People do tasks because they 'have to'. They want to get tasks over with & not think about them. If they don't give tasks much thought, they might not know about better ways.
Think about customers' conditions, ask "Where's the struggle?" When you find struggles, offer easier results. You can increase profits by decreasing people's struggles.
If people only want easier results, they might reject offers of better results. Describe how they'll get easier results. Example - "You'll easily rinse dirt way when __."
There are rules & expectations for life roles. People aren't always realistic.
They might achieve quicker, easier results if they redefine rules & expectations. You can offer - "Let's check your To-Do List for easier ways to do tasks."
Put helpful tips in ads to show you have solutions people need.
Example - Sell detergent pods with this tip: After working outside, put dirty clothes in a pail of water with detergent pods. The detergent will start cleaning the clothes. You can carry the pail to a washing machine. Dirt won't be spread in your house.
When you know their criteria, you can consult about methods & tools to determine what's realistic.
People might do their best & be disappointed with results, so recommend better methods & tools.
Your offer can be - "Are you disappointed despite doing your best? We'll show you how to use new materials & tools, so you'll get the results you deserve. It's our job to supply what you need, including instructions."
Continuing Priority Cycles
As conditions change, people adjust to changing problems & needs. Each adjustment could require different products. Products can be risky & pose other problems.
Guide people in prioritizing problems & choosing products based on their needs & resources. As you show how to use products to solve problems, people fulfill needs & take another priority.
Each consumer priority change brings another chance to make your business valuable. Create value by matching products & local needs.
Make complete offers of products with instructions to solve problems, so people will buy all they need from you.
People might need medical advice because they have physical restrictions & need help adjusting actions.
If you allow trial purchases, they can bring products to medical appointments for help in choosing & using the best options. They can live independently & still fulfill their roles.
As our population ages, people are in transition. You might need to adjust your business according to people's desires & needs.
Example - As lives change, people change how they do tasks. Changing tasks requires extra effort & results aren't satisfactory until people gain mastery.
Learning new methods requires mental energy, so people may be distracted. Tired, distracted people need guidance in planning tasks & setting easy steps to achieve results.
By consulting with people, you can save them time & reduce frustration.
People prioritize changes because they can make only a limited number of changes at a time. Changes require resources & limited resources restrict options.
They're apt to buy if your solution fits most or all of their priorities.
People might base resource priorities on shortages, so they conserve their scarcest resources, especially time, money & energy. They might invest a little more money to save time.
Offer products & plans to save resources based on their conditions.
Same Life Goals, But Different Lives
As conditions change, you can help people adjust tasks. Evaluate what they have & determine what they need. Offer solution packages so people won't have the frustration of going to multiple stores.
People might want what neighbors have, but they have different needs & resources. Example - Home owners might want great lawns like their neighbors. Soils are different, so their lawns won't be the same. Previous residents might have used different seeds, fertilizers, pesticides & weed killers.
A customer might use a neighbor's lawn as a standard. How does that customer describe an ideal lawn? Is an ideal lawn achievable without replacing sod?
If they can afford what's ideal, can they maintain it with satisfactory quality?
Help customers achieve & maintain an affordable version of ideal conditions based on priorities, budgets & standards.
You should sell satisfaction by focusing on long-term value.
Basis Of Comparison
When people want benefits, they might not think about drawbacks.
People should include positives & negatives when comparing results & experiences.
Example - Travelers see great sites. People might be jealous because they can't physically sit for hours in a car or plane.
They could see sites with a big screen TV, but they'd miss cultural benefits. Some things could be added as replacements & problems can be eliminated.
Examples - "Experience Site Seeing & Movie Theater Thrills Without Discomfort of Hours Of Travel & Pain of Small Seats"
Benefits & problems can be listed like this: "Do you want - (benefits list). Do you want to avoid - (problems list)."
An electronics store could arrange with restaurants to provide exotic meals for big screen TV buyers.
Other experiences can be combined. A motel & restaurant could emulate cruises at lower costs by combining lodging, exotic meals & entertainers. Museums & ethnic groups feature art & entertainment of foreign nations. Zoos & ranches might have exotic animals.
Businesses can work together to offer "A 'Cruise' Experience Without (two main problems). You'll save $XYZ & still get these benefits: (list)"
Some people would go on cruises if problems didn't prevent them. Each eliminated problem should be highlighted in a 'without' statement.
Develop benefits to promote as reasons to accept the offer. Example - This 'cruise' alternative is available to people who don't have passports & don't want vaccinations.
Projects & Goals
Helping with projects could be your competitive edge over discount stores. You can help in planning projects including choosing tools & materials based on people's limitations & resources. Are they ready to start the project & maintain results? If they can't afford each detail, discuss adjustments. What do they need now & what can they delay? What are they willing to do without?
Solve Problems, Not Symptoms
People work hard & are frustrated when a problem doesn't go away. They get only temporary relief if they work on a symptom or related problem. It's like wiping up a puddle without fixing a leaking pipe.
They only get full relief by solving the main problem.
People might buy what's necessary for a symptom & feel cheated because their problem isn't solved.
They might go to another store in hopes of getting something better. A retailer, who helps them solve a problem, can earn more sales in the future.
You can use point-of-purchase signs to urge people to think before buying. Here's a sample sign: "Please let us help you SOLVE A PROBLEM, NOT A SYMPTOM. We're here to help you, please ask us questions."
It's hard to create a standard way to identify & solve every possible problem because situations vary.
Here are some questions for isolating & possibly identifying the main problem: Example - There's rotten wood because water leaks from a pipe. If a problem is solved, are related problems easier to solve? Which problem causes the most trouble now? Which problem will cause the most trouble in the future? What's the source of the trouble?
When A Diagnosis Is Hard
Unfortunately, sometimes a way to diagnose a problem is to start treating symptoms. Example - You can wipe up a puddle & watch where water starts accumulating.
You can use a search engine to get diagnostic charts, symptom checkers & potential solutions.
If you use magazines, books, videos or blogs for tips about diagnoses & solutions, you shouldn't lock into a diagnosis too early. You can go astray with a preconceived idea. Compare details between those case studies & your conditions because a difference can change a diagnosis.
You might have theories about what's causing trouble. Forming & dismissing theories can be like trying on shoes & eliminating what doesn't fit.
A diagnosis depends on accurately identifying symptoms & checking if there are enough related symptoms to indicate a specific problem.
Hopefully, you'll recognize the problem based on how it fits the diagnosis criteria.
Finding A Solution
When prescribing a cure isn't easy, you might need to find a solution by iteration.
You can evaluate results of each treatment. Has the problem faded? Is a potential solution closer? As you try a remedy, are symptoms subsiding or getting worse? If the problem lingers, are the most troublesome symptoms subsiding?
Some manufacturers recommend how much of a product to use & for how long. Without those recommendations, it can be hard to determine whether to stop a "solution" & try another.
Something to consider is - Are other potential solutions similar? What are risks & side effects of other potential solutions? Is there a satisfaction guarantee for other products? How comfortable are you with other products?
If you offer tool rentals, people could rent what they need until they solve a problem. People might buy tools if problem recurs. If they start with a small amount of materials & find what works, they can buy enough to solve a problem.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2018 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/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
Friday, June 15, 2018
Wednesday, May 23, 2018
Plan Your Inventory & Promotions Based On People's Priorities
People might need your advice about choosing products & services to maintain, change or achieve a status & conditions.
Life roles & occupations are parts of people's identities & statuses. A status can be a social reputation &/or self-concept relating to how people control conditions.
A status relates to what people think about a person or somebody thinks about him/herself.
When conditions change, a status can change. Losing a status can be like losing oneself, so people struggle to hold a status. They might buy the best status symbols they can afford.
You can choose inventory to help people with status issues.
Status issues tend to be long-term & you can follow-up with people about results better than a web site.
As people progress, they want more or less of some experiences. You can help with details, so they can achieve goals.
Explain how to use products & techniques to solve specific problems & fine-tune results. You can help them choose the best options based on their expectations & priorities.
With your local knowledge, you can plan your inventory & promotions based on your niche's priorities & budgets.
Priorities & local conditions determine what appeals to people. Example: If real estate sales are low, resale value might be a low priority. Your home improvement offers could focus on safety & comfort.
You need to know which priority people want to fulfill. Example: Security is a higher priority than a home's appearance. If people don't have a secure place for physical safety & privacy, they'll focus on decreasing threats.
Eliminate Vulnerabilities & Repair Damage
Guaranteed results can be very important because there's a limit to how much uncertainty people can bear. After losing anything valuable, they can't afford to risk losing more.
Generally, people do more to avoid losing things than they would to gain things. Perceived risks can be almost as stressful as actual losses. Each risk can cause people to feel less control.
For total well-being, people need to feel in control. Losing things is a sign of not being in control.
People prioritize because they can't protect everything equally. When you know their priorities, you can offer products, services & plans for fulfilling priorities.
In your area, what are people's major vulnerabilities? How can you help them eliminate or reduce vulnerabilities? If people can't eliminate vulnerabilities, what you can offer to repair damage?
Some damage can cause worse vulnerabilities, so quick plans & repairs are vital.
Some plans are made & implemented seasonally or in reaction to problems. If you know which problems to expect, you can quickly offer solutions if you have responsive suppliers.
You can help people plan by identifying problems & solutions. Solutions require matching techniques with tools & materials.
People can quickly finalize plans when they know which tools & materials are available. As people plan repairs, you can help them decide whether to regain what they had or upgrade.
Even if you don't help people with repair plans, your inventory & promotion plans should be based on what happened or is expected to happen.
Your promotion can be "Repair (damaged property) Now & Avoid (secondary damage). Check the products in this ad & bring your list today while supplies are available."
Your offer can focus on preventing problems. "Be Ready For (problem). Bring your plans or we'll help you plan to avoid (potential kind of damage)."
