About
Perceptions and Marketing
by Clay Marafiote
Here is an
article about Perceptions and Marketing and Your Customer.
I have something to tell you and if you take it to heart, I
promise it will have a positive impact on your company!
"The best marketers are those who can put themselves
inside the customer's mind."
Why is this true?
Because marketing is a battle of perceptions -- your customers' (and prospects') perceptions of your product
versus your competitor's product.
So, with that said, here are four tips for getting "inside" the marketplace's collective head to discover how customers
perceive your company and products; find out what they want; and (ultimately) create a product or service that's
better perceived and bought more often than your competition's:
Listen to your customers: Talk to them whenever possible, either on the phone or via e-mail. Send out questionnaires
and offer a small gift for returning them. Listen to your staff: Talk regularly with employees about
their experiences with the customers they serve. Some of your best customers will tell an employee something they
won't tell the company owner or an executive.Pretend you're the customer: Buy things over the phone or
online from your company. Visit your own storefront and try to be objective about what you see and how it can be improved.
Also, place an order and see how it's processed.Travel: Visit other cities and talk with the locals. Really
listen to what they say; you might discover a new market or recognize an unfulfilled need that's common throughout the
country (or even around the world).
Marketing Tip
By maintaining objectivity and putting yourself in the customers' place, you'll develop an invaluable sense of their wants, needs, and perceptions. Better yet, acting on this information to create more favorable perceptions can put you way ahead of your competition!
Technology and Marketing Resources:
-Perception marketing and THE PSYCHOLOGY OF CONSUMERS
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