Six months into my first ‘proper’ marketing job out of university, I was assigned to a national tour around Australia with American marketing guru Jay Abraham. During those ten days or so, I got some invaluable one-on-one time with Jay as we flew from city to city. During those flights he imparted some pearls of wisdom with me, most of which have stayed with me ever since.
According to Jay, the reason most sales efforts fail is that the salesperson spends too much time being ‘interesting’ rather than ‘interested’.
“You can only ever be in one mode or the other,” he explained, “When you’re trying to be interesting, it’s impossible to be interested.”
I’ve since found this to be true of many situations: people at parties —those annoying people who try to be ‘interesting’ by rabbiting on and on about themselves barely taking a breath and not once being interested in anyone else — and even brands.
Think about it: there are brands that are interesting and there are brands that are truly interested in their customers and what their customers think and feel.
Is your brand “interesting” or is your brand truly interested in their customers and what they think and feel?
Below are some points to consider in determining where your brand fits;
Open channels of Feedback – Do your customers have access to multiple channels for giving you feedback — positive and negative? Ensure you provide a range of options for them to tell you how you’re tracking and how you can improve on things.
Involve and Engage – Another simple way to demonstrate ‘curiosity’ is to involve your customers in marketing initiatives and changes in your business. Can’t decide between two headline options or images for your new campaig
n? Ask your customers! Better still, establish a customer advisory board for a powerful feedback panel you can consult on a range of issues and gather powerful feedback.
You are not Your Customer. Neither is your Wife or Sister – Thinking what you know customers want is dangerous. Knowing what they want leads to customer experience improvements that matter. Don’t make assumptions or replace real research with the dinner party chatter of your friends and family. They are not your customer.
