Nobody wants what your selling! This is a reality for every industry in the world no matter what you are selling! I often joke and say if you are not working in one of the three primary industries (Drugs, Sex and Rock n Roll) then you are working in a support industry. This is closer to the truth that many might think. Whether you sell Ferraris or dialysis equipment, whiskey or washing machines your customers are only interested in the improvements your product or service can make in their lives.
If you work in a Business to Business industry your customers are only interested in what you sell if it helps them satisfy underlying needs with their customers. Basically, it all boils down to Maslow! In order to be successful you have to understand how your product or service contributes to individual people’s lives at least at some level of Maslow.
This is in no way news for good marketers but to judge from many companies advertising messages what really excites their customers is the number of number of gigabytes in the memory.
The classic “rule of thumb” was never mention the product feature without also stating the benefit for the customer. Therefore, you find laundry detergents with a special ingredient “X” (feature) that makes your socks whiter (benefit). Then you get new improved detergent with extra-powerful ingredient “X” to get your socks even whiter. The result of this type of marketing is that customers first become sceptical end up cynical! What customers really want is to be healthy and safe, loved and admired and terribly successful. No doubt a good laundry detergent can contribute to several of these “psychological” benefits and the better marketers understand the connection the more successful they become.
When an industry focuses on product features instead of the underlying “psychological” benefits commoditization and price erosion is just around the corner!
An additional spin on this Kelly is that it has increasing relevance to an ageing population who not only have achieved the lower level Maslowian needs, but whose brain chemistry has accordingly changed over their life-time. David Wolfe has been wriitng about this for a long time in book and blog form under the title Ageless Marketing.
Kelly, great post. How does this view fit in classic B2B “boring” product sales process? For example, tools like configuration management products reduce the hassle for the business support staff in a company. It does not translate to end user benefits (not directly in any case, and in some cases the end user cannot influence the purchase decision maker). Will it be correct to use your insight in by answering the IT manager fears?
Please visit Taylor Hollingsworth music site Taylor Hollingsworth who according to Allmusic.com is a vibrant mix of Sticky Fingers-era Rolling Stones and Pleased TO Meet Me Replacements which course through the standout rave-ups. When Hollingsworth gets his rock & roll elements right, he can create impressive, memorable music, and Tragic City holds enough excellent material to suggest that this Birmingham, AL, native has a very promising future. Listen to a clip from his latest cd Tragic City!
Waste your money and your only out your money,but waste your time and your out part of your life… Michael Leoboeuf
Inflation is when you pay fifteen dollars for the ten dollar hair cut you used to get for five dollars when you had hair… Sam Ewing
If You Find a need to become part of the positive thinking so you make a few extra bucks.. go to http://7day2success.com/ ….positive thinking…positive thinking….
Live a better life today..
I just came across a new system similar to PAS, but this prospecting system seems to be much more powerful!
They offer a real value in their training system which aims to help any internet marketer to improve their results in prospecting.
Check it out and see how you think it compares… prospecting
Personally, I have been with that OTHER program for six months and have spent hundreds and still haven’t qualified! I think this new prospecting system is leaps and bounds ahead of the game.
Again, you can investigate this new method of prospecting for yourself.
Check this out for FREE…
This opportunity says:
“Your Ad” Will Be Instantly Displayed on Thousands of Websites and Read By Over 10 Million People Per Week For FREE, and It Only Takes 60 Seconds To Get Started!
To find out more visit: everyday wealth site. It successfully exposes FREE information covering Traffic and everyday wealth related stuff.
Are you tired of getting nice compliments on your blog, when really you’re not makeng the kind of money that you deserve? Now you can join a completely FREE program. No buying and No selling. FREE to join. All you do is refer customers. To get started fast, click here: money making site. It pretty much covers money making related stuff and it’s FREE to join.
Dear friend, Here is an opportunity for you that is taking over the internet. The compensation plan is second to none. The spill over will blow your mind and the educational products are of the highest quality. Knowledge is power and nobody can ever take that away from you. Join me in this business and see for yourself what you will be getting. Click here: FREE Information
Great bit of blogging! Hope you get a chance to look at my site self improvement
Just found your site. Well done! I like to blog around looking for relevant info and interesting sites like this one. If you get a chance it would be great if you looked at my site self improvement.
Thought your blog was great. Would love your opinion on my site bar stool.
Nice blog you have. Recently I created a site about bar stool and would love you to take a look to see what you think
Hi Kelly,
Spot on article!! We have travelled parallel pathways as I mention Maslow in the ‘classics’ section in my book ‘Sex, Leadership and Rock’n’Roll – Leadership Lessons from the Academy of Rock’
Imagine mixing the world’s greatest thinkers on business and personal development with Madonna, Meatloaf, Mozart, Motorhead et al and you have my book. It’s acclaimed by Tom Peters and you can find it on Amazon
All the best
Peter Cook
http://www.academy-of-rock.co.uk
http://www.humdyn.co.uk