Are you selling a product/service or are you selling an aspiration, a goal, a lifestyle, an attribute, a feeling, a solution to a problem, an impact?
When we’re sold the outcome of the product or service we’re more likely to buy as we can see clearly what buying that product/service will do for us and how it can help us.
A plant that you’re told will clean your air and help you sleep better will always win over a plant that you’re just told looks nice. A TV that helps you decide what to watch and is made carbon neutral will win over a TV that just has the usual channels.
This is tapping into your audiences why. Finding your own why helps you align your business and connect with your audience, but what about their why? Why would they buy from you?
Let’s be honest here, there are loads of other people doing the same as you do, the truth is there are very few totally unique businesses out there, what makes your business different is you. Your why is what leads people to you, they align with your purpose and your values but for them to buy from you, you need to connect with their why.
What impact does your product or service make to your customer? What is their goal or aspiration for working with you?
Thankfully selling doesn’t have to be about the hard sell, when we tap into our customer we can really help them rather than sell to them. Think about selling as:
- Build a rapport with your customer by getting to know and understanding their needs.
- Presenting your product or service in a way that highlights its benefits. Focus on the positive aspects of your product or service and how it can improve your customer’s life.
- Overcome any objections your audience may have by addressing any concerns that they may have about your product or service.
- Identify your customer’s pain points by understanding what problems they face and how your product or service can solve that for them.
I want to get one thing straight though, by understanding your customer’s pain points we’re not talking fear based marketing here. It’s one of my pet hates to see marketing based on what people don’t want rather than what they do. The fitness industry has marketed on fear for decades – don’t get fat, you should lose weight. Marketing that’s based around getting stronger and healthier is a far better way to sell a fitness service don’t you think?
Strong brands play into their audiences’ outcomes with their marketing rather than the fear, whether that’s being safer, running faster, protecting the planet or being healthier.
Strong brands look carefully at their customers during the branding process. They look at who they are, what they think, where they are now, where they want to be and create their aligned brand around these customers and for these customers.
This is why I know it’s vitally important to know your own why, your own values and your own mission before embarking on who your brand works for. You may find that who you thought were your customers don’t align with you at all so to carry on being authentic and serve your customers you need to shift your audience focus. Remember your customer is an extension of you, you are not an extension of your customer so never try and bend and shape yourself into an audience that doesn’t fit you.
So ask yourself, what are you selling?
If you’d like to start your journey of discovering you why, your values, your purpose my course Build a Thriving Brand is just for you. And if you’re an artist or maker, my course Connect With Your Audience was created especially for you so go and check it out.