The day of success is near! Your new product is here and you are ready to send a new campaign. But what do you start with?

You think that’s obvious? “I have a website where all the information is available: price, product information, functionalities, etc. That’s enough.”

No! This is your first mistake, which will cost you a lot. The creation of a website should be on the third or fourth point. But certainly not in the first place. The biggest mistake is not in the order, but in your thinking process!

Companies are stubbornly stuck in the product / service thinking schema. The problem is that the customer is not interested. The potential customer is not willing to buy a product or service. This person wants to solve their problem. A problem with which she feels bad and uncomfortable. The lead wants to come to the “after” state, which means he will feel like the problem has been solved, and will therefore feel relieved. This is the most important thing for the customer and he wants and will pay for it.

Listen to your customers!

Some of the leads have a problem that they can solve. Some of them buy from you, others buy from competitors or do not solve their problem.
Here’s a simple example: If you have a headache, do not think about tablets, but the fact that your head is going to stop hurting. Tablets are only a means to solve the problem.

Converting a lead to a customer is nothing other than bringing it from the “before” state (headache) to the “after” state (I feel good). In the “before” state the customer is unhappy. This can cause pain, boredom, or anxiety. In turn, the “to” state is better. Through this simple change of thinking, we can approach the preparation and presentation differently.

Why is that so important?

It is the customer who decides who will show you the way from the time of the identification of the problem to the solution. To make it easier to figure out who will pay for it.  At the beginning of the path, you must convince them why he chose your solution to the problem. From a marketing point of view, this route is nothing but a sales trumpet.

The main mistake of many companies is:

  • There is no offer of the desired state “after” (this is a poor presentation of the offer)
  • No clear representation of the transition from “before” to “after” (bad marketing)

The first step towards creating an effective sales funnel is to find answers to a number of questions that focus exclusively on the customer’s needs.

  • What does the customer have in the “before” state?
  • What does a customer have in the “after” state?
  • How does the customer feel in the “before” state?
  • How does the customer feel in the “after” state?
  • What is the average day of the customer in the “before” state?
  • What is the average day of the customer in the “after” state?
  • What is the status of the customer in the “before” state?
  • What is the status of the customer in the “after” state?

Remember that the customer only pays for the transport from the “before” – into the desired “after” -state. And the distance between the states is measured by the PRICE.  If you are developing a new offer, start a business, or conquer a new market, make sure you first provide very clear information about the “before” and “after” states.

By monitoring customer behaviour on the website, you gain access to extensive knowledge resources about your customers. By using the right marketing automation solution and the collected data, you can capture the needs of your customers, segment your target audience, determine the direction for further development, create new features, or expand your product offering with new products. You will get to know your target group and understand what you need and what you should offer them.

Answers to questions will help you understand who you are in your campaigns, and for whom you are creating products and services. This is the first step of the entire journey from “before” to “after”.

Here are some sample questions:

  • What motivates my customers to make a purchase?
  • What is the customer’s feeling when he is in the “after” state?
  • What prevents customers from making a purchase decision?
  • What is the budget for the customer?
  • What values are close to the customer?

Marketing should be based on data rather than on the imagination of the creator. In addition, it must further develop with the market, the product and the competitive environment of the company.

Once you have understood this, your marketing automation tool will do the rest and you will be happy about the results at the end of the day!

Author: Sarah-Johanna Hamera – MAC