Stinginess is not cool!

I have found a fascinating book and believe that this topic is not only of interest to me and that the average marketer can draw some conclusions from the content. By that, I mean the real understanding of a person and this as a customer. It is the book “The True Value of Things” (School of Life) by Alain De Botton (Publisher: Süddeutsche Zeitung (9 March 2019).

Here is a summary and some quotes from the book:

According to scientists and modern philosophers, we live in a time of hypocrisy, in times of contradictions between values and materialism. The attitude to material things no longer depends on their actual value but their influence on our social status. Social status depends on fashion and other factors. This means that the real value of a particular thing is not as crucial as our mindset.
If we have to pay a lot for something, we appreciate that. Experience loses value, the easier it is available. It is tragic for our relationship to money and knowledge that the value hierarchy adapts to expensive things. In our culture, we use terms like “rare” and “expensive” to describe things that, in our eyes, are of good quality. We automatically refer one term to another. Low product prices mean that they are not appreciated because they are not impressive. In fact, other things were promised before industrialization. Falling prices should satisfy everyone. How does this affect our daily lives? We often think that we cannot afford good things, and that’s why we find our lives sad and incomplete. This hierarchy of values always gives us the feeling of being poor, while in reality, we are surrounded by amazingly a good many things.

All this is an argument that basically speaks against discounts or cheap things. However, does a potential customer also behave on the internet as described in the text? The competition is significant, and customer expectations are growing. So the price is often not enough, and people cannot only be lured with it. Be honest with your customers. If you are not the cheapest provider on the internet, then there must be a reason. Honestly, would you not rather spend a few euros more if you knew you were investing in high quality? Why do I need a cheap product if I can throw it away after a short time? All this seems logical but still forgotten. From our own experience, we know that customers most value these things:

  • Proven seller
  • security when shopping
  • availability guarantee
  • Original Products
  • Value for Money

See your customers not as customers but as fellow human beings: this is how the customer experiences the most important strengths of your business within a few seconds during a website visit.

A fascinating solution in the field of content marketing are reviews, useful tips, and application notes. These contain a lot of valuable and practical information for which your customers will be very grateful. This solution helps to position in the Google search engine, but also creates an expert image of the business that not only sells but also trains its customers in useful products.

Also important is a marketing automation tool that only displays the products that are of interest to the potential customer. It is important that the products are clearly displayed and information about the business is easy to find. For example, clear rules, high-quality service, fast delivery, consumer protection is information that plays one of the most critical roles. We all like to believe that our choices are rational, but let’s not fool ourselves – we make the majority of our decisions under the influence of emotions. Conclusion: If you really want to appeal to a customer, emphasize the positive emotions that your product or purchase will bring with it. You will see that it works more effectively than scientific arguments! They make the customer aware of the extent to which your product fulfills all the essential criteria in order to make it happy.

But:

Customer satisfaction is not loyalty.

Please remember that loyalty is a much broader concept than satisfaction. Satisfied customers are likely to buy from you again, which is a significant step to ensure their status in competition with the competition. However, a loyal customer does not guarantee a substantial increase in sales in the short term! He gives you something more – he becomes the ambassador of your brand. A loyal customer can risk his own reputation by recommending you to his friends. He participates and is responsible for the results of your company. Make sure you give your customers a good feeling. To determine this, it pays to invest in a marketing automation system to have daily, weekly, and monthly analyzes. That way, you’ll notice what appeals to your customers, what they like, and what they do not like.

Author: Sarah-Johanna Hamera – MAC