No matter what you’re selling, the most important thing is to know your customers. Do you ever catch yourself wondering: “What do people need?” You need to know your customers’ needs and wants to market your products or services effectively. In this blog post, we’ll go over how to determine what customers need so that you can serve them better and increase your sales.
1. Determine what people need
What are your customers’ goals? How do they want to feel? Start by asking yourself these questions. You need to know what the customer wants and what is motivating them towards this goal to provide valuable information or products.
For example, if you’re selling a weight loss supplement, what are some things that your customers may need? Perhaps a solution to losing weight, a product that boosts their metabolism, or natural ingredients? Whatever their needs are, you want to be able to meet them.
Once you know your customers’ goals, it’s important that you determine what they need to achieve those goals. For example, suppose someone is trying to lose weight, and one of their main needs is a product with natural ingredients. In that case, you might focus on products with plant-based extracts or organic supplements rather than artificial stimulants or chemicals.
Be sure that whatever solution you provide meets your customer’s specific needs and makes an impact by meeting their core goal. Try thinking about how this can also benefit them beyond just achieving what they’re looking for. Your goal should be to meet and exceed their expectations.
2. Ask questions and listen carefully
Asking what your customers need is the first step towards understanding what they are looking for. Once you know what people need, you can offer products and services that will help them.
The best way to learn about your customers is to ask them directly!
What do they want to achieve? What challenges are they currently facing? Ask what their goals and aspirations are. After you’ve listened carefully, ask what other products or services your customers have tried in the past that were unsuccessful.
What information can you learn about them from what they say or don’t say? Maybe there’s something that comes up repeatedly?
If so, this is a good sign of what people need! If someone has purchased a product before, but it didn’t work, find out why by asking why they chose to go with your company instead of one of your competitors. This information will help you understand what types of solutions would be most beneficial to them.
Another important thing to remember is that what people say they want isn’t always what’s best for them!
For example, you might hear what sounds like a great idea from your customer, but if it makes little sense based on their goals, then that solution won’t be successful.
So when listening carefully to what people need, ask yourself whether someone would use and benefit from your product in order to get the results they want.
Open-ended questions to ask your customers
If those who have purchased from you before had success with your products or services, find out why by asking questions such as:
- What made our company stand out among other competitors?
- In what ways did we meet or exceed expectations?
- How were we different from others in the market?
- How did you feel when using our product/service?
If the customer had a negative experience, ask what could have been done differently to make their experience better. You can also ask what they saw in other products or services that were appealing and how yours differed.
This will help you understand where your competitors are positioning themselves so that you can stay one step ahead of them! Taking these things into consideration is all part of understanding your customer base.
Once you’ve identified what people find valuable about your company’s products or services, then you can determine if there’s a demand for this type of solution within your target market.
3. Provide a solution that meets your customers’ needs
If you want to provide an effective solution that people need, then gathering data on their experiences with similar products helps immensely!
For example: If someone had tried other weight loss supplements before but saw little progress, how might this affect whether they buy from you?
What if someone else lost 30 pounds after taking similar supplements as yours? This information can help paint a picture of what kind of person will most benefit from your product.
Remember that what customers say might not be what they need!
This is where the importance of listening carefully comes into play because what people say they want might not be what will help them in a meaningful way!
For example, your customer may request that you include an additional ingredient in order for their supplement to work better…but if it’s something that has been proven ineffective repeatedly, then incorporating this feature will not make much difference.
If you’re struggling to determine what your target market needs, then speaking with your customers will provide you with more insights.
4. Show why you’re different from competitors
It’s not enough to simply say what makes you different from your competitors. You must be able to prove it!
For example, if a customer asks what separates your company from the rest of the pack, you can show this by explaining what research and studies have been done on your products or services.
If there are statistics available that demonstrate how effective your products have proven over time compared with other products in its category, then include them within your content so that customers know they’re getting a high-quality solution.
This type of information says volumes about why choosing you will benefit their needs more effectively than others who offer similar solutions. Providing this data helps prospective customers understand what sets you apart as an organization and what will make a difference in their lives.
When it comes to what benefits or features you want to offer, this is where the conversation with customers becomes very important!
If customers value certain things more than others, then emphasize these points when communicating with them. This will help them understand why they should choose to do business with your organization versus your competitors.
For example, why should people buy your weight loss supplement? What does it offer that other products don’t?
5. Offer memorable customer service
Providing exceptional customer service is what’s most important when building a lasting relationship with your customers.
For example, what if someone calls one day because their order got lost in the mail? How do they feel after speaking to your representative about what happened, and how are you going to fix it or make sure that this doesn’t happen again?
If you can effectively resolve customer complaints, then the chances are high that they’ll be back for more of what you’ve offered them! There are many ways you can provide memorable customer experiences. For instance, what if you included a handwritten note in each order that goes out? Or what about offering free samples of your product to customers so they can try it before committing to a large purchase?
These are just some ideas, but there’s no limit on what you can do to go the extra mile for your customers.
Actions speak louder than words! Showing how effective you are at providing customer service goes a long way because people will understand why choosing you over others makes sense. Even though these types of experiences aren’t tangible, like having an additional ingredient within supplements, your customers will feel valued.
6. Use data to measure your success
Data-based insights will help you determine what people need! If you’re able to show customers why choosing you will benefit their lives more effectively than other options out there, then they’ll be much more likely to choose your product or service!
As an example, if you see that most of your new customers are coming from a particular channel or referral source, then focus on what’s working and what draws them in.
If your product is selling well through Instagram advertising but not as much offline, consider what makes people want to buy online versus physical locations.
You can also collect data about your customer service.
For example, what words do customers use when describing what frustrates them about your product or service? How does their tone of voice change at certain points in the conversation? What could you be doing better if customers keep complaining about a common issue? Use this information to improve what isn’t working and find out what’s making your product successful!
Offer people what they need
It’s not always as easy as simply asking people what they want. You have to do the legwork. By understanding and providing what people need most, they’ll be more likely to choose you over competition!
Customers don’t just want to hear about how you’re different. They need to understand what it means for them and what will make a difference in their lives. When customers know what’s in it for them, then chances are high that they’ll be back again and again!
