What Every Small Business Owner Needs to Know About Understanding Their Customers
My daughter is 4 years old and loves Rita’s “Water” Ice1. In the beginning of the school year, we’d celebrate making it to Friday by going there and getting a treat. Of the times we went, there were two that really stand out.
See, usually I come with my son Lou (15 months) in my arms, holding Teresa’s hand, up to the register. I order 3 “water” ices: a kid’s for Lou, a small for T, and a medium, sugar-free, for me.
The first time that sticks out in my mind, the younger woman (I’d guess college) hands me all 3, no tray, no lids, 2 kids in tow. I ask her for a cup holder. She gets it. I ask her for lids. She gets me 2 that don’t fit on the 3 “water” ices. So I struggle holding everything, trying not spill it as I make my way back to my car. I left pretty annoyed because I thought it was clear that carrying literally anything else would be a struggle.
The second time it’s the same situation, except the woman who took my order is around my age or older. She hands me all three in a cup holder, with lids securely fastened to the cups. Getting to the car was MUCH easier this time. I left much happier, because the woman took the time to make sure I wouldn’t struggle.
Understanding Your Customers
If I had to guess, I’d say the second woman was a parent. She’s likely taken her kids to get Rita’s, or ice cream, or anything else, with full hands and little margin for error. She understood what I was experiencing and solved my potential problems.
The first did not, and just handed me the “water” ice as she’d want it: ready to eat, likely with her friends2 at the table dangerously close to both parking spots, and the road.
It made me think about how many people, including myself, might run their business or launch new products and services — without really understanding their customers.
“By Me, For Me” Products Don’t Work
I know this much for sure: certain popular business owners made “dog-fooding” their products so popular that many (again, including myself) internalize this fact: “If I build something for myself, surely other people will want it too.”
But that’s usually not the case, except for when you’re literally the first to market.
Making a product for you, where you write the copy for you, where you’re talking to people just like you, gives you one customer: you.
How to Learn About Your Customers
There are folks a lot more qualified than me who can tell you how to learn about customers through user interviews, surveys, etc. But I know one way to understand what your potential customers want: create content.
If you create good content, you will attract an audience. And when you do that, the audience will ask questions through comments and email. They’ll join your mailing list. Then you can ask them more direct questions.
You can ask them what they are struggling with and what a win for them looks like. Then you can use that language in your copy. You can use the actual words your audience uses to sell your product or service.
WIIFM: What’s In It For Me
I saw my friend Ben use the acronym WIIFM in a tweet recently and had to look it up. It means, “what’s in it for me.” This is what people want to know when they read your marketing copy, press releases, and product/service/partnership announcements. Why should they fork over their hard earned cash to you? What will you do for them?
It’s easy to talk about how you made it, and why you made it, and everything that’s “planned,” and why you want them to give you money. But most people won’t care about any of that. They’ll want to know WIIFM.
So instead of selling features or promises, sell solutions. Sell outcomes. Tell them their struggles today won’t be struggles once they hire you or buy your product.
Then deliver on the promise.
And the only way you can know how to deliver, how to know what’s in it for them, is by understanding your customers. If their hands are full, give them cup holders and secure lids.
They’ll happily give you their money.