What makes a good
marketing strategy? Bring the right message to the right person at the right
time! Sounds easy, right? Most times it’s easier said than done! Marketing
programs need careful planning. Many marketing programs are not as successful
as desired for one main reason: a lack of customer understanding.
Before any marketing
campaign is launched, these three questions need to be answered:
Who are my customers?
What do they need?
What is the solution that
I am offering to my customers?
Beyond these, you need to
have a very clear understanding of how your customers perceive the value of
your products or services. Is it fruitful to promote your products/services
as solutions if they’re not really solving any problems or filling any needs
of your customers?
It’s equally important to
communicate how your solution is different from the one your competitors are
selling. Emphasize the benefits of your solution from the customer's point of
view, not yours.
Here are some tips to
help you gain a better understanding of your customers:
-- Find out who your
customers really are - not who you think they are
-- Identify what products
or services they are seeking
-- Profile your customers by age, income, occupation, etc.
-- Know, do not presume that you know, the reasons your customers buy from
you
Do they appreciate your
friendly and prompt service?
Or is it your
convenience?
Or is it the fact that
you have been reliable and dependable in the past or through reputation?
Is it the quality of your
products?
Or is it that you are
prompt on delivering their services and meeting your commitments?
And last but not least:
-- Train every employee
in the company to understand that customer service is marketing
-- Communicate clearly to
your customer service department what marketing campaigns are being released
and when
-- Make sure that you
have the products on hand that you are promoting
-- Dot the “i’s” and
cross the “t’s” – make sure you can deliver what you promise either with the
necessary products, software or service
-- Make certain that your
staff thoroughly understands your products and services. You can’t sell what
you don’t understand or know!
-- Train your staff with
the skills to deliver exemplary customer service, which includes the skills
needed to sell, cross-sell and up-sell your products and services
The most meaningful and
impactful marketing campaign is a waste if during customer interactions
customers are not treated appropriately.
The Marketing Department
and Customer Service Department should all be on the same page and the same
team. All of their efforts support each other and it’s imperative that they
understand and know each other.
So step back and take an
objective view on the relationship between your marketing and customer service
departments . . . is there a unified team effort?
