Talk to the needle, not the haystack

What – precisely – is it that your customer needs?

There is, of course, no simple answer. Every customer is unique and needs change over time. So, can you truly satisfy everyone? Every requirement, on every occasion? And if, by some miracle, you can, is the effort worth the reward?

The road to mediocrity

We don’t believe it is, yet that’s what many organisations try to do. They assume volume is the key to success and attempt to service a large, diverse customer base. If you’ve got unlimited resources to spare, this might work, but is it worthwhile?

By trying to satisfy multiple conflicting needs, you run the risk of compromising every customer’s experience. If you want to build lasting relationships, it’s not an effective strategy and, ultimately, it could lead your business down the road to mediocrity. You’re okay. No one hates what you do, but no one loves it either.

At Plane Perspective, we’re aware of this potential pitfall, and even though growth is important to us, we know it must be achieved in the right way. Volume isn’t the measure of our success. It’s the strength and effectiveness of our customer relationships that count.

Knowing ourselves, knowing where we fit

We know that we can’t balance conflicting demands successfully – no one can – so we don’t try. We use our energy where it will be effective and work with those organisations whose needs we can satisfy. For example, we know that our approach doesn’t suit businesses with layers of bureaucracy, because we’re hands-on, informal and dynamic. We won’t try to change our innate character to secure an account because we can’t. We are what we are.

When we are talking to a potential new client, our focus isn’t on selling our operation. It’s more what does this business need and can we deliver it? If we can’t, we won’t say that we can. We would only disappoint. Importantly we carry this needs-based approach through into the marketing strategies we work on with our clients.

Generic vs Specific

We don’t give everyone the same generic ‘solutions’. It’s not about big campaigns that talk at everyone and reach no one. It’s about the specifics. What is it that our clients’ customers need? When do they need it? How do they consume it? What’s changing in their world? It’s about homing in on what they value. It’s about using the right media for the message. It’s about finding what makes your operation and the end customer a good match and then using this information well. It’s about sifting through the haystack until we find those organisations with which you can build a lasting partnership, talking their language and understanding their needs.

To sum up, instead of thinking big and generalised, think small and specific. Generic doesn’t fit anyone but narrow the focus and you can make a smaller number of customers very happy, build loyalty and have the foundations for long-term, sustainable growth.