When people perceive your knowledge, concern & understanding, they'll feel confident about your advice & offers. That confidence is almost like a feeling of control, so people can be less stressed. It's a valuable benefit they won't get from an impersonal web site or automated store.
Dialog In People's Minds
The following wisdom is still true: Your ad about a solution should reach people when they're already focused on a problem. Ads related to subjects in articles, shows or videos can reach people who are focused on solving specific problems.
It's also important to use this wisdom: For optimal results, ads should merge with dialogs people have in their minds & with each other.
When people consciously focus on a task, their subconscious minds are still aware of other concerns. When people have multiple concerns, it's like they have multiple internal dialogs. Like verbal dialogs, you're more apt to be accepted if you contribute relevant thoughts.
An internal dialog is like mental traffic. Merging with traffic means matching speed, occupying an open space & going in the same direction toward a destination (goal). Go in the same direction unless you have a better detour to arrive at the same or better destination.
Prove a different destination or detour is better based on their conditions. Assure them you'll help them with the right results & they'll open a mental space for you.
Connect your advertising with current conditions. Headlines & opening statements can show you understand & have value to add.
Help people overcome doubts. They might think, "What If I Make A Mistake?" You can reassure them, "You don't have to be perfect to solve this. If it doesn't work well, we'll go over the steps with you again. We'll make adjustments & solve it together."
Use ad headlines & opening statements to enter conversations. People wonder, "How Can We (solve a problem)? With (product), there are 3 steps & we'll guide you." You can use their internal questions in your ads. Example: "How Am I Going To__? Here's your answer - __."
Connect offers with desired conditions. Example: "We'll show you how to start getting benefits you need today. On your way home, come to (store name & address) & ask for (product/service). It's only $X."
You can test offers of good, better & best quality. You can offer various combinations of products & services, so people can choose which tasks to delegate to you.
Offer To Improve People's Conditions
Cultivate your knowledge, products & services based on people's conditions.
What can you add or combine to form new solutions?
Can you adapt solutions to improve other conditions? How are conditions changing?
Are people struggling to maintain current conditions?
Are people struggling to cope with changes?
What's the biggest relief you can offer? Check your inventory for solutions to top priority problems.
When you have a compelling offer for a top priority solution, people will change schedules & budgets to buy it.
Is there a new problem or solution? Explain why the problem is bad & how a solution will make their lives better.
Would things be worse if they don't solve it? Explain how much worse things could be. Show they can enjoy benefits & keep problems from becoming worse.
People want to know how to experience benefits, so include details.
If products & services can be used individually &/or socially, show benefits of both.
You can use auditory & visual techniques to demonstrate people enjoying experiences. Use words to express people's thoughts related to those experiences. Examples: "How Do They __? It's easy, when you use (product name)." "I Wish I Could __. You can do it & we'll show you how."
Tap into consumers' feelings & thoughts with words your niche members use.
Ready Or Not To Start A Project
You can help people determine if they're ready to start a project. Though some projects can be done incrementally, others shouldn't be started until people have all necessary resources.
You can earn trust & faith by helping people avoid costly mistakes. Current conditions might not be as bad as a mistake.
Should people change something or maintain it as it is?
When should they start a project?
When should they expect to finish? If they get behind schedule, should they hurry or postpone it until another season?
When you give information, you should include guidelines for creating & maintaining results.
People might want a new benefit without realizing the commitment involved in creating & maintaining it. Creating & maintaining a result might require resources people can't afford.
A project could be more complex than it seems.
Can they change an aspect without changing others?
Can they adjust a project to get desired benefits without paying extra for what they don't want?
Based on your inventory & their current resources, can you help people customize projects?
People need access to various kinds of knowledge. You can be a resource by teaching or consulting with them.
They might need knowledge about causes & effects, so they can prevent & mitigate problems.
Are they ready for possible problems?
Do they know about risks of using the tools & materials?
They might need diagnostic knowledge to recognize positive & negative changes. Diagnostic knowledge is necessary, so people know what to allow or stop.
To use the right knowledge, tools & materials at the right times, they might need a plan & prescriptive knowledge.
Can you help people replace products (including disposal of old products)?
If they can't afford big changes, can you help with the incremental improvements?
If they only can afford to prevent more damage now, maybe you'll help with a solution later.
Guide them in choosing the best value they can afford now & invite them back.
Balance between urging them to buy the best solution & understanding their limits. If you seem judgmental, they might choose a different store.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2018 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/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
Life roles & occupations are parts of people's identities & statuses. A status can be a social reputation &/or self-concept relating to how people control conditions.
A status relates to what people think about a person or somebody thinks about him/herself.
When conditions change, a status can change. Losing a status can be like losing oneself, so people struggle to hold a status. They might buy the best status symbols they can afford.
You can choose inventory to help people with status issues.
Status issues tend to be long-term & you can follow-up with people about results better than a web site.
As people progress, they want more or less of some experiences. You can help with details, so they can achieve goals.
Explain how to use products & techniques to solve specific problems & fine-tune results. You can help them choose the best options based on their expectations & priorities.
With your local knowledge, you can plan your inventory & promotions based on your niche's priorities & budgets.
Priorities & local conditions determine what appeals to people. Example: If real estate sales are low, resale value might be a low priority. Your home improvement offers could focus on safety & comfort.
You need to know which priority people want to fulfill. Example: Security is a higher priority than a home's appearance. If people don't have a secure place for physical safety & privacy, they'll focus on decreasing threats.
Eliminate Vulnerabilities & Repair Damage
Guaranteed results can be very important because there's a limit to how much uncertainty people can bear. After losing anything valuable, they can't afford to risk losing more.
Generally, people do more to avoid losing things than they would to gain things. Perceived risks can be almost as stressful as actual losses. Each risk can cause people to feel less control.
For total well-being, people need to feel in control. Losing things is a sign of not being in control.
People prioritize because they can't protect everything equally. When you know their priorities, you can offer products, services & plans for fulfilling priorities.
In your area, what are people's major vulnerabilities? How can you help them eliminate or reduce vulnerabilities? If people can't eliminate vulnerabilities, what you can offer to repair damage?
Some damage can cause worse vulnerabilities, so quick plans & repairs are vital.
Some plans are made & implemented seasonally or in reaction to problems. If you know which problems to expect, you can quickly offer solutions if you have responsive suppliers.
You can help people plan by identifying problems & solutions. Solutions require matching techniques with tools & materials.
People can quickly finalize plans when they know which tools & materials are available. As people plan repairs, you can help them decide whether to regain what they had or upgrade.
Even if you don't help people with repair plans, your inventory & promotion plans should be based on what happened or is expected to happen.
Your promotion can be "Repair (damaged property) Now & Avoid (secondary damage). Check the products in this ad & bring your list today while supplies are available."
Your offer can focus on preventing problems. "Be Ready For (problem). Bring your plans or we'll help you plan to avoid (potential kind of damage)."
When people perceive your knowledge, concern & understanding, they'll feel confident about your advice & offers. That confidence is almost like a feeling of control, so people can be less stressed. It's a valuable benefit they won't get from an impersonal web site or automated store.
Dialog In People's Minds
The following wisdom is still true: Your ad about a solution should reach people when they're already focused on a problem. Ads related to subjects in articles, shows or videos can reach people who are focused on solving specific problems.
It's also important to use this wisdom: For optimal results, ads should merge with dialogs people have in their minds & with each other.
When people consciously focus on a task, their subconscious minds are still aware of other concerns. When people have multiple concerns, it's like they have multiple internal dialogs. Like verbal dialogs, you're more apt to be accepted if you contribute relevant thoughts.
An internal dialog is like mental traffic. Merging with traffic means matching speed, occupying an open space & going in the same direction toward a destination (goal). Go in the same direction unless you have a better detour to arrive at the same or better destination.
Prove a different destination or detour is better based on their conditions. Assure them you'll help them with the right results & they'll open a mental space for you.
Connect your advertising with current conditions. Headlines & opening statements can show you understand & have value to add.
Help people overcome doubts. They might think, "What If I Make A Mistake?" You can reassure them, "You don't have to be perfect to solve this. If it doesn't work well, we'll go over the steps with you again. We'll make adjustments & solve it together."
Use ad headlines & opening statements to enter conversations. People wonder, "How Can We (solve a problem)? With (product), there are 3 steps & we'll guide you." You can use their internal questions in your ads. Example: "How Am I Going To__? Here's your answer - __."
Connect offers with desired conditions. Example: "We'll show you how to start getting benefits you need today. On your way home, come to (store name & address) & ask for (product/service). It's only $X."
You can test offers of good, better & best quality. You can offer various combinations of products & services, so people can choose which tasks to delegate to you.
Offer To Improve People's Conditions
Cultivate your knowledge, products & services based on people's conditions.
What can you add or combine to form new solutions?
Can you adapt solutions to improve other conditions? How are conditions changing?
Are people struggling to maintain current conditions?
Are people struggling to cope with changes?
What's the biggest relief you can offer? Check your inventory for solutions to top priority problems.
When you have a compelling offer for a top priority solution, people will change schedules & budgets to buy it.
Is there a new problem or solution? Explain why the problem is bad & how a solution will make their lives better.
Would things be worse if they don't solve it? Explain how much worse things could be. Show they can enjoy benefits & keep problems from becoming worse.
People want to know how to experience benefits, so include details.
If products & services can be used individually &/or socially, show benefits of both.
You can use auditory & visual techniques to demonstrate people enjoying experiences. Use words to express people's thoughts related to those experiences. Examples: "How Do They __? It's easy, when you use (product name)." "I Wish I Could __. You can do it & we'll show you how."
Tap into consumers' feelings & thoughts with words your niche members use.
Ready Or Not To Start A Project
You can help people determine if they're ready to start a project. Though some projects can be done incrementally, others shouldn't be started until people have all necessary resources.
You can earn trust & faith by helping people avoid costly mistakes. Current conditions might not be as bad as a mistake.
