Thanks to the current technological landscape, customer profiles have multiplied tremendously. Standards are a thing of the past; the new trend is to design personalized strategies. Customers want to feel special when they purchase a product or service, so the key to winning them over is to know them well. This is the great challenge—and the reason why it is so incredibly difficult to forecast sales nowadays.
Reaching out to changing customers
To really understand their customers, all businesses must accept the need for an omnichannel approach, as well as the presence of users on multiple networks. A diversity of channels makes for a more complex environment, but the solution to this problem lies in the problem itself. Identifying users in multiple channels allows us to standardize our communication methods and protocols. There is no such thing as an offline customer or an online customer; they are one and the same, and we need to be deeply familiar with their needs.
In their role as intermediaries, the major unicorn companies have managed to build very close relationships with customers by detecting new needs for products and services. Businesses like Airbnb—inconceivable in decades past—have won the hearts of millions of customers through the intelligent use of data. These organizations also provide a clue about consumer demand: nowadays, people want personalized services and experiences.
The key to standing out in this highly competitive environment is speak directly to the consumer’s brain, since most decisions are emotional.
Standing out in an oversupplied world
Today’s market is characterized by excess supply: there are thousands of ways to satisfy every need. The key to standing out in this highly competitive environment is speak directly to the consumer’s brain, since most decisions are emotional.
Reaching customers emotionally is the best sales argument, since only 5% to 10% of purchase decisions can be explained by rational behavior. Traditional sales techniques based on highly aggressive models can therefore be seen as ineffective or even harmful.
Agility trumps size
The first rule of dealing with customers is “do not disturb.” Any interaction that doesn’t leave the customer feeling pestered is ground gained. It doesn’t matter what the company is called or how big it is: the key to winning customers over is agility—being able to meet their every need, thanks to a deep familiarity with their environment and behavior.
Of course, this is no easy task. If you want to be ready to offer the right solution at the right time, you have to study every micro-moment and micro-behavior. Agility should also be built into departmental structures and divisions. Just as we no longer differentiate between digital and non-digital customers, it no longer makes sense to have both a marketing director and a digital marketing director. The trend is to integrate these functions into a single position, which some companies are calling the “growth manager.”
Just as we no longer differentiate between digital and non-digital customers, it no longer makes sense to have both a marketing director and a digital marketing director.
Top-of-mind awareness
Knowing your customers and understanding how to solve their problems quickly is the best way to become top-of-mind. The only way to achieve this goal is through added-value interactions. Every link in the chain must be designed to create value. Every touchpoint is crucial for building a trustful relationship and turning a sale or sales venue into an full-blown experience.
The most successful brands have embraced this mix of trust and experience. It is a winning combination that can only be achieved by listening to your customers and getting to know them better.
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