Your business should work for you. You should NOT work for it. Optimal methods increase the total value of your business to your clientele and to you. It IS Possible To Decrease A Marketing Budget, Increase Effectiveness Plus Efficiency This forum was started with a service that closed. Many messages have the same posting date. These posts are listed as if they've originated with me. I brought these with me to Blogger.
Wednesday, March 24, 2021
Help Customers Avoid Disappointments By Managing Expectations & Results.
People might try what seemed to work well for others. It’s important to define what ‘work well’ means for people & their conditions.
Consultation Example: ‘I understand why you want similar results. Since neighbors have different factors each year, you might get different results even with the same products & methods. Let’s avoid disappointments by reviewing possible differences in your conditions & goals. Let's determine how long- & short-term results are affected by current & foreseeable positive & negative factors. After studying results & factors, we can pick products & plan methods to optimize positives & reduce negatives. When you’re confident about what to expect, you can schedule your project.’
Explain how your responsibility includes asking questions to ensure good results. When short-term results can be different than long-term results, it’s important to know which deteriorations require repairs or just mitigation. Which changes warrant corrective action & should be prioritized? Would problem preventions or solutions synergize or interfere with other efforts?
Example: Should tires be replaced individually, in pairs or all four? Brake pad replacements wouldn’t make up for worn tires not gripping pavement.
Compare goals & problems to help customers prioritize.
Since preparation is vital, there can be risks in not anticipating probable problems & opportunities.
Offer Example: ‘Though we don’t know how intense (problem) will be this year, we know it always happens, so now it’s time for planning. (Store) has what you need to prepare, so get checklists from (Store) & you’ll know which preparations are necessary & enough. Avoid wasting resources in the wrong or inadequate preparations. Based on the past, we know what doesn’t work. Be sure you use the necessary high quality products & methods, so your efforts will be enough to protect your investment in your home.’
Guidance or Advice
Even if you hesitate about giving advice, you can supply insights. You can ask questions to help individuals, plus you’ll learn for helping future customers.
Example: ‘Since you know you need a solution, what do you need to know about your options? What are your criteria for choosing your best option? These product specifications seem to indicate this is your best choice because __. Does this fit your understanding?’
When you monitor information resources, you can recommend & explain them based on customers’ criteria plus how they explain their needs. People’s explanations reveal what they need to know about problems & how to shape their perceptions.
Example: ‘Dark spots could be dirt or mold. If it’s mold you’ll find __.’
People perceive conditions based on knowledge & priorities. Knowledge influences beliefs about possibilities & priorities influence beliefs about what’s necessary.
Example: ‘Dirt is inconvenient but mold could be hazardous. If it’s mold you need to__.’
To influence what people buy, you need to influence their knowledge & priorities. Influence their knowledge by comparing conditions before & after projects. Explain why results are important, so people adjust priorities.
There’s a difference between offering products & possibilities. Important basic questions are about who, what, why, when, where & how. Products partially answer ‘What’. Possibilities involve WHY people (WHO) want/need WHAT kind of results at locations (WHERE) at particular times (WHEN) & are created with methods (HOW).
Projects can be planned after studying possibilities.
When you consult with customers, your store is integrated into their results. You need reliable product & information suppliers with compatible resources, so you can merge facts about products & conditions.
You can combine customers’ insights from consultations with information from trade groups & manufacturers.
Consultation Example: ‘Based on your answers for the question checklist, your case is like these clients’ cases. They used this information package to decide on this project. This information has insights expressing pros & cons, so you can determine what current & emerging conditions indicate about your options.’
Experiences from Effective Results
Robert Frost wrote, “Happiness makes up in height for what it lacks in length.”
Though duration is important, what counts more is compatibility of experiences with goals & personalities.
Try to help customers identify peak experience elements plus ways to make element combinations fit time & financial constraints. When experience goals are established, determine how much length & money would be required, so elements can be prioritized.
Consultation Example: ‘Since you have $__ & __ hours available, you need to reduce something because combining options A, B & C would cost __ & take about __ hours. Which option is like a foundation that gives your experience the most value? Should we try to keep the other options by adjusting this foundation to cost less & require less time? Would you prefer to keep this full foundation & split the other options or elements into other experiences for other times?’
Since happy experiences don’t last (except in memories), ask questions to determine what made past experiences great & what can be added.
Consultation Example: ‘Do you want to learn about creating new experiences or quickly start something that builds on what’s familiar? Are there good things you want to upgrade or replace with great things? What was barely satisfying before? What was so special you want it again? When you remember things you’ve heard or read, what would fit your goal? That can be done with (product & method). What would add sensory stimuli? What would add value to your experience & be something you’d save as a reminder or souvenir for future enjoyment? We can add __ because it’s similar to what you enjoyed & enhances __. As we check each option, we can customize benefits. You can increase your skills &/or add products. Since learning requires time, you’d need to plan a month ahead. Based on your budget & desires, do you want to boost your enjoyment a little each time or maximize it now? Based on your budget & available time, let’s plan your experience.’
Isn’t That Special?
After people define what’s special, help them define what increases satisfaction. Is it a product amount or size? Do they want certain duration of continuous experience or ability to easily restart? How do people evaluate or measure satisfaction? Can they apply that standard before implementation, so plans can be adjusted?
Offer Example: ‘Whether you're planning your vacation or a weekend, make it special. (Store) is here to help you use memories & imagination. Let’s combine great experiences in your past with new ideas. What would make your camping experiences more fulfilling? Do you want to be like frontier pioneers or space pioneers? (Store) has planning templates to guide you to include special things & eliminate disappointments. Fill in the template blanks, so (Store) can fill experiential blanks. Here are some samples: When I planned camping trips, I expected __. As experiences ended, I thought if __ happened this would’ve been the best ever. Those were the good old days because __. At (Store), let’s create your outstanding personal events by exploring what your reality is & what you want reality to be.’
Good Plans Are Better Than Great Intentions.
Consumers might only intend to do projects until they’re convinced they can do what’s necessary & beneficial.
Retailers might have great intentions when their ads are only product names with pictures & prices. Retailers & consumers don’t profit from intentions or names.
Since people want beneficial results, they need plans for using products. Since people want happy lives, offers should include planned ways to integrate products into lives to increase happiness &/or decrease unhappiness.
Compelling offers promise specific benefits with reasons to justify purchasing. People rate desirability & value of benefit descriptions in compelling offers.