Should people change something or maintain it as it is?
When should they start a project?
When should they expect to finish? If they get behind schedule, should they hurry or postpone it until another season?
When you give information, you should include guidelines for creating & maintaining results.
People might want a new benefit without realizing the commitment involved in creating & maintaining it. Creating & maintaining a result might require resources people can't afford.
A project could be more complex than it seems.
Can they change an aspect without changing others?
Can they adjust a project to get desired benefits without paying extra for what they don't want?
Based on your inventory & their current resources, can you help people customize projects?
People need access to various kinds of knowledge. You can be a resource by teaching or consulting with them.
They might need knowledge about causes & effects, so they can prevent & mitigate problems.
Are they ready for possible problems?
Do they know about risks of using the tools & materials?
They might need diagnostic knowledge to recognize positive & negative changes. Diagnostic knowledge is necessary, so people know what to allow or stop.
To use the right knowledge, tools & materials at the right times, they might need a plan & prescriptive knowledge.
Can you help people replace products (including disposal of old products)?
If they can't afford big changes, can you help with the incremental improvements?
If they only can afford to prevent more damage now, maybe you'll help with a solution later.
Guide them in choosing the best value they can afford now & invite them back.
Balance between urging them to buy the best solution & understanding their limits. If you seem judgmental, they might choose a different store.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2018 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/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
Wednesday, April 11, 2018
Product Value Is The Value Of Results
Discount stores accept returned products & push suppliers to take back defects. Discount stores & manufacturers accept the risk, so consumers accept the hassle of returning products.
You need high quality suppliers, who allow easy returns of defects, because people expect product returns to be standard.
Success requires fulfilling consumers' expectations & differentiating with products & services big retailers don't offer.
Manufacturers can show products are designed for long-term value by guaranteeing long-term satisfaction.
Since your success affects suppliers, they should be partners in profit, expenses & risk of product returns.
Some suppliers accept returns directly from consumers, but the process takes time & delays work on projects. People still have to replace tools or materials to finish projects. An exchange in a store would be easier.
When people exchange products ordered via the Internet, they have to wait for a pick-up & a replacement delivery.
Since product returns disrupt people's lives, you should decrease disruptions.
Since your success depends on customers getting necessary results, you need a product exchange policy. You can get guidance about product return policies from retail trade groups, wholesalers &/or lawyers.
To attract people who want long-term value, you should offer the equivalent of a partnership. Partners share risk & are committed to each other's success. When consumers notice that commitment, they'll patronize your store.
Quality Of Results
Emphasize this fact: if materials &/or tools fail, results will decrease or fail. Your ads should compare the quality of results to persuade people to buy high quality products.
People should buy high quality products like a form of insurance - insuring their ability to produce & maintain results. It's especially true when you guarantee long-term results.
Testimonials & case studies can show product & service value is the value of results. Those case studies with instructions can show how to use products to solve & prevent problems.
In your ads, detailed case studies can show conditions before & after people used products or received services. Describe the frustration of problems vividly in ways people can feel. Also vividly describe the relief & satisfaction people want from solutions.
After describing problems & solutions, make compelling offers of long-term, high quality results.
To make compelling offers, you need to know what value means for people in specific conditions. Value of results can be different at certain times or places. When you know what causes changes in value, you can determine how to adjust your offers.
Do Products Fit The Conditions?
Competition is often focused on products & services. Competitors can differentiate with various levels & kinds of information.
Information is often neglected except for warnings. People need information to compare conditions with product specifications, so they can choose the best options. They can't do it with bare minimum information like product names, pictures & prices. By filling that gap, you can help people avoid frustration.
Sometimes, people need to return products because they couldn't solve a problem. Good product descriptions can help people avoid buying the wrong products. Good product descriptions include describing problems products are made to solve.
Though you can't afford to put all details in ads, you can include diagnostic details with a promise to discuss solutions.
Diagnostic details help people determine what their problems are & which products will solve those. Those details help people justify paying you a little more money instead of buying from discount stores.
What are people told & not told by manufacturers & other retailers? Do people get all instructions they need? Do they know how to adapt the instructions for the conditions?
People could be stranded with materials & tools but not know how to solve problems. You can help people determine if their current materials & tools fit the conditions & instructions. You can help people adapt resources by combining instructions, materials & tools into a solution.
You should offer total solution packages & be flexible enough to sell only what customers need.
Offer Results Not Just Products & Services
What should successful results look like? Which tools & materials fit desired results?
You can help people adjust expectations by explaining product limitations.
Examples: In sewing, machine settings & needles should be compatible with materials. In vacuum cleaning, powerful suction leads to strong exhaust that can blow dust. Low suction can pull in light dust without causing dust clouds behind the cleaner.
Your offers shouldn't be based only on price. Offers should be based on resources & results people prioritize most.
If people want excellent results, attract them with compelling descriptions & offers of excellent materials & tools. If people want good enough results, they might settle for discount store products.
Excellent results might depend on combinations of products, services & free information.
Information would increase product & service values by improving results & reducing frustration. If you don't have specific information for customers' conditions, maybe you can refer them to somebody else's information.
It's good to find information in different forms - video, audio & print, since people learn differently.
Providing free information can be effective for competing with low-price competitors that only offer discounts.
Discount stores tend to sell products, not solutions. If people buy inadequate tools, they'll have less money & still have expensive, unsolved problems.
You should be dedicated to solving & preventing problems. Even if people buy the right tools & materials, they need information to create results & solve/prevent problems.
Deeper Information For Better Results
Though there may be blogs for your general subject, is there a blog covering challenges of people in your area? People might need different information because of rural/urban issues, climate, laws, geography, etc.
Customers can report results to you or somebody who maintains a local newsletter or blog. Their reports could be like testimonials to help people find products.
People can improve each other's methods beyond what they could do individually. Results can be compared & practices can be refined.
People can discuss how they adapt methods for conditions. If people are in similar conditions, different results are probably due to methods, materials &/or tools.
People can reduce risk by doing what works for others. They can progress by doing limited experiments & comparing results. You can show customers how to achieve results & ask if they need different materials & tools.
Example- In the USA, honey bee hives are dying. People want to support honey bees with certain plants & habitats. Undesirable insects are attracted by the same plants & habitats. People need knowledge about plants, bees & other insects. People can experiment with plant growing methods & ways to attract honey bees & repel other insects. People can make small changes & report results. When positive trends are evident, people can switch to what works in their area.
If local people don't work together like this, you'll need to find knowledge sources local people trust. You need to help them apply knowledge. With that knowledge, they'll know what to buy & what to expect. When you have service like this, you can persuade people to buy because you have important knowledge.
You need to keep your combination of service, knowledge & results relevant by communicating with customers & suppliers, plus monitoring conditions.
In some cases, it can be like math formulas: results = materials + tools + methods + conditions; methods = actions + knowledge
Service is what establishes & maintains positive conditions. Value is what enables positive results.
Changes are made by adjusting any part of a formula.
When you have most or all formula parts, you have people's basic buying criteria.
You can learn about changing conditions & methods, then change inventories according to how people change methods. When you help people change methods, your products & services can be involved in their new methods.
You should help people compare their desires & plans with current conditions, so they'll be realistic. When you help people understand their conditions, you can decrease their frustration & increase their satisfaction.
For the best inventory, you need to know about people's current & future needs. You can use this information when you consider which products to order & services to offer. It affects your supplier choices.
When you know how people use products, you can determine which tutorials they might need. Since people want assurance about results, you can offer instructions or refer them to tutorials as part of your sales process.
You don't have make each tutorial. You can check YouTube & manufacturers' web sites. You can recommend tutorials you've prescreened.
Are customers getting full benefits? What else do they need to know? Which products & services could be added to get more benefits?
Would adding products & services make solutions more complex? If so, are there tutorials available to reduce confusion?
A newsletter or blog could recommend tutorials also. Consumers can use a blog to help each other clarify issues to reduce problems & maximize benefits.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2018 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/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
You need high quality suppliers, who allow easy returns of defects, because people expect product returns to be standard.
Success requires fulfilling consumers' expectations & differentiating with products & services big retailers don't offer.
Manufacturers can show products are designed for long-term value by guaranteeing long-term satisfaction.
Since your success affects suppliers, they should be partners in profit, expenses & risk of product returns.
Some suppliers accept returns directly from consumers, but the process takes time & delays work on projects. People still have to replace tools or materials to finish projects. An exchange in a store would be easier.
When people exchange products ordered via the Internet, they have to wait for a pick-up & a replacement delivery.
Since product returns disrupt people's lives, you should decrease disruptions.
Since your success depends on customers getting necessary results, you need a product exchange policy. You can get guidance about product return policies from retail trade groups, wholesalers &/or lawyers.
To attract people who want long-term value, you should offer the equivalent of a partnership. Partners share risk & are committed to each other's success. When consumers notice that commitment, they'll patronize your store.
Quality Of Results
Emphasize this fact: if materials &/or tools fail, results will decrease or fail. Your ads should compare the quality of results to persuade people to buy high quality products.
People should buy high quality products like a form of insurance - insuring their ability to produce & maintain results. It's especially true when you guarantee long-term results.
Testimonials & case studies can show product & service value is the value of results. Those case studies with instructions can show how to use products to solve & prevent problems.
In your ads, detailed case studies can show conditions before & after people used products or received services. Describe the frustration of problems vividly in ways people can feel. Also vividly describe the relief & satisfaction people want from solutions.
After describing problems & solutions, make compelling offers of long-term, high quality results.
To make compelling offers, you need to know what value means for people in specific conditions. Value of results can be different at certain times or places. When you know what causes changes in value, you can determine how to adjust your offers.
Do Products Fit The Conditions?
Competition is often focused on products & services. Competitors can differentiate with various levels & kinds of information.
