Are You Giving Your Customers the Experience They Thought They Purchased?

Is your marketing a bait and switch? When customers purchase your product or service are they receiving what thought they were buying? If they can’t implement the vision that you have been selling them then they are going to feel cheated.

I am always amazed when companies will invest significant marketing dollars to get users to try or buy a product, but then scrimp on the amount of money, time or effort they allocate for helping that user be successful in implementing the product. Once the sale is complete, the company’s investment is done. Training and support are cost centers that are viewed as burdens instead of opportunities.

This view is short sighted and demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of what the customer was buying when they purchased your product.

You may have been selling them a website authoring tool. They were buying the ability to create web sites.

You may have been selling them a marketing analytics program. They were buying a method for driving more traffic to their site.

You may have been selling application development tools. They were buying the ability to create applications.

You may have been selling a CRM. They were buying a way to improve their customer communications.

If your company doesn’t get this then you are leaving a lot of money on the table.

The most expensive marketing is marketing targeted at users who know nothing about you. The most effective marketing is the word of mouth you get from customers who are able to accomplish great things with your product.

Once a customer purchases your product your main goal needs to be this: help them be as successful as possible in their implementation of your product. If you don’t talk about this in your company or you don’t have a concrete strategy for addressing this issue you will have disappointed customers. You will have customers who feel like they have been “duped”. They thought they were buying an outcome and weren’t able to realize it. And your marketing costs will go up. Those customers who were never able to realize their goals will actually create a negative effect on your marketing efforts as they tell others of their lack of success.

Take a hard look at what you are selling. Is it what your customers think they are buying? Are you helping them achieve their goals through the use of your product? Are you providing your customers with materials that will help them realize those goals? If not, get started. Write a blog post, record a screencast, do a webinar or write some ScreenSteps lessons. Just do a little each week. You will be amazed at the results.