You know that marketing is all those activities which make customers buy from you. Sounds simple. The difficult part is picking the right things to do to get your business noticed, then focus on the particular product you want to sell.
You know that marketing is all those activities which make customers buy from you. Sounds simple. The difficult part is picking the right things to do to get your business noticed, then focus on the particular product you want to sell.
There are a multitude of methods to do this, from outside advertising on local buses, to cinema, TV and radio adverts, to simply having good business cards.
But before you begin to consider these, the major question you must ask yourself when you speak or write about your product is what it will do your customers. It could solve a particular problem you have identified, or it could enhance their business in some way. DuckWood calls this the So What? test. It will help you to decide on the precise marketing activities you need to concentrate on to be successful.
Let me give you an example. You have developed a desktop printer which you can manufacture in several different colours. You invest in marketing the product and spend a lot of time telling everyone you meet at networking sessions about it. But, you are so pleased with the colours of the product you havent thought about the impact on your customers.
You say we can provide you with one of these printers in red, blue or green. So What?
Features and Benefits
Its a great idea to spend some time listing all the features and the benefits of your product. Typically, the features of a desktop printer would be:
* Time to warm-up;
* Footprint (the amount of space it takes on a desk or floor);
* Print speed;
* Price.
In a market which is virtually saturated with desktop printers simply listing those could differentiate you from your competition. However, your marketing will be much more valuable and you will receive better return on investment if you think So What? after each of these.
The benefits of the product outline the advantages to your customer when they purchase your printer rather than any other. Go through each of the features you have listed and think hard about the effects they will have on your customer and their business.
So, if you have developed a printer that you can manufacture in red, blue and green, how does that benefit your customer?
What about my Unique Selling Points?
Yes, describing your USPs in your marketing mix is essential, and will help you to position your product so it passes the So What? test.
However, USPs can often describe the company and its expertise rather than the product, so you may have to repeat the exercise concentrating on your new product only. That will give you some very strong strap lines to complement your messages and make them unforgettable. Think about the John Lewis Partnership strap line: Never Knowingly Undersold. That is their USP and a very powerful message.
Lets ask the So What question.
Q. Time to warm-up. So What? The shorter the time the quicker the first print so the printer will reduce waiting time and assist productivity.
Q. Footprint (the amount of space it takes on a desk or floor). So What? If the printer is compact it will not need a dedicated desk. So What? So it will sit in a small space in the office without taking up valuable and expensive space. So What? This saves money and makes the printer easier to access if it is located on a desk with other equipment.
Q. Print speed. It prints at 20 pages per minute. So What? This means the customer has reduced waiting time for their print – another productivity benefit. So What? The customer can use the printer for long print runs. So What? The customer does not have to purchase several smaller printers. So What? So they could have a good return on investment and lower consumables costs.
Q. Price. If you can answer all the So What? questions its possible price is not an issue. The So What? responses are obvious and rather than price itself, concentrate on value for money.
So the answer to the So What? question about selling printers in different colours could be: that it will fit in with the general colour scheme of the customers office; different colour printers could have various roles, such as the blue one is for confidential print only, or be allocated to particular departments; home offices may prefer not to have an office full of white or grey equipment, possibly having a soothing effect on the office, or make it look more dynamic and exciting ..... Im sure you can think of many more.
One of the new advertisements today is for laptops in different colours. Look at how the companies approach the So What? question in the market to which they are appealing. Do they succeed?
Practice the question!
Practice the So What? question on all your features and benefits, and review your marketing. It could help the way you present your business. At networking meetings (as well as in other marketing techniques) you will find the way you describe your business and products flows much more easily, and you will latch on to the needs of your customers very quickly.
Once you have identified the customers needs and the So What? answers have provided you with the reasons why your product is best for them, closing the sale is only one more question away!
Gillian Woodland
Duckwood Marketing
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