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Start a new
romance this year...with your customer
By
Samantha Koenderman
(Resident Sales & Marketing Expert)
What is advertising really? It's about selling,
obviously. And what is selling? Selling is
wooing. Selling is about romancing your
potential customer, making them feel really
special and good about themselves and, as a
consequence, leading them to believe that there
is no other partner for them but you.
So why does so much advertising feel like an
abusive relationship?
The answer is simpler than the solution - people
forget (or ignore) the fundamentals of human
nature. Yes, a person can be bullied into buying
something. Yes, they can be guilted into it.
And, most certainly, people can be conned into
buying your product. But neither of these
methods will leave them feeling fulfilled and
satisfied with the outcome. Instead they feel
resentful and reluctant to ever come back to you
again. It's just the way people are.
So how do you go about wooing a customer?
First, you have to express your intention; make
them know that you are interested in them
specifically. Talk to the person, not the target
market, not the LSM, but the individual. Don't
make them feel like that you are only talking to
them because you want to get close to their best
friend. Or that you don't really care who you
chat up so long as you get lucky. Get to know
the person behind the statistics.
Then, let them know that you understand them.
Human connections are made when people feel they
are on the same wavelength. Say certain things
that they can relate to, in a tone and manner
that they will warm to. And let them know that
you understand their worries, their loves, their
dreams and so on.
Of course, you can only do this when you truly
know your customer. So, as with any potential
relationship, don't just sit there talking about
yourself, actually listen to them. Listen to
what your customer wants, hear what his/her
needs are, don't merely offer what you think he
or she may want.
Next, make them want to hang out with you. No
one likes a crushing bore. Imagine being stuck
chatting to that guy at the party who regales
you with stories about how great he is. Or
someone who corners you by the punch bowl to
lecture you on how you should live your life. In
the same way, no one likes ads that toot their
own horn or talk down to you like a stern
teacher. The life and soul of any party is the
person who manages to read the room and sets
about entertaining others. It may be through
witty repartee or just through genuine concern
and caring. Either way he/she is never
self-indulgent and knows the right thing to say
in the right situation.
Finally, once you've wooed them, make them feel
good about you and their decision. It's all very
well, going into a pub, flirting with a person,
taking them home, popping open the bubbly and,
well you get the picture. But what about the
morning after? You want your date to come back
for more. Better still, you want him/her to tell
his/her friends about how great you are. To
ensure this, you have to deliver and keep
delivering on your promises. Be consistent. And
most importantly, be loyal. After all, no one
likes to be bedded, as it were, and then ignored
as you move on to greener pastures and bigger
challenges.
They say that hell hath no fury like a woman
scorned. The same applies to customers. Once
you've let a customer down, by misleading them,
mistreating them or just ignoring them, they
will leave. And getting them back will cost a
lot more than a bunch of roses and a cutesy
teddy bear.
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