The best marketing is done when we really, truly understand our customers – when we reach a level of familiarity and understanding that makes us not just aware of what they think, but actually think like them.
When you think like the customer (or prospect), that gap between you as a marketer and them as a consumer is eliminated. Eliminating this gap can make a big difference, because if you stop thinking like *you* and start thinking like *the customer* you will avoid familiar pitfalls such as preaching features instead of talking benefits.
It’s not as easy as it sounds, of course, because, after all, you are you and they are they. But the best marketers around -not unlike actors – find a way to BE their customers. Then they can approach them in ways that are enormously more effective than when that familiar marketer/consumer gap exists.
So, how do you do that? How do you think like the customer? One way is to use marketing automation tools that gather detailed information about each lead arriving at your website. Then take the time to look at the information and analyze it. In most cases, you will get a clear understanding of the person’s pain point, of what he’s looking for.
I also like Stephen Davidson’s suggestion that we stop focusing so much on surveys, and instead of inviting customers over, ask them to host us for a day of shadowing. Imagine how much useful information you could get from such a day – even from just an hour or two!
The basic idea is that the focus must be shifted away from the marketer and onto the customer and/or the prospect. The more we can focus our attention on our audience, the better we will be at communicating with them, and getting them to do what we want them to do – become buyers or repeat buyers – not in a spammy way, but in a helpful way that respects the customer and their needs.
Google+Tags: B2B marketing
