The "So What" Factor!
The last posting talked about how important it is to figure out what your product does for your customers,'really', in terms of solving a need or a problem they have.
The answer to that question is not necessarily easy to get to, but once you’ve got it, the commonsensemarketing way forward is to make sure that this forms the foundation of everything you do from a marketing perspective.
How can you make sure then, that you figure out the best, and most accurate, answer to this question?
Force Yourself to Say So What
Here’s a little activity you can use that will help you get to that answer. I use it all the time to make sure that any marketing activity focuses on what is right and what will matter most to the customers I'm trying to reach.
Michael Fischler, founder and principal coach and consultant of Markitek probably describes it better than I could:
Ask one very simple question with unrelenting insistence. So what?
And don’t give up until you really can’t answer it anymore — when you reach that point, you’ve likely reached the true value of your product to your marketplace. Here’s what I mean:
Q: So tell me, what does your toothpaste do for the marketplace?
A: Well, it contains our newly patented Gluricil 234, a new and powerful whitening agent that removes plaque and stains from teeth.
Q: So what?
A: That means that when you use it over a sufficient period of time a lot of the yellow stains on your teeth will be removed.
Q: So what?
A: That means that your teeth will be whiter.
Q: So what?
A: Well, that means that when people see your teeth, your teeth will look better.
Q: So what?
A: Well, if you’re a young person you’ll be more attractive to people you want to be attractive to.
Q: So what?
A: You’ll have more fun. And if you’re older, you’ll look younger.
Q: So what?
A: Well, you’ll feel better about yourself.
Q: So what?
A: What do you mean so what . . . that’s it: more fun and a better self image.
Q: Ah, I understand now. You sell fun and self-confidence.
And that’s something the customer wants. Something you can position a product on. Something that sells.
Be warned though - this activity may make you realise you have no real 'so what' factor. It might raise issues you hadn't realised before and might even make you reconsider the product or service before you begin to market it properly.
This isn't a bad thing - if you don't have that 'so what' factor, how do you think you're going to sell any more of your stuff thatn your competitors.
The answer to that question is not necessarily easy to get to, but once you’ve got it, the commonsensemarketing way forward is to make sure that this forms the foundation of everything you do from a marketing perspective.
How can you make sure then, that you figure out the best, and most accurate, answer to this question?
Force Yourself to Say So What
Here’s a little activity you can use that will help you get to that answer. I use it all the time to make sure that any marketing activity focuses on what is right and what will matter most to the customers I'm trying to reach.
Michael Fischler, founder and principal coach and consultant of Markitek probably describes it better than I could:
Ask one very simple question with unrelenting insistence. So what?
And don’t give up until you really can’t answer it anymore — when you reach that point, you’ve likely reached the true value of your product to your marketplace. Here’s what I mean:
Q: So tell me, what does your toothpaste do for the marketplace?
A: Well, it contains our newly patented Gluricil 234, a new and powerful whitening agent that removes plaque and stains from teeth.
Q: So what?
A: That means that when you use it over a sufficient period of time a lot of the yellow stains on your teeth will be removed.
Q: So what?
A: That means that your teeth will be whiter.
Q: So what?
A: Well, that means that when people see your teeth, your teeth will look better.
Q: So what?
A: Well, if you’re a young person you’ll be more attractive to people you want to be attractive to.
Q: So what?
A: You’ll have more fun. And if you’re older, you’ll look younger.
Q: So what?
A: Well, you’ll feel better about yourself.
Q: So what?
A: What do you mean so what . . . that’s it: more fun and a better self image.
Q: Ah, I understand now. You sell fun and self-confidence.
And that’s something the customer wants. Something you can position a product on. Something that sells.
Be warned though - this activity may make you realise you have no real 'so what' factor. It might raise issues you hadn't realised before and might even make you reconsider the product or service before you begin to market it properly.
This isn't a bad thing - if you don't have that 'so what' factor, how do you think you're going to sell any more of your stuff thatn your competitors.
posted by Nick Field at 2/01/2005 11:05:00 AM
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