Marketing: 3 winning strategies

Three concrete actions to get a virtuous circle moving again: with the customer at the centre, will things look up for the company?

The observations made in this article derive from an analysis of some successful strategies fielded by companies large and small throughout the world, and part of an interesting study made by a group of consultants (including the Marketing Director of Unilever).

A manic attention to detail. It is fundamental to analyse what the customers think of, how they use, consume, speak of the products and services proposed. From the analyses of this data it transpires that, in the end, what engenders a purchasing decision in people - hence also in companies - are the motivations defined “universal human truths”, that sink their roots in the deep desires everyone shares (to be successful, find a partner, have children, maintain good health…). Therefore intercept these needs with your products.  Even if you produce mechanical equipment, you know for sure your customer is a person, with the same desires and emotions you have.  So try and include a bit of emotion the next time you pay this person a visit, ask them what they expect from the future, the problems they have. That is to say, listen to them.

Benefits to the environment. We can no longer afford to ignore the impact products have on the environment and the ecosystem: as well as to standards, the market shows it is sensitive to this subject to an unprecedented degree. Having a project that binds the company and its products to a benefit to society involves the customers and aboveall, employees and co-workers. A US paint company has for example gained a great deal in terms of sales and efficiency of their own employees with the launch of the program “Tins of optimism”, which proposes to “add color to people’s lives” by painting the walls of run-down neighbourhood cost free. And you? What idea could you field?

Total experience. The proliferation of similar products and offers, of similar companies and similar prices has led customers to ever-increasingly make their choice on the experience they have of the company, now considered a true “critical success factor”. Today “how” you sell is worth as much as “what” you sell. Try and put yourself in your customer’s shoes and, for example, call your company switchboard: how do they answer? What do they say? Call your customer assistance service: what happens?  If a customer complains, does the company respond to solve the problem or does it accuse the customer of “unrealistic expectations”?

A cura di Marco Randazzo
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