It doesn’t matter that your business or practice has a great name, or that your products and services are unusual or one-of-a-kind. Getting heard and accepted in this noisy, crowded, ever-changing marketplace has never been harder. Buyers today are cautious, skeptical, and solution-driven as never before. They have been burned by the market, misled by politicians, and pushed into a tough financial corner. When customers are deciding to buy, they have one focus: they want to know how doing business with you will be good for them.
Every customer asks — long before they engage — “Why should I do business or even inquire with this company? Are they all about themselves or do they actually know and really understand why I want to make a purchase? Most important, will they fulfill what I want and am looking for?” You may assume you are making it clear to prospective customers why they should buy from you. You think people should do business with you because they want and value things like you’re:
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good service
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twenty years of experience
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solid returns
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great selection of products and services
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clear communications
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honest approach
The list goes on and on. Every business has its commendable attributes — but they do not engage with today’s buyer. Here’s the truth about that, however: What you do or who you are or how you do it is not the answer to the question, Why should I do business with this company or firm?
Your attributes or features don’t answer the why question because they don’t communicate from the buyer’s perspective. This seller-centric focus on attributes or features is ubiquitous in today’s branding, promotions, and sales presentations. Most businesses are focused on their own perspective as the seller versus what is needed in today’s marketplace: a focus on the customer’s language and perspective.
Simply put, they are business- or product-centric, not customer-centric. They convey the qualifications of the company or specifications of its products, but in no way do these messages connect emotionally or functionally with potential buyers. Seller-centricity may have worked in the past, but today it reduces perceived value, exacerbates negative perceptions, and invites competitive comparison.
Action Required
Ask a client or customer to look at your promotional materials and ask them; “Are they more about what we offer or more about what we do for you?”
For more insight visit: www.PowerofWhy.net
Review the speaking topics for your next meeting at: www.RichardWeylman.com
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This guest post is courtesy of Richard Weylman, Weylman Consulting Group