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In this post we will outline why experience design is such a powerful tool for creating memorable moments for your clients and the three questions you need to answer to make them feel special.
Competition is fierce and there is very little difference between one product or service and the next. Yet a memorable experience will drive the loyalty of your clients to new heights and make it difficult for your competitors to match. In so doing, this will create a clear gap between your company and theirs. So experience design is a powerful form of branding that few companies understand and can help you to become a leader in your market, if you really want.
For companies that sell to other companies rather than consumers, search engines have levelled the playing field when it comes to sourcing new products and services. Anybody can create a website and this provides so much choice. Plus the professional procurement process means it is more difficult to rely on the strength of personal relationships, alone.
We all live in a multimedia world and we use our computers, tablets or smart phones to engage with companies and brands. Goliaths like Amazon, Microsoft and Apple dominate, so how can the rest of us running businesses, survive and thrive?
Let’s take a look at what Jeff Bezos of Amazon says.
This is interesting and explains why the overall experience of buying from Amazon is so smooth. He goes on to add...
Agreed. Then I noticed this quotation from Bezos.
I was relieved when I first read this. As everyone knows that only one company can be the cheapest in any given market. That leaves room for the rest of us to make a living! But I don’t actually believe it. Because Amazon is going all out to reduce delivery times as people want everything yesterday. As any corner store owner manager knows you can charge a premium for convenience and people are prepared to pay extra for easy ordering and fast delivery.
Make your clients feel special
So the only hope is to make each and every one of your clients feel special, treat them as individuals and to personalise everything for them. Otherwise they’ll search out a cheaper more convenient solution.
One solution is to provide a superior service, because even having world-class products are not enough. Sales of Porsche vehicles in North America were suffering until they improved the customer service experience. Quality means being able to justify a price premium. Being small means being flexible with an intimate knowledge of clients and changing expectations.
So how do you make them feel special?
Ask yourself these questions
1 What do your ideal clients want to achieve?
2 How can you anticipate what they need from you?
3 What can you do to make them feel special?
Everyone should think like an Experience Manager
Stop doing your day job for a moment and think like you’re an Experience Manager. Think about your ideal client. Who they are what they do, what their challenges are and what they want to achieve. Then work backwards from there to see how your product or service will help them to achieve their objectives. Think hard about what they want to know or buy not what you want to sell.
Then think about your ideal clients’ experience. What are the intangible and emotional benefits that your product or service gives them? Also list down and consider all the key touch points that bring them closer to you. You can now anticipate what their needs are at every stage of their relationship with your organisation. How do you want them to feel and what do you want them to do?
If you need a little bit of lateral help here. Then think about the hospitality industry and the sheer variety of places there are to eat, meet, drink or stay. There is something to suit every occasion and at every price point.
Note down what ideal clients call things when they’re searching for organisations like yours, not the jargon you use in your company. Then use their words as keywords for your Search Engine Optimisation.
Why are B2B decision maker groups so complex?
We all know that selling products and services to companies takes time and can involve many people in the decision making group. Especially where more than one department or the whole company will be impacted by the purchase. This group has developed for a number of reasons. The first is that senior decision makers do not answer or return cold calls, which means that companies are often 50% through the buying process before you know they're looking. The procurement process is far more rigorous than ever before. The people in the buying group could be fulfilling some or all of the following functions;
Information Gathering stage
Researchers
Champions or Sponsors
Shortlisting Vendor stage
Gatekeepers like Technicians or Executive Assistants
Financial Influencers
External Consultants
Buying stage
Legal
IT
Engineering
Deployment stage
Users
Human Resources
Operations
Installation
Maximise the results of your digital marketing
Before deciding what digital marketing activities you should undertake, clarify your value proposition for your ideal clients (or target market) by using the worksheet (A: Developing your value proposition).
Map out the current stages that clients go through in their business relationship with you by using the second worksheet (B: Anticipating the content your clients need). Make it specific to your company as every one of our organisations are different.
Use this worksheet to note down what questions they ask themselves at each stage and then decide which channels or forms of digital communications are best at helping you to answer them.
Key stages of your clients' journey
Discovery of your organisation and making an initial enquiry
Compiling a long list of possible solutions or providers like you
Whittling the long list down to a very short one
Making the purchase
Re-purchase
Become advocates when they really believe that you are the best for them
what now?
If you have a question, would like further information or support then contact Craig now and he'll be happy to help you get going, without obligation.