Information is often neglected except for warnings. People need information to compare conditions with product specifications, so they can choose the best options. They can't do it with bare minimum information like product names, pictures & prices. By filling that gap, you can help people avoid frustration.
Sometimes, people need to return products because they couldn't solve a problem. Good product descriptions can help people avoid buying the wrong products. Good product descriptions include describing problems products are made to solve.
Though you can't afford to put all details in ads, you can include diagnostic details with a promise to discuss solutions.
Diagnostic details help people determine what their problems are & which products will solve those. Those details help people justify paying you a little more money instead of buying from discount stores.
What are people told & not told by manufacturers & other retailers? Do people get all instructions they need? Do they know how to adapt the instructions for the conditions?
People could be stranded with materials & tools but not know how to solve problems. You can help people determine if their current materials & tools fit the conditions & instructions. You can help people adapt resources by combining instructions, materials & tools into a solution.
You should offer total solution packages & be flexible enough to sell only what customers need.
Offer Results Not Just Products & Services
What should successful results look like? Which tools & materials fit desired results?
You can help people adjust expectations by explaining product limitations.
Examples: In sewing, machine settings & needles should be compatible with materials. In vacuum cleaning, powerful suction leads to strong exhaust that can blow dust. Low suction can pull in light dust without causing dust clouds behind the cleaner.
Your offers shouldn't be based only on price. Offers should be based on resources & results people prioritize most.
If people want excellent results, attract them with compelling descriptions & offers of excellent materials & tools. If people want good enough results, they might settle for discount store products.
Excellent results might depend on combinations of products, services & free information.
Information would increase product & service values by improving results & reducing frustration. If you don't have specific information for customers' conditions, maybe you can refer them to somebody else's information.
It's good to find information in different forms - video, audio & print, since people learn differently.
Providing free information can be effective for competing with low-price competitors that only offer discounts.
Discount stores tend to sell products, not solutions. If people buy inadequate tools, they'll have less money & still have expensive, unsolved problems.
You should be dedicated to solving & preventing problems. Even if people buy the right tools & materials, they need information to create results & solve/prevent problems.
Deeper Information For Better Results
Though there may be blogs for your general subject, is there a blog covering challenges of people in your area? People might need different information because of rural/urban issues, climate, laws, geography, etc.
Customers can report results to you or somebody who maintains a local newsletter or blog. Their reports could be like testimonials to help people find products.
People can improve each other's methods beyond what they could do individually. Results can be compared & practices can be refined.
People can discuss how they adapt methods for conditions. If people are in similar conditions, different results are probably due to methods, materials &/or tools.
People can reduce risk by doing what works for others. They can progress by doing limited experiments & comparing results. You can show customers how to achieve results & ask if they need different materials & tools.
Example- In the USA, honey bee hives are dying. People want to support honey bees with certain plants & habitats. Undesirable insects are attracted by the same plants & habitats. People need knowledge about plants, bees & other insects. People can experiment with plant growing methods & ways to attract honey bees & repel other insects. People can make small changes & report results. When positive trends are evident, people can switch to what works in their area.
If local people don't work together like this, you'll need to find knowledge sources local people trust. You need to help them apply knowledge. With that knowledge, they'll know what to buy & what to expect. When you have service like this, you can persuade people to buy because you have important knowledge.
You need to keep your combination of service, knowledge & results relevant by communicating with customers & suppliers, plus monitoring conditions.
In some cases, it can be like math formulas: results = materials + tools + methods + conditions; methods = actions + knowledge
Service is what establishes & maintains positive conditions. Value is what enables positive results.
Changes are made by adjusting any part of a formula.
When you have most or all formula parts, you have people's basic buying criteria.
You can learn about changing conditions & methods, then change inventories according to how people change methods. When you help people change methods, your products & services can be involved in their new methods.
You should help people compare their desires & plans with current conditions, so they'll be realistic. When you help people understand their conditions, you can decrease their frustration & increase their satisfaction.
For the best inventory, you need to know about people's current & future needs. You can use this information when you consider which products to order & services to offer. It affects your supplier choices.
When you know how people use products, you can determine which tutorials they might need. Since people want assurance about results, you can offer instructions or refer them to tutorials as part of your sales process.
You don't have make each tutorial. You can check YouTube & manufacturers' web sites. You can recommend tutorials you've prescreened.
Are customers getting full benefits? What else do they need to know? Which products & services could be added to get more benefits?
Would adding products & services make solutions more complex? If so, are there tutorials available to reduce confusion?
A newsletter or blog could recommend tutorials also. Consumers can use a blog to help each other clarify issues to reduce problems & maximize benefits.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2018 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/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
Monday, March 12, 2018
Persuasion & Improving Other Tactics & Strategies With Workshops
In the Performance Enhancement Quotient seminar, Chet Holmes advised business owners to do workshops with staff members (or alone if there's no staff). If you have access to the transcript or recordings, you can get his suggestions.
I've written different workshops below.
Holmes said workshops are important for establishing policies, plans & procedures (3 Ps). Businesses use policies, plans & procedures to develop tactics & strategies.
Tactics & strategies make a difference between lasting success & mediocrity.
When you hear & read about topics, do research. Gain deeper understanding by asking questions. For a fuller understanding, you can use a dictionary & thesaurus. Definitions & synonyms can prompt more questions & answers.
As you implement what you learn, evaluate results & determine how to do better. As conditions change, you'll need to prioritize subjects to keep up with competitors & satisfy customers.
Chet Holmes suggested keeping a workshop binder, so you can review results & notes. You should write your insights & track results, so you know what to improve. When you add questions, leave space for future answers.
You can return to a subject again, so you can progress by integrating new knowledge & experiences.
You can do workshops with other business owners.
You can use what I wrote below as a workshop template.
Workshop About Persuasion
Note - You can get some answers (to questions below) from lessons about consultative selling. You can adapt lessons to your situation.
* Persuasive people are liked & trusted.
Questions Pertaining To Being Liked & Trusted:
In your context, what does it mean to be liked & trusted?
What can you do to increase how much people like & trust you & your business?
How can you show you're in business to help people instead of just gaining more profits?
What can you do to show how products benefit customers?
What causes distrust in your business category?
* People are persuaded by those they respect.
Questions Pertaining To Respect:
In your field, what are traits of respected people? Which of those traits can you emulate?
What can you do to inspire respect?
What has caused anybody lose respect?
* People are persuaded by those who have authoritative knowledge.
Questions Pertaining To Authoritative Knowledge:
What does it mean to be an authority on a subject?
What would cause anybody lose status as an authority?
Which subjects should you have authoritative knowledge in?
Who is an authority in a similar subject? How did they gain that status? How do they show authority?
What are their information sources? Why are those sources considered to be authoritative? What makes their information valuable?
* People can be persuaded by those who care enough to understand them.
Questions Pertaining To Understanding People:
How do you show you're concerned about customers' best interests & preferences?
Some retailers might say anything to sell things. People are wary, so they might disbelieve seemingly glib statements & questions. How can you show sincere empathy?
Observe, ask questions & understand before advising. Use guidelines from Stephen R. Covey in "The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People".
People live in cycles & buy at certain times. They might ask for information long before they're ready to buy.
They have limited budgets & various priorities. When a priority comes due & money is available, they'll buy. How should you guide people in setting priorities?
People might be unsure about timing. Some problems resolve or decrease even if people don't try to solve them.
People don't always know when to be patient or how long to wait. They need advice about what to do & when. They need advice about when to act quickly or slowly. How can you guide & reassure people?
In a store, people might be unsure about a few things. They might be shy about asking some questions. How can you determine what people are unsure about?
How can you determine if people are unsure about what they need/want?
If people want to think about a purchase instead of buying now, how can you help them think clearly without pressuring them?
If people aren't sure they should buy something for themselves, how can you encourage them to do what's right?
If people aren't sure how much money they should spend, how can you help them determine what's justified?
* People buy after they're attracted by a business.
Questions Pertaining To Attractive Traits:
What are attractive traits in your business category? Which of those traits does your business have?
How are you promoting those traits? What more can you do to promote those traits?
What can you do to enhance those traits? How can you create/adopt traits of similar businesses? How can you uniquely use those traits?
* People can be persuaded by those who share their concerns.
Questions Pertaining To Shared Concerns:
How can you show concern for customers' well-being?
How can you support their groups? How do you balance between supporting their groups & preserving profit & cash flow?
Which causes do they support? Which of those causes can you join?
How do you show your concern is authentic, not just for public relations?
Should you join or start a cause or group? Should you invite customers to be part of a good cause?
Should you start a club & invite customers to be insiders?
When a customer asks for deeper discounts, you can do some things without seeming to imply anything negative:
1- Do you explain your price policy? 2- Do you suggest a less expensive substitute or a different store?
3- Do you explain the product quality? 4- Do you suggest a layaway?
5- Do you suggest a bigger purchase of multiple products, even if they share it with friends? (If you get enough cash flow in a day, can you justify a mark down? It would reduce the markup on products, but increase your cash flow. You might clear out some old products.)
When people ask for donations, how can you do what's good for business & your community?
Do you arrange fund raising projects & donate a percentage when people buy some products?
How well do you fit into the community? How can you fit into the community better?
Workshop About Information & Plan Implementation
(Note: I have applicable questions & suggestions about diagnostic charts in previous posts. You can develop questions based on what your niche needs.)
Concept - How can you help people turn information into plans & implement those plans?
If you help people use a product, you might persuade them to buy it.
Ask questions to help people describe conditions, so you can diagnose problems they have & will have.
Ask people to bring pictures & videos of symptoms. Develop questions & diagnostic charts to guide people through what led up to a problem & what kind of solutions they'll accept.
Find & develop information about things people need to solve or prevent problems. Help them based on their current resources & determine what they lack.
Develop or find tutorials on planning according to their conditions & how to produce specific results.
Since tutorials can be for various skill levels, how can you help people adapt the instructions?
Decide how to present information about product benefits & tutorials.