Provide enough help to shape products & methods into customizable benefits.
Consultation Example: ‘We can plan a project to convert desires into benefits. To create (benefit A), we’ll use (product 1) to __. Your benefit will last longer when you maintain it with (product 2). When that’s established you’ll be ready for setting up (benefit B) with (product 3). Let’s put these product instructions together into a plan.’
It can be done with services also. Some travelers plan itineraries & others choose to be guided through fully inclusive packages. Whether people travel or create benefits at home, they venture into unfamiliar territory. Anything unfamiliar can feel threatening & unfamiliar solutions can seem more threatening than problems.
Build familiarity & value of benefits by explaining how problems cause stress & solutions bring relief.
Offer Example: ‘As (problem) increases, you’ll notice (symptoms). (Problem) affects life quality by __. Cheap products can reduce (symptoms) without solving the whole problem. (Store) has kits for you to stop & prevent (problem) instead of struggling to reduce (symptoms) month after month. These kits are for eliminating problems & reducing your stress. When problems are gone, you can protect your health plus invest time, energy & money in things you enjoy.’
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2021 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/
Wednesday, February 24, 2021
Make Your Business the Definitive Source for Certain Results
Analogy: Since fuel is necessary for progress to destinations, gas stations are common along highways. Consider your inventory & information as fuel & roads for clients’ progress in achieving goals.
Customer integration focuses on what people need to complete their current stages, prepare for future stages &/or avoid losing progress.
Service stations were common & offered fuel, maintenance checks, repairs, snacks & beverages, so people could travel with minimal disruptions. People were confident they wouldn’t be stranded.
Now since vehicles are less apt to require emergency repairs during trips, full service stations are less common. Convenience stores & automotive technicians (in separate businesses) have replaced most service stations & mechanics.
Have you adjusted your business model & marketing based on current consumers’ needs & desires?
How do you assure people they can pursue happiness goals without feeling stranded?
How do you help people avoid disruptions?
How Much Certainty Can You Create or Restore?
Since it’s hard for overwhelmed people to think of whole processes, they focus on individual steps. Without deep knowledge of conditions & products, people might not know how to integrate all project steps for full benefits.
Though integration is their responsibility, your job includes helping customers coordinate integration.
When you show you understand people’s stress from internal & external needs, it’s easier to believe you have solutions. People want benefits (stress relief) & ignore ads that just push products.
Think about what causes stress & compare two approaches. 1) ‘I understand you’re stressed because __. My offer relieves it by (explanation).’ 2) ‘Aspirin $4 per bottle’
Offer Benefits Including Certainty
Successful marketing can depend on determining reasons for stress. Since uncertainty can feel like being stranded, it brings stress.
Develop empathetic offers for levels of uncertainty: 1) People think something is wrong but don’t have enough information. 2) They found symptoms but haven’t diagnosed problems. 3) They identified problems, but don’t know how to eliminate & prevent causes. 4) They’re aware of various products, but don’t know how to choose or use the best options. 5) With limited money & multiple problems, people need to prioritize & solve the most urgent problem.
Explain causes & effects plus whether effects cause secondary problems since those could warrant high priority.
Since problem categories have ranges of specific problems, offer diagnostics to ease customers’ uncertainty, so they can think clearly about options.
If people are confused about problems, they’ll be less confident about potential solutions. If there are multiple potential solutions, match options with people’s desires.
Since people have personal reasons for wanting results, your offers should help people fulfill physical & psychological goals. Assure customers they can finish projects without feeling stuck (stranded) at any step.
Example: ‘Plants are great for many reasons, so (Store) has a variety & offers guidance to pick the right plants for the right places & great effects. Let’s consult about your needs & desires. Let’s review which plants & support products will give you natural benefits & bring you joy. (Store) has guidelines & checklists to help you evaluate soil, sunlight, square footage, water requirements, plus important factors many people don’t know. Ask for a checklist, so you can start in May.’
Since it seems anything can go wrong at any time, full preparedness seems impossible. When people are barely juggling issues, another issue causes others to crash.
Since people can’t prepare for every unexpected problem, help reduce current & imminent problems, so unexpected problems won’t be as disruptive.
If you can’t block future issues, help people stay in control by offering maintenance.
Example: ‘Since another problem seems too much, (Store) offers (product) to keep (machine) in top condition. Be ready for winter weather.’
When you know about local conditions & product durability, you can assure customers about solutions.
Offer Example: ‘Be sure you use the best products for the best results by combining your knowledge of your goals & conditions with product knowledge at (Store). Don’t let winter weather prevent (benefit). Get the service & product quality you deserve at (Store) instead of being ignored at discount stores. Confidence in results starts with confidence in products from (Store).’
Confidence in Results plus Self-confidence
Since problem solving is a general goal, it’s important to help people form practical desires. People might be unsure what they want because they don’t know what they can do.
Review options with materials & information (including tutorials) to find people’s comfort levels. After asking what people are comfortable with, introduce unfamiliar products & methods while explaining benefits plus providing instructions.
When people refine & match comfort levels & desires, they can choose project results they can create.
Learn from customers how to help people maintain comfort at each step. Ask how customers managed comfort & discomfort levels through all project steps including planning. What inspired their comfort & confidence? What caused discomfort & uncertainty? What decreased discomfort & uncertainty?
Since people want to avoid mistakes, ask about misunderstandings & what went wrong.
Since people don’t want to waste time, ask what they would consider a waste time.
Example: If total solutions aren't practical, how much problem reduction can you offer? Would customers consider that reduction level be worth the price?
If people aren’t sure what would increase their confidence, suggest examples: Tutorials & in-person lessons can make products & methods more familiar. Are there hobby groups (like master gardeners) who help each other?
Some steps don’t seem hard until people start. Encourage people to ask for help whenever necessary because instructions might seem clear until people start implementation. ‘Anytime you feel stuck, call for clarification.’
Ask how much challenge people want. If people just want results without challenges, project kits can have some assemblies completed. Reduce pressure for perfection, so novices will be comfortable.
Win Formation & Information
Winning requires preventing & mitigating problems, plus reducing risks.
Realistic people aren’t pessimists because it’s important to consider potential problems.
Offer Example: ‘Boating is very popular now, so (store) has (equipment) plus instructions for safe transportation & fun. (Store) supports enthusiasm & encourages safety. Whether you go out cruising, fishing or for other purposes, (store) has dependable equipment plus information & products to be sure your equipment will be dependable for years.’
