It’s not enough to just sell something anymore. You have to show that you truly understand your customer. That you know who your customer is, how they feel, and what their personal needs are.
Everyone wants to feel “understood.”
Here’s why this matters: People buy from companies they like and trust. Part of the way you develop that “like and trust” relationship is to show you “get’ them.
Empathy and Understanding as Marketing Tools
Have you ever read a blog post, sales page, or email that makes you feel like the writer crawled inside your head and plucked out the very words you use to describe yourself, then put them in front of you for all the world (and you) to see?
If so, your thoughts probably ranged from, “Who’s been sending this person my texts, reading my journal, or talking about my nightmares” to “Yes! Finally, someone gets it!”
This is deliberate, and it’s something you should be doing in your own marketing.
When you, as a marketer and business owner show you understand your customer, you’re creating a bond with them.
There are two sides to this coin, one has to do with your customer and the other with your company
Along with my favorite question that all customers ask, “What’s In It For Me,” (a question that can be answered using features and benefits) there are a couple of other questions they consider when making any buying decision.
“Does this company fully understand the problem I’m having?”
And…
“Do I trust this company?”
These questions address the issues of trust and affinity, something every business needs to build with their customer base.
I’ll address each question in turn.
Understanding Your Customer’s Problems
You want your subscribers and customers to have that feeling I mentioned above. That someone reached into their heads and pulled out their exact thoughts, then wrote them down somewhere everyone could read them.
When you can do this, you create affinity between your subscribers and customers and your company.
The issue of affinity comes down to the target audience research you’ve done on your ideal customer, the problem they want to solve, and how your product solves that problem.
This research is essential. If your customer doesn’t believe you understand their problem to the nth degree, sympathize with their woes and are offering a solution that genuinely works for them, they won’t buy.
I’ve talked about researching your potential customer’s problems before but here’s a quick rundown:
- Read the comments on social media posts related to your product or service.
- Join online forums and social media groups related to your product or service and ask questions related to your product or service.
- Read threads in these groups, especially those related to problems people are having.
- Go deeper than, “I hate the fact that I have (insert problem here)” Find out why they hate this problem and how it affects them at a deeper level, physically, mentally, and emotionally.
- Talk to friends, family, and random strangers who have problems related to your product or service. Ask (politely) how this problem affects them and what it would take to solve it. (They may not know, but it’s worth asking.)
Take a lot of notes as you’re doing this. Write down everything from common themes to specific complaints and concerns. Yes, it all matters and it’s all useful.
Turning Your Research Into Your Empathetic Marketing Message
Once you have this information, find the major pain points (complaints) and follow those to the deeper emotional and mental pain points.
You can divide these into two categories, external thought and internal thoughts.
An external thought would be: “I can’t lose weight, no matter how hard I try.”
An internal thought (or three) would be: “I hate the way I look in the mirror. People stare at me with disgust because I’m so fat. I don’t feel like my partner wants me anymore because of the way I look.”
You will find these external and internal thoughts in the research you do. Some of it will be apparent. Some of it will be more subtle. If you really dig in, you’ll find the exact words your customers use to describe their internal thoughts. Those are the ones you’re looking for.
Why?
Because when you use those exact words, your message will resonate with the people who have those same thoughts and feelings.
Your marketing will show you truly understand your customer.
Then use these same words and emotions to demonstrate how your product or service will genuinely solve your customer’s problem.
Not only will this answer the “do they understand my problem” question and build affinity, it will also encourage them to like and trust you.
Which leads us to the second question your customer asks; Do I trust this company?
Proving Your Company is Worthy of Your Customer’s Trust
Proving that your company is trustworthy is part of showing that you understand your customers.
Here’s why:
I’m sure you’ve seen businesses in your community sponsor Little League teams, hold community events, sponsor highway clean-up events, or any number of other “civic-minded” opportunities that they can find.
These actions are all designed to build trust within the community and show that the company shares the values of their customers.
Lots of companies offer a money-back guarantee. This is also designed to build trust, letting customers know if they don’t feel the product fulfills their needs, they can get their money back. The idea is to make buying a no-brainer.
It also shows that you care about your customer’s experience. Being willing to give someone their money back demonstrates that you’re not some “fly by night” operation that takes people’s money and disappears. It shows that you stand behind your product or service and you’re willing to make sure your customers are satisfied with what they get.
When you show your values, you are expressing your brand activism, even if it’s not political activism. People want to buy from companies that express their same beliefs and values. It’s all part of showing that you understand your customer.
When people feel appreciated and understood, they’ll join your email list, convert from subscriber to customer, become a repeat customer, and refer their friends and family to you as well.
That’s the kind of customer you want to cultivate for your business.
Showing that you understand and care about your customer is the way you get that kind of customer.
A simple way to do this is to send emails every week, using your ideal customers’ words as part of your message to show you understand them. You can also send valuable content to earn their trust and respect. These are known as “nurture emails.”
As your subscribers see you truly do understand them and genuinely want to help them solve their problems, they’ll reward your hard work by becoming customers.
However, writing a nurture email every week may be a challenge, if you don’t know what to write about.
The Secret to Always Knowing What to Say In Your Nurture Emails
The main reason business owners give for not sending nurture emails to their subscribers regularly is “I never know what to say.”
I agree, this can be a problem. There’s nothing worse than staring at a blank page, knowing you have to put words on it but having no idea what those words should be.
I’m going to share a secret with you… Everyone has a nurture email “type.” That is a type of email they’re most likely to open, read, and buy from.
There are three common nurture email types that most people will open and read every time. You just need to know which type works best for your subscribers.
Click on the button below to discover your subscribers’ nurture email type when you take my free, 60-second quiz.