For a long time it was thought that the main way to business success - increasing product range and maintain lower prices than the competition. The basis of the business plan adopted by the maximum mortgage financial performance, with only a small part of the human resources. With some irony to say that too much variety and low prices - two main reasons for the collapse of companies! Studies show that about 70% of the buyers refuse services because of neglect and indifference to their needs, 15% - because of disappointment in the product, and only 10% - because someone offered a better price. Rapidly changing situation in the market dictates the need to prioritize the development of a successful company that is customer-centric approach. If there are no serious differences between your product (service) and their counterparts in the competition, the greater the difference in how you do business with people.
The scale of the consumer
Why is it so important to classify today's consumers? Yes, because the ways of working with each of their categories differ in form and content. Unfortunately, the vast majority of entrepreneurs are not owned by this methodology. This often leads to mistakes at the planning stage of the project, study development priorities, selection of tools to achieve goals. Many firms are unable to really turn around just because with all the temptations of the project they fail to attract the attention of potential customers and retain them by making their followers.
Today's consumers can be divided into five categories:
- Potential buyers - people who may be interested to buy a product from you or use your services;
- The visitors - people who at least once been in your company;
- Buyers - those who have purchased one or more products or use one or more services of your company;
- Customers - the people who regularly buy your products or use the services;
- Followers - those who constantly use your product or service and telling everyone what a great company you have.
Potential purchaser
All of us - the potential buyers. Opening the paper, immediately encountered the huge amount of advertising. Turn on the TV - and every 15 - 20 minutes should be ad unit. Radio, billboards, "war paint" urban transport ... all offer us something. Postmen disperse to their homes and offices with hundreds of pages of advertising proposals "extremely profitable," etc. Wherever you turn around, someone is always trying to offer something for sale.
Potential buyers - the most controversial and mysterious category of consumers. They are very necessary for the success of the business, and the challenge of any entrepreneur - to involve them as much as possible.
Potential buyers do not know you, your product and, like most sane people tend to doubt your competence. There is only one way to incorporate them into the orbit of your business: make sure that a potential buyer is a desire to come to you.
As you know, the engine of commerce is advertising. For example, the newspaper every day looking at a huge number of people, therefore, newspaper advertising can be an excellent means of making potential buyers with the goods or services. There are plenty of guides on how to write a blurb. However, one gets the impression that these benefits or do not finish until the end, or do not read at all. An example of this - a huge number of newspaper ads as two peas similar to each other, and a lot of handbills, "without charge or trial" sent from mailboxes in the ballot box. Here are some interesting facts.
Before you turn the newspaper page, the reader lingers on her eyes by an average of four seconds, and the text of the ad reads only one out of ten. Therefore, the title should be written so that there was a desire to read the text to the end, that is to say there primary and most important. Should be possible to load the information of the first three paragraphs of text. Be sure to specify the price. Nine out of ten of newspaper readers say price has an impact on purchasing decisions and choosing a product. If escort ads illustrate product "in action", it will further increase the readership.
The great expert in the field of advertising, David Ogilvy said: "As long as your advertising campaign will be built around a main idea, it will wander in the darkness, like a ship in the night." To be found in the advertised product is something special. The more of these "highlights" to describe the ad text, the easier it will be to sell goods.
In addition to newspapers, can be successfully used advertising on radio and television. Main objective of the campaign - to force potential buyers to come to you first.
Visitors
Visitors are inherently skeptical. They know something about your business, but they have not yet made a decision to buy something. You have yet to make the right impression on visitors, is a certified ... only a few seconds.
The poll showed a huge number of buyers, they decide whether to buy in the first eight to ten seconds of stay in the store. Four out of ten visitors to judge the competence of the seller's appearance. These statistics, of course, is curious, but it is filled with meaning only when you reflect on it seriously. It is in the first few seconds of the person estimates the overall atmosphere of the store, the attitude to customers, products and advertising layout. If the staff is polite, if the room is clean and it is well equipped, if the goods and services are quite good, and the prices are acceptable and clearly marked, then it is likely that many visitors will become customers. But if the firm is unable to meet the expectations of visitors, they are gone forever. In business, as in personal life, working the golden rule: "a second chance to make a first impression will be no more."