Even when people know problems are happening or will happen, some procrastinate because they don’t know how to prioritize or how to do the right things.
Analogy: Problems can feel like swamps full of alligators. Britt's problem is crossing a swamp (obstacle), where alligators (risks) live. Britt needs a safe way to get something from the other side. Britt is vulnerable in a low, slow row boat.
Air boats don’t have underwater parts & are faster than alligators. Motor boats can get stuck. Air boats reduce exposures but don’t eliminate risks.
As a full service retailer, fulfill customers' desires & needs by eliminating problems or reducing exposures. Evaluate conditions to find obstacles & risks.
After asking about customers’ perceived vulnerabilities, obstacles & risks, research what did & could interfere with effectiveness & efficiency of solutions.
Consultation Example: ‘Current conditions are __, so you need __. As conditions change, you’ll need __. At minimum, you need (Product A) because you said __. (Product B) is ideal because you’ll need to prevent __. Product instructions provide good methods; let’s combine those methods into a plan.’
Help Customers Build Self-Confidence
Remember how confident you feel about mentors who help you build self-confidence? You can be a mentor for projects or long-term. Inspire people’s confidence in you by offering improved results.
Offer Example: ‘Discount store products produce temporary results. (Store) will save you energy, time & money with long-term results. Project kits reduce frustration because you’ll know what to do & expect step-by-step. With an hour in (Store), you’ll have what you need instead of starting & stopping your project to shop for supplies for each step. Before you begin, let’s review project instructions, so you’ll know which skills you need to learn without any obligation to buy kits.’
People might need to progress incrementally because of financial, time &/or skill limits. You can help people develop practical projects based on needs & limits, so people only start what they can finish quickly.
What has shaken customers’ confidence? Were they just gaining some control when something went wrong? Do people think control of certain causes & effects is always out of reach? Do they define control as mitigating problems or total elimination?
You need to know what people believe when you offer solutions. Do people think they can manage & mitigate problems? Do they believe causes &/or effects can be eliminated?
To influence people’s intentions, you need to lead people’s beliefs. Would a trial offer be enough for noticeable preliminary benefits? Would trial offer preliminary benefits inspire confidence? Do you have testimonials & case studies to use as social proof plus tutorials?
Confidence in results is important after purchases, so people return to you for more confidence when they need future results.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2021 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/
Monday, January 25, 2021
Achieve Sales by Helping Customers Achieve Goals & Reduce Frustrations
Offer advice about creating, maintaining & updating specific benefits in local conditions, so people can plan ahead for long term results.
Offer advice about maintaining products & conditions, plus updated information sources about changing best practices as conditions change, so people don’t lose progress.
Best practices seem be a matter of opinion but are often a matter of interpreting conditions. Which conditions or actions interfere with results?
Example: Some people recommend tilling gardens, but others recommend not tilling. Tilling is beneficial or disruptive depending on conditions & desired results.
People might be hesitant about buying if they have to restart projects when they want results. To motivate people to buy, show how to optimize & maintain benefits based on customers’ expectations.
Integrate your store into customers’ results & experiences by monitoring local conditions & asking customers for updates. Your product & method recommendations can optimize project effectiveness & efficiency in customers' current & future benefits better than competitors' product offers.
Integrate into people’s desire for consistent satisfaction by offering up-to-date products & the latest, accurate information.
People might want to repeat satisfying results & experiences but be frustrated if they don't have necessary resources to maintain or recreate benefits.
If you can’t supply everything, ask about the best aspects of satisfactory results & experiences. Maybe you can recreate the best benefits. Customer integration includes helping customers integrate consistent benefits from results & experiences into their lives.
Bring It Altogether for Customers
Small experiences can enrich lives between big experiences. Coordinate & optimize results & experiences to enrich life quality. Help customers determine if they have tools, materials, furniture, etc. for full integration. Integrated activities are easier to repeat, so people can optimize results & start new projects.
Since people won't be motivated if it’s hard to start activities, reality check consultations can help customers avoid frustration.
Example: ‘To get this result, you need (products) & do (methods). If you haven’t done this before, this tutorial will show you what to practice. Each time you practice, you’ll notice steps fitting together effectively & efficiently, persistence will pay off.’
You’ll lose sales if people are dissatisfied & don’t integrate activities into their lives.
If people are frustrated when attempting activities, you can help eliminate obstacles with different products &/or methods.
Decreasing frustration & increasing enjoyment is a big purpose of retailing. Your offers should express how your store’s purpose matches purposes of people’s activities.
Example: ‘Losing weight is a partial goal. At (store), you’ll find products & get guidance for improving your health so you can maintain your healthy body weight.’
That shows you’re dedicated to customers’ well-being instead of just profits.
Full Service Retailers Should Offer Full Potential.
As you ask people about benefits of desired results & experiences, compare effectiveness & efficiency of products & methods for a range of benefits. In that range, there could be more benefits people haven't considered.
Discount retailers show their purpose is selling products by listing products & prices. You can show your purpose is creating value by offering results & experiences.
Each result & experience iteration can increase benefits either because people eliminate unsatisfactory factors &/or add options.
As you ask questions & compare customers’ preferences with your offers, you can create options beyond low service retailers’ offers.
Prerequisites for Success
Before starting projects, people might need to solve or prevent problems that could interfere with goals. As you consult with customers, you can learn what happened before, during & after projects (including what was expected but didn’t happen).
What mitigated unexpected effects? How did people predict & prevent potential problems? What kind of adjustments did people make?
That information can help you augment their efforts & guide future customers. Consultations can help you determine if conditions might not be favorable yet for project success.
Since the same obstacles complicate similar local projects, basic project kits can have similar products & instructions. Customizable kits can be formed if multiple problems happen together.
After identifying typical factors, you can standardize basic kits. By consulting with customers about their conditions, you can customize other kits.
Consultation Example: ‘Basic kits are for (describe conditions & desired results). When you start to notice (symptoms), it indicates it’s time for maintenance. In our area, (symptoms) might start in about 5 years. This augmented kit includes (products) & plans for (describe conditions & desired results). Dependable results last about 8 years, after that you need to do maintenance. This augmented kit costs _ & the current maintenance kit costs __. In about 8 years, it’ll probably cost more. If you think you’ll want the same result/experience more than 8 years, you’ll get more advantages from the deluxe kit. You can invest in the deluxe kit to (describe advanced results). The warranty is 14 years. The deluxe kit costs __.’
