Growth tips 30 seconds to business enlightenment.

How to connect with your customers in a meaningful way

04-Nov-2010

The old obsession with wealth and fame – with winning and losing – is being replaced with a desire for purpose and contribution.  Enlightened businesses, and the people who work in them, now want to make a positive difference in the world.

According to the book Opportunity Screams, there are 3 challenges you must overcome in today’s information overloaded world – that is if you want to cut through the marketing noise and connect with your target audience in a meaningful way.  Here is our brief summary:

Engage your customers.

Be expressive rather than informative.  Informative - is them reading, hearing, or seeing your marketing message.  Expressive - is you engaging the voice in their heads.  It’s what they hear in their heads after you’ve finished talking that counts.  To do this you need to show your customers how truly passionate you are about what you do.  Passion sells.  Provide such a fantastic experience for your customers, that they can’t wait to see what will happen next.   

It’s all about the feeling.

Evian’s “roller skating babies” advertisement is the most viral video in history with over 100 million views.  Despite the massive exposure, the video did not grow sales.  People were entertained, but that does not mean they were interested in buying. 

Another mistake is trying to persuade customers that your brand has the best value proposition – or the best return on investment. 

People are not rational.  We buy for emotional reasons.  We buy to show that we belong.  We buy to get a sense of control and meaning.  We buy to fit in, or alternatively to stand out and draw attention to ourselves.  We buy to feel good.  It doesn’t matter what people think of your brand.  What matters is how your brand makes them feel about themselves.  

Why should they believe you?

Don’t force proof on people - it can work against you.  Studies show that the more information people are given about a subject – the less engaged they become.  Also, people tend to harden their existing beliefs when confronted with facts that challenge their point of view.  You can’t change people’s minds – so don’t even try.

The key is to allow those who want more information to get it when, and how they desire it, and to make the information easy to find and follow.  

Customers are weary of empty promises.  They want something to really believe in.  The days of buying their attention and shouting your advertisements at them are on life support.  Today you "earn" belief through customers directly experiencing your brand, and through the inspired actions of your people.


 

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