How will you help people determine if they have necessary skills & other resources to do projects?
If they still need assistance after their best efforts, how will you help them find that assistance?
With your help, people can be confident enough to do projects & buy products.
If they can do tasks, you can help them prioritize how they use their time & energy.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2018 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/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
I've written different workshops below.
Holmes said workshops are important for establishing policies, plans & procedures (3 Ps). Businesses use policies, plans & procedures to develop tactics & strategies.
Tactics & strategies make a difference between lasting success & mediocrity.
When you hear & read about topics, do research. Gain deeper understanding by asking questions. For a fuller understanding, you can use a dictionary & thesaurus. Definitions & synonyms can prompt more questions & answers.
As you implement what you learn, evaluate results & determine how to do better. As conditions change, you'll need to prioritize subjects to keep up with competitors & satisfy customers.
Chet Holmes suggested keeping a workshop binder, so you can review results & notes. You should write your insights & track results, so you know what to improve. When you add questions, leave space for future answers.
You can return to a subject again, so you can progress by integrating new knowledge & experiences.
You can do workshops with other business owners.
You can use what I wrote below as a workshop template.
Workshop About Persuasion
Note - You can get some answers (to questions below) from lessons about consultative selling. You can adapt lessons to your situation.
* Persuasive people are liked & trusted.
Questions Pertaining To Being Liked & Trusted:
In your context, what does it mean to be liked & trusted?
What can you do to increase how much people like & trust you & your business?
How can you show you're in business to help people instead of just gaining more profits?
What can you do to show how products benefit customers?
What causes distrust in your business category?
* People are persuaded by those they respect.
Questions Pertaining To Respect:
In your field, what are traits of respected people? Which of those traits can you emulate?
What can you do to inspire respect?
What has caused anybody lose respect?
* People are persuaded by those who have authoritative knowledge.
Questions Pertaining To Authoritative Knowledge:
What does it mean to be an authority on a subject?
What would cause anybody lose status as an authority?
Which subjects should you have authoritative knowledge in?
Who is an authority in a similar subject? How did they gain that status? How do they show authority?
What are their information sources? Why are those sources considered to be authoritative? What makes their information valuable?
* People can be persuaded by those who care enough to understand them.
Questions Pertaining To Understanding People:
How do you show you're concerned about customers' best interests & preferences?
Some retailers might say anything to sell things. People are wary, so they might disbelieve seemingly glib statements & questions. How can you show sincere empathy?
Observe, ask questions & understand before advising. Use guidelines from Stephen R. Covey in "The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People".
People live in cycles & buy at certain times. They might ask for information long before they're ready to buy.
They have limited budgets & various priorities. When a priority comes due & money is available, they'll buy. How should you guide people in setting priorities?
People might be unsure about timing. Some problems resolve or decrease even if people don't try to solve them.
People don't always know when to be patient or how long to wait. They need advice about what to do & when. They need advice about when to act quickly or slowly. How can you guide & reassure people?
In a store, people might be unsure about a few things. They might be shy about asking some questions. How can you determine what people are unsure about?
How can you determine if people are unsure about what they need/want?
If people want to think about a purchase instead of buying now, how can you help them think clearly without pressuring them?
If people aren't sure they should buy something for themselves, how can you encourage them to do what's right?
If people aren't sure how much money they should spend, how can you help them determine what's justified?
* People buy after they're attracted by a business.
Questions Pertaining To Attractive Traits:
What are attractive traits in your business category? Which of those traits does your business have?
How are you promoting those traits? What more can you do to promote those traits?
What can you do to enhance those traits? How can you create/adopt traits of similar businesses? How can you uniquely use those traits?
* People can be persuaded by those who share their concerns.
Questions Pertaining To Shared Concerns:
How can you show concern for customers' well-being?
How can you support their groups? How do you balance between supporting their groups & preserving profit & cash flow?
Which causes do they support? Which of those causes can you join?
How do you show your concern is authentic, not just for public relations?
Should you join or start a cause or group? Should you invite customers to be part of a good cause?
Should you start a club & invite customers to be insiders?
When a customer asks for deeper discounts, you can do some things without seeming to imply anything negative:
1- Do you explain your price policy? 2- Do you suggest a less expensive substitute or a different store?
3- Do you explain the product quality? 4- Do you suggest a layaway?
5- Do you suggest a bigger purchase of multiple products, even if they share it with friends? (If you get enough cash flow in a day, can you justify a mark down? It would reduce the markup on products, but increase your cash flow. You might clear out some old products.)
When people ask for donations, how can you do what's good for business & your community?
Do you arrange fund raising projects & donate a percentage when people buy some products?
How well do you fit into the community? How can you fit into the community better?
Workshop About Information & Plan Implementation
(Note: I have applicable questions & suggestions about diagnostic charts in previous posts. You can develop questions based on what your niche needs.)
Concept - How can you help people turn information into plans & implement those plans?
If you help people use a product, you might persuade them to buy it.
Ask questions to help people describe conditions, so you can diagnose problems they have & will have.
Ask people to bring pictures & videos of symptoms. Develop questions & diagnostic charts to guide people through what led up to a problem & what kind of solutions they'll accept.
Find & develop information about things people need to solve or prevent problems. Help them based on their current resources & determine what they lack.
Develop or find tutorials on planning according to their conditions & how to produce specific results.
Since tutorials can be for various skill levels, how can you help people adapt the instructions?
Decide how to present information about product benefits & tutorials.
How will you help people determine if they have necessary skills & other resources to do projects?
If they still need assistance after their best efforts, how will you help them find that assistance?
With your help, people can be confident enough to do projects & buy products.
If they can do tasks, you can help them prioritize how they use their time & energy.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2018 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/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
Monday, February 26, 2018
Help People Achieve Goals
What's the primary reason for choosing a retailer in your category? Location can be important, but people buy based on offers.
As you consider what to offer, you can start with people's general situations, then narrow your focus to an issue. As you explore an issue, determine which aspects you can impact most.
The potential demand for an offer & your profit depends on specializing in a subject or combination that relieves conflicts between reality & people's goals.
Example - Home ownership is a horizontal part of life. By focusing on an aspect, you can go vertical, example: lawn care. When you offer a combination (mowing, fertilizing & weed control), people can pick what they'll do or delegate to you.
Multiple Opportunities From Dividing Life Into Issues
You can explore opportunities by dividing life into issues & determine much relief competitors offer. Compare your offers & competitors with local conditions.
Can you offer more of an advantage for some consumers? An advantage can be an easier, more complete or less expensive way to improve conditions.
What kind of an advantage would inspire people to change brands or stores?
If an improvement requires higher priced products, is the improvement worth more?
A manufacturer can claim a 30% product improvement but its value depends on effects on people's goals & local conditions.
Local retailers should excel in helping people achieve their goals.
Is It A Real Improvement?
In a cold climate, we have ice melting chemicals so we can drive & walk without slipping.
Ice melting chemicals are often improved, but what's a real improvement? They can: 1- melt ice faster or last longer; 2- be safer for the environment, plants &/or animals; 3- be easier to spread; 4- work in sub-zero weather; 5- be less apt to damage pavement.
Whatever the product is, an improvement can negate another, so one product probably won't include each possible improvement. It can be impractical to use multiple versions simultaneously.
Choosing among them can be confusing, so people might ask for advice. You can help find better options &/or eliminate bad options for a condition.
If packages are big, you can have easy-to-hold comparison charts. These charts could focus on specific concerns. Example for ice melting chemicals - You can have a chart for people, who have pets or wild animals on their land. Chemicals can be compared according to effects on animals. You could have tips for limiting animal exposure.
Desires, Needs, Expectations & Affordability
Though businesses can sell products more quickly than services, optimal profitability can depend on product & service blends.
Is your business model flexible enough to offer product & service blends?
Complete solutions often require customized products & services. Since competitors can sell the same or similar products, you should add value with services.
Services can be more than repair & maintenance. Services can be helping people: 1- find the best options for their conditions; 2- get full value from what they buy or rent; 3- mitigate & cope with problems they can't fully solve; 4- enjoy things they couldn't do without your help; 5- reduce uncertainty; 6- save time, money, energy, etc.
The success of your offers depends on how well you understand people's desires, needs & expectations. You shouldn't assume you know.
When you consider what to offer, you can adapt these questions:
What does relieving a problem mean?
Can pain be eliminated or just reduced?
Is permanent relief realistic?
If permanent relief costs more than occasional temporary relief, will people pay more?
Does total relief mean avoiding hassles by paying somebody to solve a problem?
How much do people want to be involved in the solution?
Do they want to help plan the project? Do they want to do some or all of the work?
Would people do all of the work to save money or because they get satisfaction?
What do people expect & what can they afford? They might expect a perfect lawn without realizing how much it'd cost. Offers should be based on expectations & reality. Example - Reduce weeds by 74% in 7 weeks.
Take Customers From Guess? To Yes!
Though products come with instructions, you can give lessons for specific conditions, so people don't struggle with details.
After people notice symptoms, they can describe conditions, use pictures, video & audio recordings. You can use their descriptions, pictures & recordings to process symptoms & diagnose problems.
After a diagnosis, you can find materials & tools, plus create plans for using what people buy. You can teach them or help them find instructions & tutorials about specific problems, materials & tools.
When people have a problem, each guess is another stress. Guesses lead to mistakes & more stress.
Customer satisfaction should start with confident thoughts like "Yes! I can do it."
People feel less stress when they're sure about positive results.
If a total solution is too much to expect, can you reduce a problem by a significant percentage?
You can help people manage conditions & expectations by explaining options & costs.
Often satisfaction isn't found, it's achieved. If they expect too much or too soon, they may never achieve satisfaction.
You can help with a realistic goal & resources to achieve it. Instead of lowering their standards, they may need to adjust.