Retail is for Results
People need to be empowered to overcome obstacles. Empowerment includes whatever increases people’s abilities to achieve goals. Offer products with guidance for stopping negative causes &/or producing positive effects.
Do what you can to show your products & guidance boost effectiveness & efficiency.
If you help people achieve publicly visible effects, consider ways to display benefits. Example: After nonprofit group volunteers repair buildings or vehicles, volunteers could report how well your products & project plans work. If volunteers aren’t professional carpenters or mechanics, consumers can think they also can use the products & your guidance for similar results.
Volunteers’ reports could be perceived as impartial. Nonprofit groups often get publicity that promotes business sponsors.
Reasons for Results
Since product names & prices don’t explain why people need products, every offer should include information about beneficial results. Present information as a basis for accepting your offers if reasons for damage &/or obstacles interfering with repairs aren’t obvious.
Example: ‘Before you replace mold-damaged wood, check for reasons for mold growth. (Store) has information & kits for reducing mold to prevent damage from recurring. Unless you change conditions, mold will grow again soon after you finish repair work. Let’s review your needs & develop a full solution, including prevention.’
When customers say something doesn’t work for them, review what was good & bad before & during their projects. Asking ‘what went wrong’ implies something was/is wrong with the project.
Review customers’ expectations because their disappointment might be from a misunderstanding. If that misunderstanding continues, customers might miss benefits & you’d miss sales.
Example: ‘Sometimes people misunderstand how using (product 1) affects__. There are many things to consider, it’s why (store) customers get individual attention. I ask about your desires & needs because I want to be sure we both understand what you have & how to create what you want. (Product 2) won’t react with __, so you can avoid (problem) & still benefit with (result).’
Optimism Is Good. Awareness Is Better.
What should people know as they set priorities? What’s favorable or unfavorable for starting & establishing results? What has changed & what are effects of those changes? People might focus on perceived benefits & not consider other factors.
Examples: Though some plants thrived years ago, climate changes can make weather unfavorable for plants &/or favorable for insects that damage plants. Since invasive plants might grow faster than people expect & cause problems, urge people to buy from local stores instead of web sites.
People need guidance to remedy unfavorable factors. People might be tempted to skip preparation & quickly mitigate current or imminent problems.
It’s important to offer to review specific conditions & indicate precautions.
Precautions reduce uncertainty. People are more apt to invest in results & experiences when they’re sure about success.
After people have setbacks, you can help them restore confidence in themselves & circumstances. Review what was good & bad, so customers can build on what’s favorable plus eliminate & avoid whatever misfired.
You can help customers control (or at least influence) results with information about what to expect from products, methods & conditions.
Desires & Confidence Affect Motivation
Discomfort & pain drive desires for changes, but people are even more motivated when they’re confident about controlling or influencing results. Offer consultations about how your offers fit current conditions plus customers’ goals & budgets.
Consultation Example: ‘Have you noticed (problem)? How long has it happened? Did you ever have to (task)? What have your results been so far? Do you have these tools? Based on how I understand your answers, the fastest option is __. You can finish in 8 hours with this kit. It costs __. You might have to replace (product 1) in 5 years because it isn’t as strong as (product 2). Your best option could take 12 hours of work. The kit includes (product 2) & costs __. The results are more effective for __ years. As you review the instructions, are you comfortable with these methods? Do you need tutorials? What would reassure you about this kind of project? What else should we talk about?’
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2021 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/
Wednesday, December 23, 2020
Positioning Your Store for Maximum Customer Satisfaction
Let’s add power to “Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind” by Al Ries & Jack Trout. Go beyond positioning your store among competitors.
Integrate your store with results & experiences people want to start or improve. Your store is positioned as a necessity when it’s an integral resource for people’s results & experiences.
Products are just ingredients. Product & method combinations make results & experiences special. Since people want benefits, promote your ability to produce & maintain benefits with optimal combinations.
Analogy: Meals can be more than food. Though cooks prepare practical meals, chefs are honored for creating meal experiences. Chefs study nutrition to maximize meal benefits. Be a chef of people’s results & experiences.
Ask customers what completes results & experiences for the most satisfaction & least dissatisfaction. Customers might be satisfied with some factors & dissatisfied with others.
Assemble composites of similar experiences & results, so you can determine what worked. When people are dissatisfied, use composites to determine what’s missing or went wrong.
People might be dissatisfied because they didn’t receive every expected benefit. Ask which benefits people want & what they want to avoid. Ask how they gained benefits & avoided problems. Ask which products fit conditions & people’s desires.
Example: Skiers want well-insulated, flexible clothes to stay warm without restricting movements.
Comparisons can help: What made/would make __ better? Specific insights are better: What was less than you expected? What can we change to create what you expected?
Maximize Fulfillment Of Customers’ Priorities.
Market share concepts are share of mind or wallet. Share of life is also a matter of customers’ priorities. When you have a share of people’s lives, your store is a priority.
Share of life is consumers’ time percentage they benefit from your offers. Make those times as easy as possible, especially if products are used for unpleasant tasks.
If using products is an unavoidable need, ask about needs & how customers use products so you can recommend the easiest, most effective & efficient products & methods. Effectiveness & efficiency can increase satisfaction & offset some unpleasantness by reducing time & energy burdens.
If products are enjoyable, ask how customers maximize enjoyment so you can share tips with customers.
When you shape people's results & experiences, there are standards & compatibility issues. Rationalize changes if your offers aren’t compatible with standards indicated by what people have & want. If customers want to maintain results with current products & methods, present benefits to justify energy, time & money needed to make changes.
People’s current resources affect what they recognize & know how to use. As you monitor supplier offers, ask consumers about their knowledge & comfort with current & new innovations.
Analogy: Appliances are prepared to use (recognize) the right electricity (power).
Establish a powerful position for your outlet by offering precise benefits in local circumstances. Big retailers have inventory for multiple cities, so emphasize your local specialization.
Help people recognize what they need & offer information with products customers need to use for results & experiences.
Offer Example: ‘Several problems come up in (season). When you notice problem symptoms, bring descriptions & pictures to (store). Let’s identify problems & choose the best products & plan effective methods for those problems. Get service you deserve from (store) & get product solutions you deserve.’
In advertising, describe consumers’ current & desired conditions enough to resonate with desires & frustrations. Describe how you’ll increase satisfaction & decrease dissatisfaction.
