This article was written by Robin Noah, SCORE Orange County Management Counselor
A BUSINESS REALITY: It has been said that close to 90% of new products brought to market fail. When you take into consideration the effort, money and time it takes to bring a product to market, which often is the launching of a new small business, you have to ask what the contributing factors are. Best answer: Failure to meet the bridge to success. A product or a service (p/s) has no value without its ability to fulfill the primary intention a customer has for using them. Your p/s crosses the bridge as you demonstrate how the p/s achieves the specific result the customer is seeking. No matter how great or how good you are at providing the service or the use of the p/s if the customer cannot see it at the get go – you are climbing a very steep hill.
How do you get control of this and make it work for you? Develop a profile of your potential customers. Who are they, what problems do they have, what does the result of your p/s impact – health, education, wealth, pleasure? Is your p/s the answer to their dilemma?
Successful marketing is designed from a customer’s perspective. The message clearly defines how you will meet your customer’s expectations. It tells how the p/s will achieve the result they seek; that yours is the essential resource for meeting their needs, expectations and interests. Engage in a question and answer process where you can get answers to:
- What is the basic need of your potential customer?
- What emotional need has to be satisfied?
- What benefits and features of your p/s meet their needs?
- What success will they achieve as a result of your p/s?
- What is the best way to express these attributes?
- What action words will appeal to your potential customer?
Reality is based on knowledge not assumption. What you believe to be the answer may not be what you customers are looking for. Listening takes precedence over talking. Use what you hear to fortify you as you cross the bridge to success.
