How wonderful would it be to know what your customers want. It would save time and money by not wasting time building unwanted products or services. And, who does not want to know more about creating demand for their product?
We may think we know what our potential customers want. But do we really? Customers are fickle. They constantly change their minds and will often surprise you. But there are ways to make sure that you can see the future before your customers do and be ready when they finally decide that your products and/or services are exactly what they need. If you do not have time for the full story, below is a quick look at the top 10 ways of knowing what your customers want.
Notice what your customers are saying about you
You probably already know this, but all the information you need to know what your customers want is right there. The only thing that you got to do is listen.
Your customers are the ones who know what they want and when they want it. They are also the ones who can tell you precisely what they like and dislike about your business, which products, or services they buy from you, and why they do not buy anything else.
As a business owner, it is up to you to go out there and listen to them. This can be done through social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter or by simply talking to them face-to-face at events or trade shows where your business is represented.
Ask for feedback in person
It is easy to get caught up in the day-to-day operations of running a business and forget that you need to keep your finger on the pulse of what is going on with your customers. Organizations can do this is by setting up regular times when they sit down with customers and ask them directly how they are doing and what they think about the company’s offerings.
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Get feedback from your sales team
What are their most frequent questions about the product? When they call up customers who are not using it yet, what do they say? What problems do they hear when talking to those customers? Is there anything else helpful for salespeople in their conversations with prospects about the product? Do any of them have ideas for improvements or new features? Asking salespeople these questions will give you a great perspective on what buyers need or want from your product because they deal with it daily!
Be realistic about what you can offer.
Customers want great products and services at a reasonable price, but not all businesses can offer those things right now. If you are not ready to invest in new equipment or software, do not promise it just because it will make customers happy in the short term. Instead, focus on other ways you can help them achieve their goals without breaking the bank.
Carefully observe how your customers use your products and services.
If you want to know what your customers want, pay attention to how they use your products and services. For example, if you sell coffee makers, look at how often people use them. If it is more than once a day, maybe you should consider offering an automatic timer so people can set it and forget about it until the coffee is ready.
Make a connection with other businesses.
If you are selling software or hardware, talk to other people selling similar products or services. They might have an idea that would work well with yours. Maybe they’ve tried something that did not work out as planned, but if you combine it with another idea of theirs, you might have something great on your hands!
Act on feedback
Feedback is a fantastic way to discover what your customers want and how they feel about certain products or services. You should always be listening, especially regarding your customer base. If someone has a problem with something, they will most likely tell you about it through communication like emails or social media posts.
Social media is an excellent way to get feedback from your customers and potential customers. You can post questions on Facebook, Twitter, or even LinkedIn, asking people what they think about particular products or services you offer or even allowing them to request new products or services they would like you to create for them! This interaction helps build trust between businesses and their customers, ultimately leading to more sales over time!
Use technology to ask your customers what they want.
Several platforms can help you ask your customers directly. These tools make it easy for you to create surveys and collect responses quickly. You can also set up an online forum where customers can post questions or comments about your products or services.
Do some soul searching on your own time and see if you have a new idea that might solve a problem for your customers.
It may seem like a waste of time at first, but spending some time brainstorming with other people in your organization can be helpful when it comes to generating ideas for new products and services that will attract your target audience. Consider what you would want from a product or service and consider how those needs might differ from what others have in mind. Once you have come up with some ideas, talk about them with others who work at the company so they can weigh in on what they think could work well for customers.
Takeaway
The long and short of this them is that there are certain skills that you can develop to help you better know what your customers want, even before they do. And the significant part about these skills is that they are not hard to learn; all it takes is a little practice. As a result, you will not only be happier with your job but also find yourself working more efficiently. And what is not to like about that? If you are ready, let us get started.
Rakhin has over 10 years of experience driving business development and client services. In his prior roles, he stayed close to customers to understand their requirements and help them achieve their business goals. He is passionate about customer success.
Published May 27, 2022, Updated May 27, 2022