If they don't know the range of possibilities, they might not buy because they have low expectations. Example - They might be dissatisfied with results of other products. By testing soil, you might adjust fertilizer so a whole lawn will grow evenly.
You know what's possible since you know your inventory. You might help people get more than they expected.
Offer Solutions Based On People's Definitions
Products & services can be sold individually or bundled based on how people define problems.
Example - To some people, weeds aren't bad, so lawn care is limited to mowing. Mower maintenance could be a problem. You could have a mowing service, fix mowers & sell maintenance products. This combination could serve a sizable niche.
If you want to sell a service, determine which tasks people don't have enough time or skills to do.
People might want to do repairs & maintenance. Some products are designed for manufacturers to easily & cheaply build, but repair & maintenance are hard.
Consumers should be given information & advice about durability, repair & maintenance. Cheap discount tools could break or wear out before people finish a project.
You also should warn them if they might have to interrupt a project to replace a tool. It might be better to invest in a more durable tool.
You should have policies about what you will & won't sell, plus how you'll explain policies to consumers.
Some products are intended for professionals only because specialized knowledge is necessary.
Will you stock products for direct sales (for consumer self-service) or only as part of a service you can perform?
Better Offers For Different Needs
Competitors might have undifferentiated offers that don't fully satisfy people. Check with suppliers for products with fewer or more functions that can provide just the benefits people need.
Help people determine the difference between needs & desires. If they can't afford all they want, maybe you can help them get what they need.
As they improve their conditions (including finances), they'll be closer to their desired state. They can do more when they more time & money.
Example - They might want an unblemished lawn, but they can afford only to eliminate weeds. They might remove blemishes from animals later.
As you help people improve their conditions, you can build relationships. You & your clientele can support each other with long-term efforts.
Selling A Service For What It's Worth
Examine a process in various conditions to find valuable changes. Are there people who don't need each process step or product?
Can you improve a process by changing, adding &/or removing steps? Can results be improved with a different product?
Improvements can be reducing costs &/or changing results.
Can you customize some things without compromising your principles?
Be sure customers understand your offers & what you will & won't customize.
You should encourage consumers to talk about their needs, desires & expectations. A little investment of time could save time, money & frustration later.
Are they willing to advance incrementally or do they insist on quick results? Can you accommodate their schedules?
How do they define quality in products & results? Do they expect to pay too little for high quality?
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2018 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
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/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
As you consider what to offer, you can start with people's general situations, then narrow your focus to an issue. As you explore an issue, determine which aspects you can impact most.
The potential demand for an offer & your profit depends on specializing in a subject or combination that relieves conflicts between reality & people's goals.
Example - Home ownership is a horizontal part of life. By focusing on an aspect, you can go vertical, example: lawn care. When you offer a combination (mowing, fertilizing & weed control), people can pick what they'll do or delegate to you.
Multiple Opportunities From Dividing Life Into Issues
You can explore opportunities by dividing life into issues & determine much relief competitors offer. Compare your offers & competitors with local conditions.
Can you offer more of an advantage for some consumers? An advantage can be an easier, more complete or less expensive way to improve conditions.
What kind of an advantage would inspire people to change brands or stores?
If an improvement requires higher priced products, is the improvement worth more?
A manufacturer can claim a 30% product improvement but its value depends on effects on people's goals & local conditions.
Local retailers should excel in helping people achieve their goals.
Is It A Real Improvement?
In a cold climate, we have ice melting chemicals so we can drive & walk without slipping.
Ice melting chemicals are often improved, but what's a real improvement? They can: 1- melt ice faster or last longer; 2- be safer for the environment, plants &/or animals; 3- be easier to spread; 4- work in sub-zero weather; 5- be less apt to damage pavement.
Whatever the product is, an improvement can negate another, so one product probably won't include each possible improvement. It can be impractical to use multiple versions simultaneously.
Choosing among them can be confusing, so people might ask for advice. You can help find better options &/or eliminate bad options for a condition.
If packages are big, you can have easy-to-hold comparison charts. These charts could focus on specific concerns. Example for ice melting chemicals - You can have a chart for people, who have pets or wild animals on their land. Chemicals can be compared according to effects on animals. You could have tips for limiting animal exposure.
Desires, Needs, Expectations & Affordability
Though businesses can sell products more quickly than services, optimal profitability can depend on product & service blends.
Is your business model flexible enough to offer product & service blends?
Complete solutions often require customized products & services. Since competitors can sell the same or similar products, you should add value with services.
Services can be more than repair & maintenance. Services can be helping people: 1- find the best options for their conditions; 2- get full value from what they buy or rent; 3- mitigate & cope with problems they can't fully solve; 4- enjoy things they couldn't do without your help; 5- reduce uncertainty; 6- save time, money, energy, etc.
The success of your offers depends on how well you understand people's desires, needs & expectations. You shouldn't assume you know.
When you consider what to offer, you can adapt these questions:
What does relieving a problem mean?
Can pain be eliminated or just reduced?
Is permanent relief realistic?
If permanent relief costs more than occasional temporary relief, will people pay more?
Does total relief mean avoiding hassles by paying somebody to solve a problem?
How much do people want to be involved in the solution?
Do they want to help plan the project? Do they want to do some or all of the work?
Would people do all of the work to save money or because they get satisfaction?
What do people expect & what can they afford? They might expect a perfect lawn without realizing how much it'd cost. Offers should be based on expectations & reality. Example - Reduce weeds by 74% in 7 weeks.
Take Customers From Guess? To Yes!
Though products come with instructions, you can give lessons for specific conditions, so people don't struggle with details.
After people notice symptoms, they can describe conditions, use pictures, video & audio recordings. You can use their descriptions, pictures & recordings to process symptoms & diagnose problems.
After a diagnosis, you can find materials & tools, plus create plans for using what people buy. You can teach them or help them find instructions & tutorials about specific problems, materials & tools.
When people have a problem, each guess is another stress. Guesses lead to mistakes & more stress.
Customer satisfaction should start with confident thoughts like "Yes! I can do it."
People feel less stress when they're sure about positive results.
If a total solution is too much to expect, can you reduce a problem by a significant percentage?
You can help people manage conditions & expectations by explaining options & costs.
Often satisfaction isn't found, it's achieved. If they expect too much or too soon, they may never achieve satisfaction.
You can help with a realistic goal & resources to achieve it. Instead of lowering their standards, they may need to adjust.
If they don't know the range of possibilities, they might not buy because they have low expectations. Example - They might be dissatisfied with results of other products. By testing soil, you might adjust fertilizer so a whole lawn will grow evenly.
You know what's possible since you know your inventory. You might help people get more than they expected.
Offer Solutions Based On People's Definitions
Products & services can be sold individually or bundled based on how people define problems.
Example - To some people, weeds aren't bad, so lawn care is limited to mowing. Mower maintenance could be a problem. You could have a mowing service, fix mowers & sell maintenance products. This combination could serve a sizable niche.
If you want to sell a service, determine which tasks people don't have enough time or skills to do.
People might want to do repairs & maintenance. Some products are designed for manufacturers to easily & cheaply build, but repair & maintenance are hard.
Consumers should be given information & advice about durability, repair & maintenance. Cheap discount tools could break or wear out before people finish a project.
You also should warn them if they might have to interrupt a project to replace a tool. It might be better to invest in a more durable tool.
You should have policies about what you will & won't sell, plus how you'll explain policies to consumers.
Some products are intended for professionals only because specialized knowledge is necessary.
Will you stock products for direct sales (for consumer self-service) or only as part of a service you can perform?
Better Offers For Different Needs
Competitors might have undifferentiated offers that don't fully satisfy people. Check with suppliers for products with fewer or more functions that can provide just the benefits people need.
Help people determine the difference between needs & desires. If they can't afford all they want, maybe you can help them get what they need.
As they improve their conditions (including finances), they'll be closer to their desired state. They can do more when they more time & money.
Example - They might want an unblemished lawn, but they can afford only to eliminate weeds. They might remove blemishes from animals later.
As you help people improve their conditions, you can build relationships. You & your clientele can support each other with long-term efforts.
Selling A Service For What It's Worth
Examine a process in various conditions to find valuable changes. Are there people who don't need each process step or product?
Can you improve a process by changing, adding &/or removing steps? Can results be improved with a different product?
Improvements can be reducing costs &/or changing results.
Can you customize some things without compromising your principles?
Be sure customers understand your offers & what you will & won't customize.
You should encourage consumers to talk about their needs, desires & expectations. A little investment of time could save time, money & frustration later.
Are they willing to advance incrementally or do they insist on quick results? Can you accommodate their schedules?
How do they define quality in products & results? Do they expect to pay too little for high quality?
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2018 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
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/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
Friday, January 19, 2018
Compelling Offers Based On Customers' Conditions
When people feel doubt about conditions, they feel an emotional darkness. You can inspire hope by sharing knowledge.
Knowledge is like light. You can focus knowledge specifically where customers need it.
People are the only sources who can focus knowledge specifically. Books, articles, videos, etc. are useful only if a person can apply information directly.
As big retailers add more services, you need better services that fit people's lives. You need to understand their conditions.
You should make compelling offers based on their conditions, not just on your inventory.
On a local level, customers have similar conditions. You should know those general conditions, discuss customers' specific needs & customize solutions.
Some things can make conditions unbearable - 1) not being in control & 2) unknown causes & effects.
Even if people can't control everything, they want to control something. Coping is hard if people control nothing & don't know what to expect.
People get some relief when they know what causes a problem. After a problem is found, people can focus on preventing & mitigating effects.
Cause & Effect Story Lines
Purchase decisions can be based on cause & effect story lines. Even if people don't think of their lives as stories, they go from problems to solutions.
Descriptive ad copy should highlight benefits so people recognize products they need to improve their stories.
Stories might be simple summaries of conditions. Things happen in particular sequences.
Problems will continue unless somebody changes the conditions. Your ads should help people recognize conditions & what can be done about them.
