Even with his downturned smile, this pug looks cozy, all wrapped up in a soft blanket. What’s that have to do with business, you might ask. Think of the blanket as your product or service – how well do you know it? How cozy are you? In order for your customers to be convinced to purchase, you need to know your product or service inside and out. So, how do you get cozy with it? Let’s look at a few questions you can ask yourself to get started.
Question #1. What is your product or service?
This is probably the easiest question. Just spell it out. What is it you are selling? It might be a tangible product like jewelry or washing machines or Jaguars. Perhaps it’s a service like housekeeping or accounting or dog walking. Spell it out. Focus on the pug of your business.
Question #2. What does it do?
Be specific about what the product or service does. If we look at the list of products above – jewelry implies a sparkly commitment, washing machines keep us smelling fresh Jaguars are a sporty way to travel around town. If we look at the list of services above – housekeeping puts a slick sheen to the inside of your house, the accountants will remind you to stay out of the red and keep in the black, and the dog walkers out there keep the pugs happy and healthy in the fresh air. Spell it out. Focus on the blanket of your business.
Question #3: Why would a customer need it?
This question may lead to your asking questions. Find out from current customers why they need it. Test the market and give folks a free sample or trial to get feedback from them. Or just figure out why you would need it and start there. If we look at the list of products above – jewelry can be a convincing celebration of a special event, washing machines are a necessity if you want people close by, and a Jaguar would raise your status around town. If we look at the list of services above – housekeeping by someone else gives you some free time, accountants will tell you what needs to be done to keep your business afloat, and the dog walkers may take your place when you are at work or on vacation. Spell it out. Focus on the attributes of your business blanket.
Question #4. What makes yours better?
Brag when you answer this question. Think of your competition. Line by line, determine why what you offer has more appeal. If we look at the products above – maybe your jewelry is more valuable but costs less money, perhaps your washing machine has the best service record, and your Jaguar gets more attention than driving any other car around. If we look at the services above – your staff puts a spit and polish on your house and charges $10 less, or maybe your accounting firm has been in business for 54 years with an excellent record, or your dog sitting business offers a choice between care in your house or at a dog hotel. Spell it out. Focus on the best attributes of your business blanket.
Question #5. Who is your target buyer?
Be really specific here. Go through the entire list: Male or female? Young or old or somewhere in-between? Years in school? Particular career? Annual salary? You’ll want your marketing to appeal to these folks – not to everyone, but to those who will be interested in your product or service. If we look at the list of products above, the most important detail about the buyer might be – jewelry for those getting married, washing machines who are starting from scratch, and Jaguars for those with extra money in the bank or excellent credit. If we look at the services above, the most important detail about the buyer might be – work status for housekeeping, income management for an accountant, and dogs alone at home for the dog walkers. Spell it out. Focus on those who might want to be in the thick of a soft blanket.
Getting cozy with your product or service not only helps you tailor your sales campaign to focus on the best-selling details, but also helps you determine who your best customers would be. Want to learn more? Check out the marketing guides we have available for our Online Sales Pro customers. Get cozy with the process, and you’ll be as happy as a pug!
