Understanding the Customer Mindset

!±8± Understanding the Customer Mindset

Before developing a marketing strategy for your business, it helps to consider several things with respect to the customer mindset. Here are some ideas related to this subject.

First of all, what types of things go through a customer's mind during the process of purchasing a particular product?

- Is this the product that will meet my needs?
- How much does it cost?
- How do I pay for the product?
- Is this the best value I can obtain for my money?
- What if I need to return this product, for whatever reason?
- What advantage do I get by purchasing this product from a particular vendor?
- What is the customer service and support behind this product?

These are all questions that your marketing program should address, both implicitly and explicitly. If a customer asks you why he or she should buy from you, think deeply before you answer. Don't respond by saying, "We have the best price, the best products, and the best service."

Everyone says this, so you should be different or you risk blending in with your competitive background. You need to offer something unique or you risk getting lumped in with everyone else.

To answer the question with a compelling, non-standard answer, you should think long and hard about what makes you different and what niche you are in.

These will form the keystones of your marketing programs, and you should create a succinct slogan that embodies the things that differentiate you from your competitors, those added value advantages are what make you a unique and valuable choice for your customers.

After you have distilled those elements of your business into several sentences or paragraphs, compress it into a short phrase or tagline.

Here are some examples of popular business taglines:

AT&T - "Reach out and touch someone"
American Express - "Don't leave home without it"
Charmin - "Please don't squeeze the Charmin"
Fox News - "Fair and balanced, we report, you decide"
Kellogg's Rice Krispies - "Snap, Crackle, Pop"
M&Ms - "Melts in your mouth, not in your hands"
Memorex - "Is it live or is it Memorex?"
Miller Lite - "Tastes great, less filling"
Nissan - "Enjoy the ride"
Panasonic - "Slightly ahead of its time"
Paul Masson - "We will sell no wine before its time"
Rolaids - "How do you spell relief? R-O-L-A-I-D-S"
Taco Bell - "Think outside the bun"
Target - "Expect more. Pay less"
United Airlines - "Fly the friendly skies"
US Marines - "The few, the proud, the Marines"
V-8 - "I coulda had a V-8!"
VISA - "It's everywhere you want to be"
Wal-Mart - "Always low prices"
Yellow Pages - "Let your fingers do the walking"

Note that as you read each tagline, an image comes to mind that conveys something unique about the company; at least in the better taglines, this is the case. For example, "Always low prices" emphasizes economy, the Wal-Mart image. "Tastes great, less filling" makes you believe that this beer will do something difficult to accomplish-not leave you feeling bloated after drinking a few beers. "Slightly ahead of its time" implies great technology with Panasonic, the cutting edge.

All of these companies have taken the time to think long and hard about the differentiating elements of their business, those things that make their product, service, and company uniquely different than the competition's offering.

You can also do this with your business, and if you find it difficult to do, then in fact, I contend that you need to redesign elements of your business so that you are unique. Doing so will give you a competitive advantage and a foundation for a popular and successful marketing campaign.