Buyers
At the heart of any purchase are two main reasons: the enjoyment of the new things or services and the satisfaction of the needs of any customer. If you are able to comply with any of the above conditions, the transaction is realized. At this point you will have a buyer.
Think about your product or services. How can they be present to do any of the above conditions of purchase? Check your product properties that are able to meet the needs of visitors.
The key to successful work with the buyer - a professionally trained staff. It salespeople and sales agents every day "fighting on the front lines" for the success of your business. It is their faces are associated with customers with your firm.
It is essential to give the buyer an opportunity to express their wishes about your business. Visitor to the shop, strange as it may sound, rarely expresses claims about the behavior of staff. At least half of the people facing problems when making a purchase (both retail and wholesale), no one ever complains. Those who choose to present their claims to file complaints, as a rule, to the rank and file employees who are not always able to satisfy it. It is not surprising that each company annually loses a substantial portion of its customers: tuning negatively towards it, they just choose to go to another store or company. Senior managers, first, do not even suspect that they have lost part of the profit, and second, do not know why it happened.
Customers
Customers - the people who regularly buy your products or use services. This is the stage when the person is ready to buy anything that you would not have offered him. This "golden Potbelly" are the 20% who do 80% of the turnover of any company.
Clients need to know. Customers need to offer something special. The customer base should be in a special account. As a rule, these people prefer to associate with those who are engaged in their work: the seller, salesman, manager or company's management and rare - with a "representative of the company."
Remember, customers - the best of the best. They rarely abuse their positions. I'm just glad that you treat them in a special way, and they can sometimes even apply a small but very valuable idea that you do not even come to mind. It is important that these thoughts were able to reach the upper levels of management of the company. One of the main reasons for the loss of customers - lack of attention to their person.
Adherents
Devotees - people who carry your name "to the masses." They tell you about all my friends and even strangers, for those interested in your product. Such praises free, probably the most powerful form of advertising.
Recommendations supporters - a huge energy potential of the company, which, unfortunately, is not always used. Take a television commercial. Well-known and respected people recommend a particular product, the people loudly praises washing powder and gaskets. When applying for a job in any company you certainly will ask advice. So why, in small shops and large supermarkets nowhere to be seen comments of satisfied adherents of this company? Perhaps it is worth considering.
How to keep followers? It is necessary to provide something exclusive only to them and no one else. In the West, a huge spread received special clubs for such privileged persons whose membership gives participants the opportunity to receive a variety of benefits.
"The customer is always right!"
The situation in the market is changing rapidly, and life itself makes entrepreneurs from small to large to draw their attention primarily on the buyer. Gone are the days when it was scored and inconspicuous man - a pawn in the big game. Today's buyer is undoubtedly smarter than yesterday, and the fact that until recently was for him a matter of course, it is now becoming an anachronism. Pass the time when the store first raised the prices, and then lowered them a bit, announcing discounts. Gone are the days when crowds of people went on a New Year sale: today "sale" takes place almost every day. Pass the time when the buyer gets the goods at one price, and tomorrow find it at a low. These times away forever. Thoughtlessly "vparivat" is not only profitable, but also dangerous for the business as a whole.
Today's consumers no longer want to be a "gray mass" - they want to be men. Want to be recognized and respected, he smiled and said "Thank you." Wish you to take into account the fact that they spend their money on your business.
Today's shoppers compare shops scrutinize services and offers leisurely and looking at labels and labels on packages, ask a lot of questions. And so familiar phrase "The customer is always right!" Is pronounced without irony.
References
The magazine "Management of the company» ? 8, 2005.
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