Thursday, August 16, 2012

The great, the good and the not so great

Final decisions in the buying process can often be influenced by the opinions of others. Aiming to achieve positive influences, or turn less enthusiastic endorsement into support, is an essential part of the marketing brief.

There are many people willing to offer opinions on the value and merits of your products but for simplicity consider two main groups that need to be addressed:-
          1. The experts and 
          2. The users
Expert opinions in general are the views expressed by people recognised as having authority within their field and whose independence and judgement is respected and trusted. They can be the 'great and the good' of the industry, reviewers of a trusted magazine or web site, or professional consultants. Industry or market sectors often have a 'guru' whose advice is sort and respected and a favourable or unfavourable opinion of a new product can be decisive to potential buyers looking for guidance. All these influencers should be identified and subject of a communications programme of information and disclosure directed towards getting them to be advocates for your products.

Keeping in touch with users of your products is as important as bringing them through the earlier stages of the buying process to become customers in the first place. Continuing  a dialogue not only helps confirm that they made a wise purchase decision, but contented customers can be turned into repeat customers and through personal testimonials, advocates on your behalf. Where products are sold directly identifying this group should be easy, but where goods are sold through intermediaries other methods will be needed to motivate product users to participate in your communications programmes.

Finally a word about the 'not so great' - the disaffected customer who uses online means to have a moan and dissuade others from buying your products. Monitoring the usual places, engaging and providing solutions can be time consuming in dealing with rogue dissidents, but failure to do so promptly can tarnish your product's and company's hard won reputation.



 

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