„Our average customer spends x euro and visits us y times. She is x% female and is xx years old”—sounds familiar? The old marketing legacy tends to simplify the customer picture, reducing it to the „averages”. It is easy to understand for all—from regular co-workers to c-level execs—and put your organisation in the comfort zone. We k n o w our customers! E v e r y t h i n g is clear and straightforward. The bad news is that there is nothing like the „average customer”. It should become your new mantra. Every single customer is different and has different motivations, needs, and affinity to your brand.
As a result of the „average customer” principle, brands focus a bit too much on the products they offer, trying to fit them into the market. It limits the potential and reduces the marketing efficiency. The sales team decides what the customer hears by entering the product name in the commercial calendar excel sheet cell. By matching the product range ex-cathedra, your brands lose many people who are currently not interested in the subject. It is similar to constantly asking the same yes/no questions: do you want this? or this? Some people say yes, but many more will say no. And after the second or third time, they will simply disengage.
Your role, as a Loyalty Leader, is to reverse this process. When you focus on humans and the wealth of data and insight you collected, you can understand the customer’s problems (barriers) towards your brand and category. It enables you to adjust the offer and communication to customers. And then go beyond your marketing and communication, improving services, ways of working, and, at some point, create new products or services that your customers will love.
Your brand has way much more to offer than just products. You have the power of solving customer problems by making their life easier every day. By identifying their needs at an early stage, you not only discover better solutions, but also tailor the offer and language. Inspire actual customer’s needs. Be more respectful in the relationship that you are building. Observe what the customer is looking for, initiate a dialogue, supply relevant information, and tailor your conversations and actions based on their reactions.
