice, observations or product instructions?

On a 10-point scale, how frustrated or satisfied were they? If major improvements are possible, can they afford those?

If a 10 doesn’t seem possible or practical, which level is possible & practical? If a 10 requires incremental improvements, can they afford the resources & learn skills?

What are they willing to do to remake, improve & maintain experiences?

If short-cuts are possible, do they think the quality will be too low?

They can decrease or eliminate minor elements to have more time & money for important elements. Which elements do they want to increase, decrease, eliminate or add?

How often can they afford their experiences? Do they own necessary products or do they have to buy or rent some things?

If they want a peak experience, how long should it last?

Do they want similar or different peak experiences?

Do they want something similar or different than the most popular experiences? Do they search for the next big thing?

Are they open to suggestions? Which options would make their experiences better? If they want to adjust experiences, which options might change things too much?

Do you have processes for gathering experience descriptions so you can introduce possibilities? You can gather descriptions by asking customers & checking the internet for consumers’ reviews.

Descriptions can help people find experiences compatible with their lifestyles, so they prevent dissatisfaction.

What Makes Experiences Valuable?

Beat competitors by helping people create experiences instead of just pushing products.

Though the primary value of experiences is immediate enjoyment, memories are valuable long-term benefits.

Some experiences are created by combining multiple elements, so help people choose & create the best elements to make their experiences special.

Help people determine how to create experiences with criteria for choosing elements possibly based on previous experiences &/or observations. People want the same or better experiences they see in pictures & videos, so ask them bring those.

Even when people enjoy experiences, they may want variety. Some might want more challenges.

You might offer a more physically assessable version, so people can do a version of an activity despite handicaps.

If there are popular experiences you can’t accommodate, divide experiences into elements. You might accommodate or create enough elements for satisfying experiences. Do people enjoy fast speeds, competition, social contact, being outside & easy-to-use equipment?

Some, who enjoy those elements, can’t afford or don’t know to implement full experiences. Help people adjust what they can control, so they can create a satisfying adaptation.


Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2019 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/