Example: ‘With previous (product) versions, it was hard to __ & you couldn’t __ until now! You can use Version X to __ & __ even in local soil conditions when you use instructions available from (store). Tutorials focus on using Version X especially for local needs, so you can grow (plant). Many people want (benefits) of (plant), but are frustrated because (reasons). Let’s eliminate those reasons & reduce your frustrations.’
Increase Your Success By Increasing Customers’ Successes.
Make your store a superior resource by adopting an investigator's attention to detail to find what's important for customers' results & experiences. Make results & experiences special by asking about consumer preferences & learning about product options.
Consultation Examples:
“Since money is one of your priorities, it’s important to consider long-term expenses. In this area, (problem) can build up each year; use (product) to eliminate it instead of buying cheap stuff each year to reduce it. How long has __ been happening? I recommend either __ or __.’
‘I understand you were disappointed because (product & task) didn’t prevent/solve (problem). Let’s review what did & didn’t happen, so we can diagnose & solve current conditions.’
‘While you enjoy (experience), imagine you could add (product benefit). How would you feel about that? Should we try that option or something else?’
‘When you told me about (result), you were enthusiastic about (benefit). Would you like it to last longer?’
Information in these consultations would improve customer service & advertising offers.
Explain how offers specifically produce benefits people want to gain or maintain.
Example: ‘When you use (product 1) to remove damage & apply (product 2), window frames will last longer & keep cold air out.’
Bridges to Benefits
Consider your position to be an evolving destination, not stationary.
Consumers’ personal positions consist of changing conditions, needs & desires. As consumers search for up-to-date satisfaction, you should arrive a bit ahead of them & bridge their gaps. You can do it by communicating with customers & suppliers.
Position your store, products & services as bridges for people to connect with benefits & rise above restrictions & problems.
Customer’s Current Position >> VVV Restrictions & Problems VVV>> Aspirational Position
Customer’s Current Position >> ^^^ Bridge ^^^ >> Aspirational Position
Help customers understand how they can avoid or eliminate restrictions.
Help customers understand how they can solve or at least reduce problems. Help customers prepare for conditions & mitigate what can’t be prevented.
Decades ago, a breath mint was positioned as two mints in one. Since it’s hard to people to smell their breath, commercials emphasized inhaling through their mouths to test it. Users could taste & feel the effects. That test assured users the bridge (to positive effects) was working.
Users wanted good first impressions & to not negate good impressions. Instead of encouraging people to keep popping mints, the implied message was ‘This mint is so good, you can be confident. You’ll know when you’ll need another.’ Users probably didn’t have that confidence in competing products.
After you attain abilities, positioning is achieved in people’s minds & established in their lives. Promote your abilities in terms of resources. Link your resources with things people already know or can confirm.
Example: ‘Many people hope to have (result/experience). Convert your hope into confidence with (products) & guidance from (store). When you notice people enjoying (result/experience), you know it’s possible for you to have it. Observe the variety of options & you’ll know what’s available. Bring pictures, samples & descriptions to (store) & together we’ll explore ways to achieve your goals. Whether you want to select products fitting your ideas or want help with plans or project kits, (store) has your level of help.’
People don’t want to miss out on results & experiences, but they don’t always know how to avoid missing out. Establish your position by defining their desired results/experiences & removing barriers.
Consultation Example: ‘When you tried to__, how did you do it? Did you use (product) like this? (Demonstrate action.) How often do you wish you could __? When do you want to do it? If we add (product) & you use it like this (Demonstrate action.), you could __. Would that fit your goal?’
People might be disappointed in their results & experiences because of inadequate products &/or methods. After defining their desired results & experiences, you can help people determine what fits their expectations & make adjustments. Was there a lack of quality or quantity? Did they want it to last longer? Was anything unexpected? Which benefits would they add?
Customer Integration strengthens your position by integrating your added value into customers’ results.
Your added value includes being a conductor to connect people with resources including knowledge for producing & maintaining results.
Conductors are conduits for resources &/or people who coordinate inputs from multiple sources.
Bridge crossing can represent permanent changes or brief trips. Help people choose products & methods based on the levels & lengths of their needs.
Even if you don’t offer everything necessary, your product, service & information can be bridges between consumers & other merchants’ offers.
Consultation Question: ‘When you think about results & experiences, which benefits would make your project complete?’ If you don’t offer products for those benefits, consult with customers & other retailers about what would fit the project & customers' expectations.
Each merchant should have a database of customers’ results & experiences. Multiple merchants can build value & competitive strength by combining that knowledge & product offers.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2020 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, November 25, 2020
Make Your Store Their Superior Choice
Musical Shares
This analogy is based on the musical chairs game. You can search the internet for a description.
Sometimes people use time & energy going store to store to get what they need for results because they don’t enough supportive services.
When project success depends on multiple products, there can be information gaps not covered by the combined instructions. When people get products from many stores, who checks for incompatibilities?
Example: If problems happen nearby & solutions (products) are incompatible, which product should be used first? Which problem (solution) should be prioritized?
Support includes finding & combining products with information for creating & maintaining results. Support can include helping customers determine which results they need to solve & prevent problems. Guide people with effective options when standard product benefits aren’t enough.
Relieve customers’ stress by offering results instead of only advertising products & prices. Though people search for bargains, they hope for complete results.
Urge people to invest in results. Example: ‘Will you save money if discount store products don’t fully solve problems? You need long-term solutions but cheap products have inadequate results. Let’s diagnose problems & plan complete repairs to prevent future damage. You’ll get better results from high quality products & information at (store). Invest in planned projects, so you can maintain optimal results.’
Since any store offers product benefits, offer advantages of customized benefits from your product knowledge & awareness of changing conditions.
By offering customized benefits, you can save people time & energy, so they don’t need many stores to find options.
Offer Example: ‘It’s frustrating when standardized products don’t solve or prevent problems. Since damage can have a variety of causes, let’s identify problems & combine the right products & methods for the best solution & prevention.’
Superior service gives people reasons to choose your store, so they don’t need other stores. Instead of telling customers you don’t have products, ask about desired results & suggest options.
Show concern for customers with questions & suggestions. Example: ‘Though I don’t have those products, let’s consider the results you want. What are you trying to avoid or solve? Based on what you want, you need (products). Do you have any of these now? Have you started a project or should we form a plan? What are your questions as you look at this plan & product list? Does this result fit your needs? You can use (product) like this (demonstrate method) to make it effective.’
