Customers have changed how they decide with whom to do business. They are eagerly seeking out businesses of conviction and purpose. Customers want a business that believes so strongly in what it can provide that it’s willing to make a clear, buyer-centric promise of outcome — up front, unconditional, and unqualified.
Make no mistake, this is not the typical brand promise, because the typical brand promise today is a “me, I, and us”-focused message that does not clarify value from the buyers-perspective nor does it deliver distinction.
This desire for a buyer-centric promise is more than the customer wanting to know “what’s in it for me” — the classic WIIFM of marketers. Rather, a clear brand promise provides the deep psychological reassurance that a business is committed to customers and is their best choice for what they want to accomplish. This is at the heart of creating a distinct presence in the marketplace and capturing responsive consumers. Responsive consumers are those who have decided to act on their emotional or functional need to solve a problem, fulfill a desire, or make a change.
Thinking you are distinctive is not the same as consumers finding you because you’re delivering, at every level of the organization, a consumer-centric promise of outcome in the market place. Furthermore, your brand and its promise is not just an image, it’s your identity in the marketplace. It provides you with the customer-centric platform needed to break out.
Some years ago I was given a painting commissioned by a CEO client to express his newfound understanding of the consumer’s perspective of this point. In black block letters was the word “think,” crossed out and replaced by the word “KNOW” in red. The subject — simple; the implications — enormous. Knowing what your target consumers really want and why and delivering it beats what you think every time.
Action Required
Take a few moments of quiet reflection and ask yourself: Do you really KNOW what your target prospects or customers really want or are you relying on what you think they want from you?
For illustrations of other changes in today’s market place that require action visit Weylmanconsultinggroup.com
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This guest post is courtesy of Richard Weylman, Weylman Consulting Group
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