"I DIDN'T KNOW YOU DID THAT."

Sunday, September 13, 2020

How often have you heard that response when telling your customers or the media about a product or service you are immensely proud of?

A product or service that you likely put many resources, time and dollars behind only to be deflated when you realize your audience doesn't know everything you do.

Wouldn't it be a better experience for you and your customer to start the discussion with "How can your product or service help" versus "What is your product or service"?

HOW CAN YOUR CUSTOMERS KNOW EVERYTHING YOU DO?

Tell them!

(And then tell them again!)

That's a simple response to a possibly-complex, culture-changing solution. And maybe that's where we start: It's not – nor should it be – complex.

Let's start with the fundamental idea that communicating with your customers (for revenue opportunities) and audience (for thought leadership opportunities) is not complex.

Acutally, let's start with why communicating with your customers and audience is complex.

WHY DO WE MAKE THINGS SO DIFFICULT ON OURSELVES?

We probably make it difficult for two reasons:

1. Too many cooks: By involving too many people in the 'final' process, we tend to skew the core message. 
   
   Let's look at a demand generation message. We know who the message is targeted at (audience) and we know that we want to drive demand (the outcome) from this message.
   
   We then interview key stakeholders and draft insights and calls to action based on this feedback. Since it's a demand generation message, we're likely focused on our Sales and Operation teams. (Please include your Operations folks in this process. Before your message is sent, these folks need to be prepared.)
   
   So, the sticking part becomes the message itself. And finailzing the message becomes a political process of "getting mine". Either "Let's not send to too many people" (fear of success) or "This won't resonate with my contacts" (a myopic view of one's contacts' needs).
   
   (Not a surprise statement: In both cases, we're missing the bigger point.)
    
2. Solving for the one: The thinking that a single a message won't resonate with one individual (out of hundreds or thousands).
   
   Back to the demand generation example above...
   
   In this case, the we don't know who the message is targeted at however we know what the outcome is and what the message is.
   
   The sticking point in this case may be the dreaded four-letter word: data. Our data is bad and – whether it's the source (CRM), our targeting (process) or something different (?!) – we're not targeting the message and outcome at the right audience.

A SOLUTION STARTER.

Naturally, your company's culture mileage will vary, however the following is a two-part plan for solving this challenge.

1. Put the customer and audience first: Whenever there is a disagreement, insert the customer/audience into the discussion.
   
   Will the customer/audience benefit from this message? 
   
   If the answer is yes, move forward.
   
   If the answer is not yes, start over.
   
   And acknowledge the entire process has to start over, meaning the customer/audience is not being educated at this time about this message.
   
   (Starting over isn't a bad thing necessarily. Just acknowledge there's a price to pay.)
    
2. There will be more: Realize that this isn't the last and only message you will be sending out to your customers/audience. 
   
   Just realize that.
   
   (And maybe take a collective deep breath?)
   
   The freqency of sending messages to your customers/audience is a balance in and of itself. 
   
   (One suggestion: Every three weeks to start. That way, when those issues pop up where the answer is not yes, your customers won't go more than two months without hearing from you.)

ABOUT THAT FOUR-LETTER WORD.

Acknowledge it's an issue. (It is.)

Set a plan to improve it. (Give the plan time to breath.)

Make it a priority. (An executive-level and executive-sponsored priority.)

Move on. (And continue letting your customers know everything you do.)

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