Top of Mind Awareness
When competitors offer similar products, typical product & price ads won’t differentiate your store. Build awareness of how you offer complete results for specific needs.
To earn consistent consumer awareness, show you’re aware of consumers’ needs & concerned about their results. Awareness & concern are more than rotating seasonal inventory & offering discounts.
Your monitoring of emerging local needs is a valuable service because each person’s attention is divided among many issues in life. Serve people with your awareness by alerting customers of upcoming problems, plus offer solutions & prevention methods based on individual needs.
By specializing in certain results, you can focus on narrow, deep inventories dedicated to high quality, specialized benefits & advantages. When big retailers need to sell hundreds of product units, they focus on general products to appeal to wide populations.
Without condition-specific methods, high quality general products can produce incomplete, short-term results.
Offer Example: ‘Paying low prices for low results isn't a bargain because you need to solve & prevent problems. Instead of being frustrated in discount stores, get what you need quickly from (Store). Consultations focus on what’s wrong, so we can plan to make it right with effective, efficient steps. Solve & prevent problems with planned projects, so you can relax sooner & longer. Whether you’re sure about your needs or have questions, (Store) has what you need for __ results as (season) starts.’
Logical Limited Time Offers
Since limited time offers can seem arbitrary, emphasize preventing problems, preparing for seasons & acting while opportunities are available.
Eventually it’s too late & opportunities are gone. Whichever games you use for analogies, people know about time running out.
Offer Example: ‘When you have opportunities, it can seem like a fun game. Act now so you don’t miss out. Now because of __, your opportunity is __. But it’s limited because __. (Store) has (products) & information about methods to make products effective. You don’t have to wait & hope you won’t be too late. Let’s check your conditions & choose your best option. You have this chance to achieve your goal before the season ends, let’s be sure you get benefits you deserve!’
Consistent Market Share & Compelling Value
If your product offer is better than competitors’ offers, you can temporarily increase your market share. Competitors might match your product offers since there are limited manufacturers. Competitors are less apt to match your knowledge & skill.
Combine your knowledge with concern for customers into curiosity about what makes experiences special & achieves complete solutions & preventions.
Since inadequate products leave a lot to be desired, determine gaps between customers’ needs & product results, so you sell complete results.
Exceed competitors' offers with insights from asking customers to define satisfactory results.
Discover how experiences can satisfy people & still inspire desire for more, so you can fulfill current & future desires.
Consumers can be motivated by limited time prices & limited supplies, but those inducements don't optimize consumers’ conditions or solve problems. If you can’t run consistent sales promotions, will consumers stay with you or return to competitors?
Attract people who realize value is a matter of results instead of cheapest options.
Offer Example: ‘It’s time when (problem) often starts. Prevent it now & reduce stress, plus later you’ll have more time & energy to enjoy favorite activities. Let’s review your conditions to find what's necessary for immediate & long-term results. Let’s compare viable options with your needs & budget to find your best option. Let’s optimize your best option by planning your project & maintaining results. You need relief & enjoyment now. You won’t solve problems & relieve stress by waiting for sale prices at other stores. Don’t delay your enjoyment or endure problems longer than necessary. (Store) has kits you need now to prevent & solve (problems). These products are made for high quality __ results. Let’s adjust products & instructions in these kits to create & maintain your desired results.’
When value is more than prices, value doesn’t end when promotions end. Your store should be a fountain of continuing value, so you provide necessary resources for each step of gaining, regaining & maintaining progress.
Since conditions change, help people reverse declining conditions & maintain results.
While discount retailers focus on low prices, you should focus on value being effectiveness & efficiency of results. Develop & offer your ability to help people to determine results they need. Consult with people to choose products & plan tasks.
Build Consistent Market Share.
Build consistent market share by increasing integrated value to reduce people’s workloads & increase enjoyment better than competitors. Integrated value is how offers fit people’s needs & desires now, plus help them update & upgrade as products improve, conditions change &/or you gain more knowledge. That’s more long-term value than temporary bargains.
Market share is temporary when consumers go to stores for the latest bargains instead of integrated value.
Integrated value involves connections to maintain or increase customers’ benefits. Products & results should connect comfortably with various aspects of people’s lives.
Connections depend on knowledge about people’s concerns & showing concern for their details.
Offer Example: ‘Before rough weather starts, you need advice about emerging problems. What should you expect? What should you prioritize now? With so many products, how will you choose what you need? Many retailers push products without helping you choose your best options. It’s like doctors prescribing drugs without checking symptoms. Let’s diagnose causes & effects, so we can choose specific products & actions to fix current problems, plus prevent damage.’
Earn market share by helping people understand problem causes & effects & how to control or eliminate causes & effects. Retailing is helping consumers avoid losses & gain what’s important to them.
Increase credibility with knowledge from manufacturers, academics, government agencies, professionals & consumers. You need knowledge to compare product & method effectiveness & efficiency with various problems.
Details of previous customers’ conditions before & after projects help you determine if their needs & results match new customers’ needs & expectations. Explain how people developed satisfactory results & ask about their expectations.
Consultation Example: ‘Previous customers needed __, they used (products) & they did (tasks). Based on what I understand from our conversation, you can get what you expect with some product & task adjustments. If we substitute this new innovation, you can __. Is this what you expect?’
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2020 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
Monday, October 19, 2020
Optimize Customers’ Results Better Than Competitors Do
Customer integration optimizes results; it isn’t just a matter of selling. Customer integration can make your store necessary for consistently high quality results.
To attract consumers, explain why results are necessary & the value of your offers.
Example: ‘Even when weather is rough, (product) protects your __ with (features). The price of protection is lower than paying to replace your __. Discount retailers want you to be satisfied with cheap prices. Your satisfaction is apt to decline when cheap discount products wear out or break. It’s hard to avoid risks & solve problems when cheap products wear out or break. You get long-term safety & satisfaction from products at (store) because the service includes matching high quality products with results you need. If your need changes, let’s check your updated information & find the newest options.’
Instead of just selling products, help customers optimize specific results with high quality products & information about using products in specific conditions. Since product quality is a major factor, people need to learn how to optimally use that high quality to maintain products & results.
Without advice pertaining to their goals & product limitations, people might overestimate high quality products & misapply or overuse them. Or people might get fewer benefits than they deserve if they’re accustomed to cheap products & underestimate high quality products.
As an integrator, combine resources to offer the most complete kits for optimizing conditions by preventing & solving problems. Your offers should inspire customers to connect with your store as a consistent benefit source, especially since people don’t want to risk interruptions.
