(Image above | Courtesy of MKT Agency)
When I started my marketing agency, my social life became secondary in importance to my work life. I shunned friends’ invitations in order extend my working hours. At some point I morphed into a dyed-in-the-wool curmudgeon. But even a curmudgeon has a deep need for social connection.
Sometimes when the need strikes, I emerge from my office and launch into a dissertation. My colleagues all turn around and gaze at me with blank stares — or what I prefer to call rapt attention.
The feeling of being listened to is quite intoxicating, even though the shred of self-awareness I have managed to retain informs me they are probably just thinking, “OMG — when is she going to shut up so I can get back to work?” I have become the very thing I used to marvel at and mildly pity — the weird boring boss that won’t shut up.
When was the last time you really, truly felt listened to? Truly listening requires energy. It’s much easier to talk. But communication is a reciprocal matter. You don’t just get to talk; if you really want to communicate, you also need to listen.
Advertising is like talking — talking in a crowded room at the same time everyone else is trying to talk. Our culture bombards us with all kinds of advertisements all the time — on our phones, our televisions, our computers, and our radios. If you want your message to cut through the clutter and truly be heard, the best way to ensure that happens is to listen first, then talk.
How do you listen to your target market? One way is to conduct a simple focus group. Even though we work for small, local companies, we will often conduct a focus group before designing an ad campaign. It helps us make sure that we’re talking about the product or service in the way target customers want to be talked to, maximizing the chance of being truly heard.
If you haven’t the time or funds to conduct a focus group, look for secondary research about your target market. Retailers can get all sorts of data on consumer preferences and buying habits from the manufacturers whose brands they stock. Trade groups and industry associations are a also a wealth of secondary data.
Another way to listen to your customers is to send out customer satisfaction surveys after a transaction. It’s a great way to find out straight from the horse’s mouth what customers like about you so you can emphasize those attributes to potential customers. (It’s also a great way to learn about areas that could use some improvement.)
Being the boss and being successful can put you at risk of becoming out of touch. Guard your success and maximize the value of marketing dollars, by putting in the time and effort it takes to truly listen to your customers.
MKT Agency, Lucy Merino, 541-323-3870 (Main), 541-323-8472 (Direct), 231 SW Scalehouse Lp., #205, Bend OR 97702, www.mktagency.com
