It’s all about me

0 CommentsWednesday • February 3, 2010 • by Michele Dortch

As harsh as it may sound, we live in a world where our wants come before others. When faced with a choice or decision, we instinctively wonder, “What’s in it for me?”

But to effectively capture the attention and support of customers, businesses must move away from this instinct and begin applying an important principle borrowed from Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.”

Most businesses fail to follow this basic principle when developing marketing and employee communication copy. Instead, their written communication is laden with “it’s all about me” language that doesn’t resonate with their target audience.

It’s not about you.

I’m convinced that the primary problem with most business communication is that the writer doesn’t take time to fully understand their target audience first. Rather, the writer is consumed with telling about benefits and making a sale. As a result the content screams, “Understand me! Understand my value! Understand what I can do for you!” Unfortunately, that kind of writing just falls flat to a reader who is really consumed with themselves.

It’s about the customer

Companies can remedy this by seeking to understand the unique qualities of their prospects and customers before settling down to deliver key messages to them. Here’s how:

Never assume understanding.

I’m a working mother and in 2005, I created a blog for working mothers. It’s safe to assume that I know a lot about juggling my career and my family. Many working moms have struggles similar to my own. Yet, I can never assume that sharing anecdotes and advice based on my experience alone will benefit my audience. Each of my readers brings a unique perspective that longs to be recognized and understood, so I craft my posts with that in mind.

Do your homework.

If you’re a massive corporate conglomerate with a deep marketing budget, you may be able to get away with generic messages to reach a broad audience. But growing businesses with a fledgling marketing budget, will find better return on investment by taking time to hone in on the unique needs and interests of their target market. Invest in truly understanding your customers – internal and external. Coming to this kind of understanding about your customers builds your credibility and their trust in you, which translates into higher productivity and increased sales.

Keep communication open and on-going.

Some businesses will conduct an initial round of market research to better understand their target audience and that’s it. The problem with this approach is change. People, their interests and their needs evolve. Your business must constantly be in contact with your prospects and customers to ensure you understand when and how these changes affect them and their buying habits.

The incite-ful bottom line

Understanding creates connection. When you take time to understand your target audience first, whether they need your product or service is secondary to the connection you’ve built. The feeling of being seen, recognized and understood goes a long way toward attracting and retaining customers. Spend time getting to know your target audience, express that understanding in your written materials and notice the profit needle move up rather than down.

Posted in: Sales/Marketing