Optimize People's Lifestyles
Explain how you & your product suppliers use knowledge of products & local conditions to help people maintain or upgrade their lifestyles. When people are accustomed to lifestyles, they resist disruptions.
You should help people optimize their living standards, so they stay with you to avoid setbacks. If your store is just a product source, you’re apt to lose to price based competition. Surpass competitors by making your store an optimization resource.
Integrate with customers’ lives by coordinating customers' product choices & actions to produce the best results. Integration includes what customers want & why because reasons determine how (long/often) & when people use products &/or results. Confirm whether customers’ reasons fit conditions & product results.
You can provide more service than discount stores with product recommendations after talking about customers' needs & desires.
Example: If people want to feel & look athletic, they might wear running shoes for brand appeal & comfort instead of sports.
Compare options based on customers’ needs. Do they need support for hours of standing & walking? Do they stand & walk on floors or soft, uneven ground? Would specialized shoes provide enough support?
So people can adjust support for different activities, would basic shoes & removable inserts be better? People might need heel pads for walking & arch support for standing.
Optimal Product Choices
To guide product choices, ask questions.
Examples: Until it became necessary to replace shoes, what did customers like about their current shoes?
Do they want/need the same kind of shoes?
In customers’ current conditions, what makes replacements necessary or desirable?
Are there additional benefits that would make particular shoes ideal?
Ask about expectations because people might opt for low prices & lower quality options without considering how long or often they want to use products &/or results. Low quality products might not support customers' kinds of uses or frequencies of use.
When results or experiences depend on multiple products, determine which products could fail or degrade results or experiences. Develop kits with plans & options for people to create & maintain results or experiences. Instructions should include information about choosing options based on needs & changing conditions.
As conditions change, product limitations (due to features or quality) can interrupt results & experiences. What can people do to prevent interruptions?
Offer Example: ‘(Store) is a resource for you to prepare for local conditions. If you’re not prepared, you might feel stressed while preventable problems intensify. Let’s find the right resources to prevent & solve (specific problems) by reviewing your conditions & choose coordinated product kits for full results. Advanced warnings help you prepare. (Store) has checklists for inspecting your__ & preparing as summer approaches. When you find emerging problems, you can prevent much damage. Prevention saves you time & money, plus reduces your stress.’
Urge people to invest in high quality essential products.
Example: ‘Though some basic products are interchangeable, your __ results depend on (specific factors). (Store) is designed for optimizing your __ results & experiences with products for __ & information about __. Cheap products can deteriorate quickly & cause results & experiences to decline. (Store) has guides for helping you choose & use the best products for your goals. After you achieve your goals, our regular reviews will maintain or upgrade your results by tracking new technology & monitoring conditions.’
Product & Retail Issues
Customer integration reduces consumers’ product & retail inconveniences.
Help determine how many of each product people need for gaining & maintaining results & experiences. Which products will people need to repair or replace?
Some low quality products aren't made to be maintained or repaired, so failed products can permanently end results & experiences. Failed products could injure people or damage property. When products can’t be maintained or repaired, benefits are interrupted when people shop for replacements. Replacements might be worse than originals when product quality decreases as manufacturers are pushed to cut costs.
If people don’t find exact replacements, do they forfeit projects, results & experiences?
Are people stuck without recourse if products break or wear out before people recoup their investments?
Are product warranties too short for people to get satisfactory use? Are product return periods too short for people to determine satisfactory quality?
If manufacturers discontinue products, are there substitutes or upgrades? Are upgrades usually backward compatible?
Guide Customers with Knowledge
Help people match high quality products with desirable long-term results & experiences. Guide customers based on their expectations & desires, plus product warranties & specifications.
Example: ‘Based on what you said, (product) is ideal for (result) because __. Your results will last __ years because of the warranty. In addition to product instructions, this kit includes guidance for your project.’
Though customers recognize problems from the inside, they don’t always know about long-term consequences. Customers need knowledge to use products for specific results & avoid consequences.
Offer Example: ‘Uncertainty is stressful. (Store) will increase your confidence with high quality products you can trust & tutorials of effective techniques. Incomplete solutions waste your money & cause unpleasant surprises at inconvenient times. You need to totally solve problems but cheap discount store products might only reduce minor problems. Solution kits from (store) totally solve & prevent (specific problem) from recurring. Kits start with problem diagnosis guides for identifying symptoms. Bring your diagnosis results & get the next guide to help you determine which repairs you need, so you choose & use products correctly. You’ll also get a guide for determining causes & effects, so you can optimize preventative maintenance. Optimal preventative maintenance depends on the right products to repair problems & avoid original causes.’
Help customers compare expected/desired results to current conditions & probable future conditions. If customers’ chosen products or services can’t fulfill expectations, emphasize their priorities when adjusting choices & expectations. Should customers expect better benefits (things you can optimize with your knowledge)?
How do product & service results fit customers’ current & future conditions? What kind of value do you add to produce better results to fit conditions? If you & competitors offer the same products or kinds of services, how & why do your customers benefit more?
From the time people perceive their needs or desires, what do they have to do to start benefiting from products &/or services? What can you do to reduce customers’ costs in time & effort?
Examples: What do they have to learn for comparing offers? What more do they have to learn to get full benefits?
Efforts can include driving in traffic & parking before & after shopping. After purchases, their efforts can include hauling, setting up & storing products, plus they might have to do maintenance.
You can improve your offers by helping people reduce their efforts with knowledge &/or supportive products to decrease inconveniences.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2020 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, September 23, 2020
Success Depends On Helping Customers Shape Their Conditions
Customer integration includes helping customers choose which products & services best fit their needs. Your degree of integration can determine how much customers need & want your offers.
In The Discipline of Market Leaders, Michael Treacy & Fred Wiersema suggest customer intimacy as a practice for using thorough customer knowledge.
If you know customers’ conditions & products thoroughly, you can maximize benefits of your offers compared to competitors.
In this post, I’m using conditions to mean things that might respond to people’s efforts.
Since retail success depends on fulfilling expectations, help people produce & preserve comfortable conditions. Ask customers to describe desired conditions & how they expect to produce & preserve desired conditions.
Ask how customers define comfort, then use their criteria & product specifications to plan actions. Planned actions adapt conditions to produce & maintain results. Actions can include advantageously placing products &/or combining products with tasks for specific benefits.
