Failure to connect with customers is fatal. When was the last time you bought something you were on the fence about from a pushy salesperson? Probably never. Do you ever feel like you're saying no more to the sales process than the product or service?
"Stop trying to persuade your customers; it doesn't work," said Leslie Zane. The reason, she says, is that human beings are inherently "stubborn, set in their ways and skeptical of sales techniques." Zane is the founder of Triggers, a brand consulting firm rooted in behavioral science
To achieve breakout sales and marketing success, take an easier route: Connect with customers instinctively by creating messages that have positive associations for them. This will double or triple your current growth rates, according to Zane.
"It's the path of least resistance to a sale," she said. "And that means you're driving growth faster, more easily and with less spending."
Stand For Multiple Things To Connect With Customers
The old thinking was that a brand should stand for only one thing, Zane says.
Zane cites a case study of carmaker Volvo. Volvo marketed for decades that the brand equals safety, and felt that was enough. But Zane says that kind of one-track thinking is a dead end.
Volvo eventually shifted its brand to also stand for advanced technology, styling and useful vehicles for all types of occasions.
"Volvo recognized that to grow, they needed more than just an emphasis on safety," she wrote in her book, "The Power of Instinct: The New Rules of Persuasion in Business and Life." "Keeping that message core to their positioning was still necessary to holding on to their original brand identity, but by adding new layers, they increased their relevance in prospective car buyers' minds."
In fact, Zane said, "the more connections and associations your brand has, the better."
Learn From New Customers
The traditional approach to sales and marketing suggests you spend the majority of your time selling more to existing customers, Zane says. After all, that's the easier path, or so the thinking goes.
"Unfortunately, this is a recipe for shrinking your business," she said. "There is churn in every business. So, if you're not actively recruiting new customers into your business, you most likely have a leaky-bucket problem."
Plus, your existing customers are not likely to ever tell you what's wrong with your brand, Zane has found. Only prospective customers can do that.
By understanding the barriers keeping you from new customers, you learn what you need to do to overcome them. "Only prospective customers can help you evolve," she said. "Because when it comes to building your business, if you're not growing and evolving, you're dying."
Don't Just Know Your Customer, Understand Them
Jill Thomas, chief marketing and customer experience officer for the PGA Tour Superstore, believes her company exists "to help people play their best golf and feel good about themselves."
"If you have that mindset and every decision you make is around that, the other things will follow," she said. "We don't 'sell' them stuff."
The retail industry constantly evolves, she adds. "Consumers demand more from in-store experiences and a frictionless e-commerce journey. It's all about the right person, with the right message, at the right moment."
Stay Vigilant With The Rate Of Change
How Gen Z consumes information, for example, is vastly different from the experience of previous generations. Gen Zers grew up with technology at their fingertips — they are used to getting information when they want it, wherever they want it.
"In golf, if they're testing a club out in the simulators, they expect to see how far the ball has traveled and how fast their swing is instantaneously," Thomas said. "If they have a fun or unique experience on the course, they want to post it to social at a moment's notice."
Crystal Braswell, head of marketing and communications for Quizlet, a global learning platform, says to stop thinking of social media as a tool for simply maintaining your community. Instead, start thinking of social media as a way to build community and expand your customer base.
Thomas has also found that with Gen Z and golf, "gone are the days of plain and traditional golf apparel. Hoodies, joggers, bright colors and prints are commonplace on and off the course."
"It's no secret that Gen Z gravitates towards brands that are culturally relevant in an authentic way," Braswell said.
