Do Your Customers Actually Give A Toss?

In Business School marketing classes you’re taught that we must highlight what we do that makes us different. The problem with this is, does anyone really give a damn about this difference?

Working with a company right now on their message to market and we’ve come across a detrimental flaw in everything that they’re doing that’s acting as a sumo wrestler in the doorway to their customers. It struck me that they’re probably not alone, so I have donned my Lycra t-shirt and put my pants on top of my trousers to swoop in to rescue you from the smouldering building of business ruin.

So as to not break any NDAs or privacy let me make up a fictional business example of what I mean by this to get what I mean successfully downloaded in to your mind-sack.

Nice Porthole You Got There

Colin’s Really Authentic Portholes (C.R.A.P. for short) is a family run business making the glass/plastic combo portholes for ships and yachts. They’re made here in the UK which is nice and the business is now in the hands of a 3rd generation “Colin”.

Mr. Colin realises that everything in life comes down to the formula Fast, Good, Cheap – Pick 2. Which means you can choose any two of these but its tough to find all three. So his porthole business is making really high quality portholes that last 50 years plus, and the customer service he provides is amazing and timely. Which means he is not the cheapest in the market place.

Here Comes The Competition

In fact over in America there is a company called “Skylights, Hulls, Interiors and Tubs” who supply lower quality porthole glazing at a far cheaper price. So much lower in fact that that the seal for the glass will deteriorate after just 25 years. Half the time.

Mr. Colin sells to the market place based on the fact his customer service is amazing, but most importantly that the seals on his porthole glazing are guaranteed for 50 years. This sounds great. Until you dig under the hood and actually take some notice of the customers – usually achieved using a sneaky technique called talking to them (oh errr, fancy…).

It’s only at this time that we realise that this selling proposition is null and void. Why? Because, as the customer tells me – most people don’t keep a boat for more than 20 years. So the ‘S.H.I.T’ solution will outlive the life of the boat, making the 50-year guarantee totally dead in the water (oooph that’s punny!)

It goes back to understanding. Is what you are saying even of concern to your clients? Do they give a toss about the ‘benefit’ you’re selling? Truth is, if they’re not throwing them off the shelves in to their metaphorical shopping carts then chances are that you haven’t found the real reason that your customers buy.