Help customers review what increases & decreases quality, so you can augment positive aspects & eliminate whatever reduces satisfaction. Reviews can begin like stories in current conditions before benefits are created & conclude with achieved goals of improved conditions. Determine which products & actions will fill gaps between current conditions & achieved goals.
Visually-oriented people can use story boards to track the beginning, interim results & goal achievement. Replace pictures or descriptions that don’t fit a goal or available products until all seems comfortable & realistic.
I’ve heard about a landscape & architecture firm making models, so clients knew what to expect. You can use computers & graphics to produce similar effects that can be adjusted until your & clients’ expectations match.
That could be done with clothes also. Use pictures of people dressed like those expected at meetings or events. Determine if customers’ potential clothing choices blend in or stand out as expected.
To determine if expectations are realistic & how to fulfill them, these stories could compare project steps with the progress customers expect. After describing total expected progress, determine if each step fulfills its role.
How do customers currently maintain progress & improve conditions? What should their next steps be? What do they need for their next steps?
Since copycat products can reduce benefits & quality, help people choose optimal product versions. Checklists can help customers know when steps, tasks & projects are completed, so they get full quality.
Offer Example: ‘You get full quality at (store) with information about creating & maintaining lasting results. You need to use high quality products in optimal ways, so (store) has those products & that information.’
For successful preventative maintenance & repairs, it’s important to determine problem causes & effects. Help people identify negative effects & determine if maintenance is still practical or repairs are necessary.
Offer Example: ‘Instead of buying cheap products & getting unreliable results, your best option is advice from (store) to identify problems you need to prevent & repair. After finding what you need, let’s choose products & plan your tasks for long-term results that protect what’s important to you.’
If maintenance or repairs are necessary for consistent results, consult with customers about what they need & should expect from maintenance & repairs.
Examples: Would maintenance preserve original results or should customers expect some shortfall? Would repairs restore original results? What level of results should customers expect from tools & materials?
Help customers compare benefits of maintenance or repairs with upgrades.
Example: ‘Since your enjoyment depends on your equipment, let's review your options of maintenance, repairs or upgrading to new technology. Upgrade your current activities or experience new options. Now you can increase your enjoyment of (activities) because (products) have (features) that produce more vivid __. (Store) has everything you need for setup & enjoyment. New product maintenance is easier because __, so you can spend more time doing __. Occasional maintenance makes your enjoyment last for years.’
Set Expectations for Satisfaction
When people know what to expect from products, they can set budgets for producing & maintaining desired results.
Without advice, people might buy what seems adequate instead of comparing specifications with desired results. Help customers avoid failed results by comparing what they need & what’s possible from available products. If necessary, advise them about adjusting expectations &/or choosing other products.
Service Offer: ‘(Store) is designed to help you with specific home comfort results. Ask questions & express concerns, so we can choose the best options based on your needs & desires. Your time & money spent here are your investments in maintaining your comfortable home.’
High Quality & Less Stress
Make your messages & offers fit people’s needs for confidence & comfort.
When you compare your higher quality offers to competitors, explain why high quality affects results.
Example: ‘Cheap product warranties are short because products & results don’t last long. (Manufacturer) has a __ warranty; that gives you certainty because you can depend on (products) when you need (specific result). Good maintenance & repairs are important for protecting property & reducing your stress. Cheap products can be hard to maintain & repair because manufacturers want you to buy replacements. If you don’t know when products or results might fail, that uncertainty makes life harder. (Store) offers what you need to ensure your home is reliable. (Store) serves people instead of just selling products, so let’s be sure you get the right products & results.’
Optimize Opportunities & Gain Security
Discounters focus on SAVE, but people prioritize SAFE. If quality isn’t quite enough for fully secure results, people can lose what they needed to protect, plus what they’ve spent on cheap products. Many retailers push people to shop for products instead of results. Since people buy for results, differentiate your store by focusing your advertising & customer service on specific results for specific reasons (Examples: increase pleasure, decrease discomfort, solve &/or prevent problems).
Offer Example: ‘Let’s review your current needs & future results you can expect, because after solving problems, you should prevent reoccurrences. When discount store products don’t fully solve problems, prevention is harder. The priority at (store) is recommending high quality products to fulfill your priorities.’
In your store, you can guide product choices based on customers’ answers.
Question Examples: Do you want (result) to decrease discomfort? What causes your discomfort? Are there ever different causes?
Is it the same kind & level of discomfort each time? What seems to change?
If we can’t eliminate each cause, which cause should we prioritize? (Product) costs $__ & might decrease discomfort XX%, should we disregard it & consider a higher priced, better quality option?
Ask customers about obstacles to identifying, solving & preventing problems, so you can remove limits.
Help customers prevent big losses by identifying actual preliminary & potential damage. When damage is preliminary, help customers determine what to repair or replace by identifying causes.
Problems can still happen if people quickly do repairs without knowing causes. If damage is bad, try to find replacements that are less vulnerable recurrent causes.
Offer Example: ‘Let’s identify causes because maintenance should prevent negative effects. When we know which benefits you want & identify problems you need to prevent, we’ll find products & make plans for those results.’
Determine whether previous technology or upgrades are compatible with customers' current property & which versions provide needed benefits.
Explain how products & services help people overcome problems, avoid potential losses &/or optimize opportunities (potential gains).
How do products & services help people overcome limits? How do high quality products produce better benefits than cheap products?
After determining which results people need, explain how products maximize results. How will your service help people save time & effort, plus produce & maintain benefits better than competitors?
When people feel secure against losses, they can focus on opportunities.
Note: People usually will prioritize loss reduction or prevention, even if you offer the greatest opportunities. So, when people feel threatened by losses, you should offer help for their highest priorities.
Since people have ‘conditions’ (plural) they need to divide & prioritize resources among issues to maintain some results.
Some people might prioritize based on importance, ability to do tasks &/or affordability. If they lack money for products &/or knowledge about tasks, it’s hard to prioritize issues they can’t resolve.
To persuade people to prioritize your offers, help them prioritize & resolve issues.
Offer Example: ‘Your To-Do List probably includes seasonal tasks, so you need to find time plus money for supplies. Some products & tasks might be unfamiliar. (Store) has information about products & tasks for preventing & solving problems, so you can quickly learn & finish tasks. Let’s make your efforts effective & efficient by reviewing your highest concerns about repairs & preventing damage. Let’s reduce your stress as we make your home as comfortable as possible.’
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2020 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
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