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Best Communications have
Customer in Mind
Written by Shirley
Lichti for The Record, Oct. 2, 1999
Marketing is nothing more than communication.
But as we all know, some companies communicate much more effectively
than others.
If you want to improve the quality of your
marketing communications, think about your customers before you
design your next advertisement, direct mail campaign, or sales promotion.
What are they like? What is important to them? What do they value?
Chances are you will realize your customers
share the following traits - traits you cannot afford to overlook
when you want to communicate with them.
Customers are busy
Your customers are much busier today than ever before. For your
communications to work, you have to get to the point. Quickly. Good
copy helps you do this.
Good copy has three essential qualities:
it is simple to read and understand, loaded with benefits, and is
believable.
Even if you can't afford to hire a professional
copywriter, you can still produce reasonable copy. Get friends or
neighbours to review your draft communications for 30 seconds. Then,
ask them what the main messages are and why they should buy your
product or service.
If they can't answer these questions, consider
some of the tips at the end of this article to rework your communications.
More demanding
Your customers are more demanding. They know more, expect more,
and have become very sophisticated in their approach to buying goods
or services.
Today's customers are very aware of the multitude
of choices available to them. If your company is not willing to
tailor solutions specifically to their needs, experience has taught
them that another company will leap at the opportunity to satisfy
their demands.
Even though they are busy and faced with
competitive alternatives, they want to be educated about your company's
offerings and expertise.
Bear in mind, customers think they have heard
it all before. It is highly unlikely you will be telling them anything
new. So concentrate on finding credible ways to communicate your
message. Data from studies, consumer reports, or testimonials from
existing customers will help you add credibility.
Value Conscious
Your customers are more value conscious. So you need to view marketing
as the process of defining, developing and delivering value. This
means identifying and analysing customer needs, then translating
that information into requirements for creating satisfied customers.
Marketing communications that build brand
equity, build value for customers. For example, BMW doesn't sell
cars, it sells the ultimate driving machine. Kodak doesn't sell
film, it sells memories.
Likewise, a Cross pen and pencil set has
value because the company has built brand equity, promoting the
product's durability, permanence, lifetime guarantee, and overall
quality.
Companies that are committed to building
value can often charge more for their products and services. The
resulting profits are a measure of the value delivered, the reward
for creating satisfied customers.
Media Saturated
Your customers are media saturated. Depending which statistics you
believe, your customers are exposed to anywhere from 600 to 6,000
advertising messages a day.
So you will have to command attention. For
example, if you are creating a print ad, make your headline stand
out. Choose a compelling graphic image. Use colour.
Cultivate involvement wherever possible.
Establish a dialogue with customers. The more you get people involved
in the communication process, the more responsive they will be.
Self-Oriented
Your customers are more self-oriented than ever before. They don't
care about your latest technical breakthrough, product feature,
or service option. Their concern is 'What's In It For Me?'
Think about the message you want to communicate
and then translate it into benefits your customers value. Effective
communications focus on the customer. Remember, people don't buy
products or services, they buy benefits.
Because customers are much more self-oriented,
'you' is a very powerful word. If you take the time to evaluate
good direct mail pieces, you'll find that the ones that work best
include liberal use of the word 'you.' It makes communication personal.
And when something becomes personal, it becomes important.
Finally, remember that communication extends
beyond business cards, ads, brochures, newsletters and direct mail.
Think about it. How are customers greeted
by your receptionist? What message does your voicemail leave? Does
your email have spelling mistakes or grammatical errors?
Indeed, marketing is nothing more than communication.
But good marketing communication programs aren't created overnight
so don't expect overnight results. Communication is a process that
builds long term relationships.
Tips for Writing Better Copy
- Keep sentences short.
- Put your strongest selling points up front.
- Use simple, direct language. Write the
way you talk.
- Use the active verb tense.
- Be specific.
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