Discovering Marketing Gold: Talk to Prospects and Customers

Want to do better marketing?

Here's a simple way to make it happen: talk to your prospects and customers.

Attend Conferences:
Slowly but surely, conferences making a comeback, although it's unclear how they're going to evolve and how or if companies will invest in them.

Conferences are still one of the best ways to connect with the people who matter to you. You can gain valuable insight by asking prospects and customers questions about their needs, frustrations, and how they do their jobs.

In a world increasingly dominated by digital communications, it's important to recognize that people are social creatures and that personal connections are important. As well, people buy from people.

Call Newly-Minted Customers:
Talking to new customers shortly after they've made a purchase can provide invaluable feedback.

A freshy-minted customer can provide unbiased insights into:

- How they did pre-purchase research. What Websites, blogs, review sites, social media platform podcasts, etc. did they access to get information?

- What motivated their decision to buy? What were the triggers that made the customer decide that it was time to explore a new product or service? What needs, frustraitons or goals sparked their decision?

- What they expect from your product. What does success look like? How will their personal or professional lives change if your product does what it is expected to do?

- How they plan to use it. What features are they most excited about? What use cases are important (remember that customers can use your product for different reasons)

Listen to Sales and Demo Calls:
Sales and demo calls offer a window into the customer's world because you can access a deeper understanding of the prospects' pain points, objections, and concerns.

When you hear first-hand what a prospect or customer is saying and, as important, how they say it, that's critical information.

As important are the questions being asked, which can reveal their problems and aspirations.

Note: Share these insights across the organization - e.g. product development, sales, customer success, and customer service.

Reach Out to Different Types of Customers:
Different customer segments may have unique perspectives and needs.

By proactively engaging with different types of customers, you can capture a comprehensive view of target audiences.

Deploy Net Promoter Score Exercises:
Net Promoter Score (NPS) surveys are an excellent tool for gauging customer satisfaction and loyalty.

By understanding what contributes to promoters, passives, and detractors, businesses can improve customer experience and do marketing that resonates.

Host Customer Dinners
Breaking bread with customers in a relaxed, informal setting makes conversations flow easier and you can get better, more personalized insight about what they feel, think, and do. Customer dinners strengthen the bond with existing clients but also open the door for candid conversations.

Interview Them on Your Podcast:
Podcasts are a great way to share knowledge and engaging with audiences.

Inviting customers to share their success stories, challenges, and experiences not only showcases appreciation but also highlights real-life use cases.

These conversation can resonate with other prospects facing similar challenges and create authentic connections.

The real-world insights garnered from these conversations offer several advantages that shape marketing strategies for the better:

- Tailored messaging: By knowing what resonates with prospects and customers, marketers can craft messaging that addresses their needs, challenges, and aspirations. This increases the prospects to strike a chord with the target audience and drive better results.

- Better, more focused product development: Customer feedback is a treasure trove of ideas for product improvements and innovations. By incorporating customer suggestions, businesses can create products that truly cater to the market demand.

- Building trust and loyalty: Engaging in conversations with customers shows that a company cares about their satisfaction and success. This fosters trust and loyalty, turning customers into brand advocates.

- Customer-centric marketing: Customer insights shift the focus from being product-centric to customer-centric. This approach aligns the brand more closely with its audience, creating a powerful emotional connection.

Engaging in meaningful conversations through various channels opens the door to a wealth of knowledge that can transform marketing efforts.

By truly understanding their audience, companies can create impactful messaging, cultivate loyal customers, and stay ahead of the competition.

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Looking for help on how to approach and interview customers? Book a free 30-minute discovery call.