This is my journey as an E-commerce Consultant
Archive for September, 2008
Sell them benefits, not features!
1330 days
Customs don’t buy facts and figures, they buy benefit. We have said before if you are buying a digital camera, the specifications can be gobbdegoop if you don’t know how they will benefit you.
Don’t fall into the trap of overloading your customers with information give them exactly what they need and how your product can benefit.
How to get your benefits across:
-Don’t bury them in text
- Highlight them by placing them in a box
- List the feature, then explain the benefit, don’t take too long about it either
Features on their own are not highly persuasive, but benefits are.
How do we learn from past marketing experiences?
1336 days
Now, this post is a more holistic approach to HOW we learn as individuals, and how that effects what lessons we learn from our previous marketing/sales experiences. In my blog posts I am fond of using the terms ‘learning from XY and Z’ and I am sure marketing pep talks are all about learning from past mistakes or achievements.
If we look at this snazzy home made diagram:
The stages of learning from experience can be presented as a cycle, experience > review > conclusions > planning. Short cuts can be deadly, and must be avoided.
For a small business the ‘learning from experience’ usually comes down to an individual. Maybe seeing how that individual learns to make sure we don’t jump to conclusions, take short cuts and learn properly from past experiences.
According to Peter Honey and crew, there are four distinct learning styles.
Activist – The trial and error marketeer, lots of mistakes will be made but equally there are lots of victories to be had.
Reflector – Considered and prepared approach to marketing, taking on board other peoples opinions and research. A more time consuming learning style, unsuitable when it comes to making snap decisions based on little data and the crux of the season.
Theorist – A methodical and complex learning approach, full of interconnecting relationships, ideas, evening and situations. More questions than answers can often ensue.
Pragmatist – Learning by practising, experimenting then releasing real and practical marketing solutions. No time for the innovative, unless there are clear guidelines and examples to prove efficacy.
So what is your preferred learning style if any? Check out the learning style questionnaire from Peter Honey publications. There is a longer version, but 40 questions is enough.
In essence, every good marketeer needs to hone in on all 4 different learning styles, or at least know where they are weakest. You need to consider your data (reflect), be practical (pragmatic), understand the complexity of the relationships (theorise) but be able to act quickly and take chances when the time comes (activate).
Once you know which hole you have been pigeon’d in too you can work on your weaker learning styles and also recognise your preferred learning style. Make sure the data and evidence you need to digest for the next move is appropriate for you to learn from.
Personally I am a strong reflector, pragmatist and theorist. I like to make informed and considered decisions with respect to my marketing and need to allocate time to make sure I don’t miss the boat pondering on the small details.
So when you read about learning from past marketing experiences, just consider exactly HOW you will learn.
Heading towards the economic apocalypse?
1337 days
Well if the BBC is to be believed then we surely are. The high street is failing! Well? It has been for ages since the nouveau on-line boom, but most major high street retailers now take advantage of the on-line world.
Through the looking glass of a small trader, things seem a little slower, but this is typical as we all unconsciously save our pennies after the holiday splurge to cover Christmas.
Purses will be tight, so only the smartest retailers will hit it big this festive season. Things have already hotted up for the costume sellers, with Halloween around the corner. Remember last years advice on looking at your statistics and getting ready for Christmas early?
The theory still applies my friends, you should be better equipped this time!
- Gearing up for Xmas 2007 – What to do in October…
- Christmas Marketing – What to do in November
- Cyber Monday – The Start of the Festive Online Shopping and December Marketing
but what IS new this year? What has changed in the shopping habits of the masses? This is something that no one can really predict, but if you think of the themes for this year:
-Global Warming. Kinda overtaken by the rise in energy costs, but it all has a green theme. If you are into selling stuff that plugs in or runs on black gold, make sure the energy/fuel rating is the BEST. The government has been brainwashing the public to purchase the most energy efficient appliances. Their spies are everywhere, you can bet it has worked.
-Value. Everything is about VALUE and not necessarily price. Make sure your unique value proposition is out there and visible. Many websites and auction sites now come equipped with moving pictures (video for those out of the 1920′s) including eBay. Nothing like a short film to show that your product is fit for purpose. Better still, uploaded it to Utube, you might start a viral marketing cult.
-Timing. In the next 7-8 days millions of British tax payers get a pseudo extra £60, (£60 of tax relief) and will be hell bound to spend it. Are your auctions and ads running in anticipation?
-Innovation. For some reason innovative products and services are hot this year. I suppose, if you have limited funds you spend it on something interesting. I mean, who’d a thought the wii with it’s Atari graphics would be a success?
-Interaction. Interactive marketing is hot. Engaging the customer and combining the off-line and on-line. Use off-line media to drive your on-line sales. Use opportunities to sponsor, do charitable work all in the name of love…and money.
-Train. Train your employees to cross sell, up sell and be honest. If you can’t sell the customer what they want, don’t ruin your reputation by hard selling. An item brought not fit for purpose will be a thorn in your side. Training your staff can motivate and bring value to the company. My enterprise has only one other and he has just passed his ‘Design and the web’ short course with the Open University. Now he is a more tailored web user and better understands the world I have thrust him into.
-Export. For the first time in ages the pound has dropped and we can export again. The rest of the world can afford our stuff now! So our economy is fading, lets hang on to someone else’s.