To integrate your store & offers with people's lives, you need to know their stories.
What do they want? What will they want? What might interfere with their plans? How can they reduce interruptions?
When you help people identify specific causes & effects, you can help them make the right changes.
When you ask questions to help people solve problems you'll also get information for future offers.
You can ask questions like these:
When you think about potential changes, which change is most important? What makes it most important?
Which problem bothers you the most? If you could only afford to solve one problem, which would you solve?
We need to find the cause so we can solve the problem. What did you notice first? What did you do after it happened? Did that reduce the effect?
Are Their Priorities Practical?
Priorities are important. Reasons for priorities can lead to trying to solve minor or easy problems instead of what's most damaging.
You can base suggestions on customers' needs or preferences but preferences aren't always practical.
People might want to solve what upsets them most instead of preventing or fixing damage. Example - People might want to kill invasive insects, but they also should plug holes insects use to enter houses.
Though symptoms can be stressful, it's best to identify symptoms to solve problems. If customers can't afford to solve problems, maybe you can mitigate problems.
Diagnostic Scenarios
Stories can be organized into scenarios. Scenarios are organized details. Problems are diagnosed according to details.
When you consider local conditions, you can review your inventory & determine how people can use products.
What do people want to do? What do people want to avoid? What do people want to decrease or increase? What do people need to solve?
When you have those answers, check your inventory for solutions.
To write ads, go through answers to the questions above & write questions like these: Do you need/want ___? Have you noticed ___? Do you want to avoid ___?.
Describe how your products/services fulfill those desires & needs.
Scenarios can describe conditions for using products. Here are some examples:
For selling garden tools, you can describe soil conditions & explain how to use those tools.
For selling health products, you can describe symptoms & explain how to apply those products.
General descriptions can help people determine if their conditions fit those scenarios. Invite them to your store for specific information. In your store, you can ask questions & answer their questions.
When you do these things, you'll help people get maximum value. Compared to competitors, who don't offer information, you have information customers need.
Be An Advisor
Just like fiction, stories aren't totally original. There are familiar subjects with different details.
You can help people adapt options according to personal details.
Based on your inventory & local conditions, you can ask questions & determine which solutions to offer.
There are common patterns in some life conditions. Based on patterns, you can show people what might happen with or without solutions.
If you recognize patterns, you can help people avoid or mitigate some problems.
You can help people plan tasks, so they'll have time to learn how to get optimal results.
You can promote free consultations with purchases. If they buy from you, you can continue to guide them if they have questions later.
As you increase your trade skill, you're apt to learn what works for people in your area. You can show how to adjust to changing conditions.
You can tell customers if you think an idea won't work. They might want to experiment anyway. If there's a safety issue, you might refuse sell something & explain why.
Risk Reduction
Consider potential risks people face when they buy a product or service. Even if you can't remove each risk, you can reduce some risks. Example - When people use tools, there are probably common incidents. When people know a product's limits, they can avoid problems.
People need information to pick & use the best products for their conditions. You can help them avoid using the wrong products.
Avoiding risks is a major value. You can use information to reduce people's risks.
Sales may depend on whether people are sure about advantages & assured against risks of disadvantages.
Reassure customers by helping them know when & how to use products, so they'll avoid injuries or damage.
Risk reversal (refund or exchange) is important if a result is reversible. If a result is irreversible, people may want guidance to avoid waste.
Somebody might refuse to buy even if you think a risk is minor. For a socially evident product, people might risk disapproval if they don't know how or when to use a product well.
People might feel too embarrassed to ask for advice. To reduce risk & embarrassment, you can have advisory documents with products.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2018 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/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
Knowledge is like light. You can focus knowledge specifically where customers need it.
People are the only sources who can focus knowledge specifically. Books, articles, videos, etc. are useful only if a person can apply information directly.
As big retailers add more services, you need better services that fit people's lives. You need to understand their conditions.
You should make compelling offers based on their conditions, not just on your inventory.
On a local level, customers have similar conditions. You should know those general conditions, discuss customers' specific needs & customize solutions.
Some things can make conditions unbearable - 1) not being in control & 2) unknown causes & effects.
Even if people can't control everything, they want to control something. Coping is hard if people control nothing & don't know what to expect.
People get some relief when they know what causes a problem. After a problem is found, people can focus on preventing & mitigating effects.
Cause & Effect Story Lines
Purchase decisions can be based on cause & effect story lines. Even if people don't think of their lives as stories, they go from problems to solutions.
Descriptive ad copy should highlight benefits so people recognize products they need to improve their stories.
Stories might be simple summaries of conditions. Things happen in particular sequences.
Problems will continue unless somebody changes the conditions. Your ads should help people recognize conditions & what can be done about them.
To integrate your store & offers with people's lives, you need to know their stories.
What do they want? What will they want? What might interfere with their plans? How can they reduce interruptions?
When you help people identify specific causes & effects, you can help them make the right changes.
When you ask questions to help people solve problems you'll also get information for future offers.
You can ask questions like these:
When you think about potential changes, which change is most important? What makes it most important?
Which problem bothers you the most? If you could only afford to solve one problem, which would you solve?
We need to find the cause so we can solve the problem. What did you notice first? What did you do after it happened? Did that reduce the effect?
Are Their Priorities Practical?
Priorities are important. Reasons for priorities can lead to trying to solve minor or easy problems instead of what's most damaging.
You can base suggestions on customers' needs or preferences but preferences aren't always practical.
People might want to solve what upsets them most instead of preventing or fixing damage. Example - People might want to kill invasive insects, but they also should plug holes insects use to enter houses.
Though symptoms can be stressful, it's best to identify symptoms to solve problems. If customers can't afford to solve problems, maybe you can mitigate problems.
Diagnostic Scenarios
Stories can be organized into scenarios. Scenarios are organized details. Problems are diagnosed according to details.
When you consider local conditions, you can review your inventory & determine how people can use products.
What do people want to do? What do people want to avoid? What do people want to decrease or increase? What do people need to solve?
When you have those answers, check your inventory for solutions.
To write ads, go through answers to the questions above & write questions like these: Do you need/want ___? Have you noticed ___? Do you want to avoid ___?.
Describe how your products/services fulfill those desires & needs.
Scenarios can describe conditions for using products. Here are some examples:
For selling garden tools, you can describe soil conditions & explain how to use those tools.
For selling health products, you can describe symptoms & explain how to apply those products.
General descriptions can help people determine if their conditions fit those scenarios. Invite them to your store for specific information. In your store, you can ask questions & answer their questions.
When you do these things, you'll help people get maximum value. Compared to competitors, who don't offer information, you have information customers need.
Be An Advisor
Just like fiction, stories aren't totally original. There are familiar subjects with different details.
You can help people adapt options according to personal details.
Based on your inventory & local conditions, you can ask questions & determine which solutions to offer.
There are common patterns in some life conditions. Based on patterns, you can show people what might happen with or without solutions.
If you recognize patterns, you can help people avoid or mitigate some problems.
You can help people plan tasks, so they'll have time to learn how to get optimal results.
You can promote free consultations with purchases. If they buy from you, you can continue to guide them if they have questions later.
As you increase your trade skill, you're apt to learn what works for people in your area. You can show how to adjust to changing conditions.
You can tell customers if you think an idea won't work. They might want to experiment anyway. If there's a safety issue, you might refuse sell something & explain why.
Risk Reduction
Consider potential risks people face when they buy a product or service. Even if you can't remove each risk, you can reduce some risks. Example - When people use tools, there are probably common incidents. When people know a product's limits, they can avoid problems.
People need information to pick & use the best products for their conditions. You can help them avoid using the wrong products.
Avoiding risks is a major value. You can use information to reduce people's risks.
Sales may depend on whether people are sure about advantages & assured against risks of disadvantages.
Reassure customers by helping them know when & how to use products, so they'll avoid injuries or damage.
Risk reversal (refund or exchange) is important if a result is reversible. If a result is irreversible, people may want guidance to avoid waste.
Somebody might refuse to buy even if you think a risk is minor. For a socially evident product, people might risk disapproval if they don't know how or when to use a product well.
People might feel too embarrassed to ask for advice. To reduce risk & embarrassment, you can have advisory documents with products.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2018 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/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
Friday, December 15, 2017
Bring Customers Back With Value
People remember what feels best or worst; those are peak experiences.
Problems can be negative peaks. Solutions can be more powerful positive peaks.
Successful business owners solve problems & create positive peaks. They focus on solutions more than just selling products & services.
People will return because they want to repeat positive peaks & avoid negative peaks.
Peaks don't have to be summits, just significant issues.
Your advertising should show how you help prevent & solve problems.
These can be simple like possible uses people might not expect. Example: Somebody complains about another broken ice chopper. Ice chopping is done straight up & down. Some ice choppers bend & break if they're used for scraping because it's a different angle. A spade can be better for scraping & removing chopped ice.
Your ads should show ways to produce & expand positive effects.
Check competitors' offers & add value, so your offers are better.
Some people don't like discount stores but they perceive a value in low prices. Though saving money feels good; solutions can feel better & become better memories.
Confirmation Bias In Your Favor
It's vital to get confirmation bias to work in your favor. When you're perceived as a community supporter & value provider, each value increment will confirm people's positive feelings & thoughts.
People will like your offers better than competitors'. If anything negative comes up, it might be disregarded or considered to be an exception.
Memories Last Longer Than Experiences
To avoid problems & negative memories, encourage customers to ask questions before & after they buy. Some manufacturers have tech support or trouble shooting guides. Show customers how to find & use those.
People can have good in-store experiences & be satisfied with product/service results, but still regret purchases later. If a good result doesn't last, the final memory might be bad.
If they find a lower price later, they might regret paying more unless they remember a significant added value. Added value can lead to better results that are worth the prices.
Total satisfaction can depend more on memory than experience. Solving long-term problems can lead to positive memories.
According to Daniel Kahneman ("Thinking, Fast & Slow"), pleasure & pain often are remembered based on peak & end levels. The length of pain or pleasure may be disregarded if the experience changes.
Pain might decrease toward the end, so people remember relief.
People will remember an inconvenience & they'll remember who helped solve a problem.
Satisfaction can be mentally linked to your store, so people want to return.
Advice can make a difference between satisfaction & remorse.
Your information, advice & instructions can lead to satisfactory results, so people are less apt to regret a purchase.
If people bought a product from a discount store without added value, results might be unsatisfactory.
Remorse can happen if a price seems too high compared to the value of results. Added value can improve results that are worth a higher price.
Remembering In-Store Experiences
Some retailers use music, fragrances, colors & pictures to influence moods.
When people are in a good mood, they might accept & remember advice.
Make added value a regular part of your in-store experience.
When people think about your store, they should remember the values you offer. It should be like a word association. When people need solutions, they should remember your store.
People remember a positive difference, even if it seems small; so, offer various things & track what people accept.
Your success can depend on how you affect people's conditions & moods.
General quality of life can be like a tide & moods can be like waves.
Mood troughs can be deep, so crests bring important relief. People have crests when they get relief from problems.
Your store should be mentally linked with crests. If people feel better in your store, they'll have a favorable impression. Crests & peaks tip a scale in your favor when people think about which stores to patronize.
You can help people add peaks & crests by finding what's missing. What do they need?
Fulfilling goals requires a series of steps. You can offer information & products for planning & completing steps. People can return for what they need for each step & future projects.
Increase Knowledge & Decrease Risk
People need knowledge, skills, money, time, work space, tools & materials. By removing these barriers, you can gain advantages over competitors.
You should welcome beginners who might not know how to start.
Even if they can't identify symptoms, they know something is wrong. They have risks if they do something wrong & don't solve problems.
They need help diagnosing problems so they can buy the right solutions.
They need the right knowledge, materials & tools. Your ads should show you're the right source.
Beginners don't know if they'll have a long-term interest or need for tools. If you have a rental or trade-in program, people can try new skills with low risk.
People can return what they won't use again & you can offer used tools.
People can start with low investments & you can profit from selling tools multiple times.
You might be able to start a club or work with an existing club.
If members share expenses with others, you'll have multiple customers who can afford to buy or rent things.
If you have to order & sell materials in big lots, you can encourage members to divide lots into smaller amounts.
People can save time by working with others & learning together. If each person specializes in a skill, people can solve complex problems more quickly. They can specialize in what they learn & buy.
Clubs can provide work shops & hobby space. Example: A remote control plane club has a small air field. Members share knowledge & skills, so beginners can start with little risk.
Product & Information Sources
People might buy from whomever provides valuable information.
Do your ads have enough information for purchase decisions? If people check manufacturers' web sites, they might buy from manufacturers.
Information from manufacturers might not apply directly to people's conditions. You should offer information about using products in local conditions.
If local conditions don't affect how products are used, you need to produce a different kind of value. Help people choose & use products effectively & efficiently for personal conditions.
What can you offer to make products easier to use? What can you provide to prevent problems?
You can offer what people want before, during & after producing specific results. What can you provide to make those results easier? What can you provide to make those results better or last longer?
Which products can be combined to produce different or better results? What's the best way to produce those results? Are there instructions or will you write the instructions?
Tutorials can help people produce good results. You can help people choose tutorials that fit their conditions & help them adapt information.
Any Relief Is Valuable
Though you should offer maximum value, people might expect less. They can return for more after they settle preliminary issues.
In people's minds, current issues often are magnified in importance & urgency. Their thoughts aren't necessarily on what's realistically most important & urgent. It's like a picture focused on an object, other objects seem blurry.
When people are involved in a situation, they might not see the big picture clearly. As an outsider, you might have a wider perspective.
To satisfy them, you might need to solve what's on their minds. You can use your perspective & knowledge to help them get the most value they can afford. Even if they can't afford the best value, they can get some improvement & improve their morale.
People need morale boosts because it's a burden to constantly feel low.
They realize burdens still exist, but they need a mental rest like setting a load down. Even temporary pleasures are good because people get relief when they don't dwell on problems.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2017 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/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
Problems can be negative peaks. Solutions can be more powerful positive peaks.
Successful business owners solve problems & create positive peaks. They focus on solutions more than just selling products & services.
People will return because they want to repeat positive peaks & avoid negative peaks.
Peaks don't have to be summits, just significant issues.
Your advertising should show how you help prevent & solve problems.
These can be simple like possible uses people might not expect. Example: Somebody complains about another broken ice chopper. Ice chopping is done straight up & down. Some ice choppers bend & break if they're used for scraping because it's a different angle. A spade can be better for scraping & removing chopped ice.
Your ads should show ways to produce & expand positive effects.
Check competitors' offers & add value, so your offers are better.
Some people don't like discount stores but they perceive a value in low prices. Though saving money feels good; solutions can feel better & become better memories.
Confirmation Bias In Your Favor
It's vital to get confirmation bias to work in your favor. When you're perceived as a community supporter & value provider, each value increment will confirm people's positive feelings & thoughts.
People will like your offers better than competitors'. If anything negative comes up, it might be disregarded or considered to be an exception.
Memories Last Longer Than Experiences
To avoid problems & negative memories, encourage customers to ask questions before & after they buy. Some manufacturers have tech support or trouble shooting guides. Show customers how to find & use those.
People can have good in-store experiences & be satisfied with product/service results, but still regret purchases later. If a good result doesn't last, the final memory might be bad.
If they find a lower price later, they might regret paying more unless they remember a significant added value. Added value can lead to better results that are worth the prices.
Total satisfaction can depend more on memory than experience. Solving long-term problems can lead to positive memories.
According to Daniel Kahneman ("Thinking, Fast & Slow"), pleasure & pain often are remembered based on peak & end levels. The length of pain or pleasure may be disregarded if the experience changes.
Pain might decrease toward the end, so people remember relief.
People will remember an inconvenience & they'll remember who helped solve a problem.
Satisfaction can be mentally linked to your store, so people want to return.
Advice can make a difference between satisfaction & remorse.
Your information, advice & instructions can lead to satisfactory results, so people are less apt to regret a purchase.
If people bought a product from a discount store without added value, results might be unsatisfactory.
Remorse can happen if a price seems too high compared to the value of results. Added value can improve results that are worth a higher price.
Remembering In-Store Experiences
Some retailers use music, fragrances, colors & pictures to influence moods.
When people are in a good mood, they might accept & remember advice.
Make added value a regular part of your in-store experience.
When people think about your store, they should remember the values you offer. It should be like a word association. When people need solutions, they should remember your store.
People remember a positive difference, even if it seems small; so, offer various things & track what people accept.
Your success can depend on how you affect people's conditions & moods.
General quality of life can be like a tide & moods can be like waves.
Mood troughs can be deep, so crests bring important relief. People have crests when they get relief from problems.
Your store should be mentally linked with crests. If people feel better in your store, they'll have a favorable impression. Crests & peaks tip a scale in your favor when people think about which stores to patronize.
You can help people add peaks & crests by finding what's missing. What do they need?
Fulfilling goals requires a series of steps. You can offer information & products for planning & completing steps. People can return for what they need for each step & future projects.
Increase Knowledge & Decrease Risk
People need knowledge, skills, money, time, work space, tools & materials. By removing these barriers, you can gain advantages over competitors.
You should welcome beginners who might not know how to start.
Even if they can't identify symptoms, they know something is wrong. They have risks if they do something wrong & don't solve problems.
They need help diagnosing problems so they can buy the right solutions.
They need the right knowledge, materials & tools. Your ads should show you're the right source.
Beginners don't know if they'll have a long-term interest or need for tools. If you have a rental or trade-in program, people can try new skills with low risk.
People can return what they won't use again & you can offer used tools.
People can start with low investments & you can profit from selling tools multiple times.
You might be able to start a club or work with an existing club.
If members share expenses with others, you'll have multiple customers who can afford to buy or rent things.
If you have to order & sell materials in big lots, you can encourage members to divide lots into smaller amounts.
People can save time by working with others & learning together. If each person specializes in a skill, people can solve complex problems more quickly. They can specialize in what they learn & buy.
Clubs can provide work shops & hobby space. Example: A remote control plane club has a small air field. Members share knowledge & skills, so beginners can start with little risk.
Product & Information Sources
People might buy from whomever provides valuable information.
Do your ads have enough information for purchase decisions? If people check manufacturers' web sites, they might buy from manufacturers.
Information from manufacturers might not apply directly to people's conditions. You should offer information about using products in local conditions.
If local conditions don't affect how products are used, you need to produce a different kind of value. Help people choose & use products effectively & efficiently for personal conditions.
What can you offer to make products easier to use? What can you provide to prevent problems?
You can offer what people want before, during & after producing specific results. What can you provide to make those results easier? What can you provide to make those results better or last longer?
Which products can be combined to produce different or better results? What's the best way to produce those results? Are there instructions or will you write the instructions?
Tutorials can help people produce good results. You can help people choose tutorials that fit their conditions & help them adapt information.
Any Relief Is Valuable
Though you should offer maximum value, people might expect less. They can return for more after they settle preliminary issues.
In people's minds, current issues often are magnified in importance & urgency. Their thoughts aren't necessarily on what's realistically most important & urgent. It's like a picture focused on an object, other objects seem blurry.
When people are involved in a situation, they might not see the big picture clearly. As an outsider, you might have a wider perspective.
To satisfy them, you might need to solve what's on their minds. You can use your perspective & knowledge to help them get the most value they can afford. Even if they can't afford the best value, they can get some improvement & improve their morale.
People need morale boosts because it's a burden to constantly feel low.
They realize burdens still exist, but they need a mental rest like setting a load down. Even temporary pleasures are good because people get relief when they don't dwell on problems.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2017 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/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
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