The problem is not ‘communicating’.
The problem is to create valuable communication.
If the customer does not feel involved, he shrugs and disappears.
And if you talk to them at the wrong time, with a useless message, you become as annoying as a flyer left under the windscreen wiper of your car smearing your windscreen…
In a world full of all the same offers, the customer doesn’t just choose the product.
He chooses how he is treated. It chooses whether to trust. It chooses whether to stay.
And before you say ‘eh but I am not a giant like Amazon, I can’t do these things’, stop for a moment, read the article and you will realise that I am not talking about strategies that only apply to multinationals with the GDP of a state.
The product is no longer enough
Do you have the best product on the market? Good.
But it is not what will make the customer stay.
Today, it is the service that makes the difference.
The availability. The tone of voice. The patience. The ability to solve a problem without going through a bot that makes you want to throw everything out the window.
And it’s not a feeling: it’s all measured.
- 60% of customers choose a brand based on the quality of the experience, not the product (McKinsey)
- 57% of users abandon a site after unsatisfactory customer support (Instapage)
- 78% say they are frustrated after interacting with unhelpful automated responders or chatbots (The Guardian)
Personalisation does not mean writing ‘Hi Mario’ in the subject line
This was old already 10 years ago.Today the customer wants to be understood.
He wants what you tell him to make sense to him, at that moment.
The customer is willing to listen to what you have to say. But only if you say it at the right time and if what you propose can solve a problem, satisfy a need or fulfil a wish.
And if not, then you are noise. You are spam.
You are just another notification to be closed.
So what? How do you do it?
1. Start with a simple question: do you really know him?
Not in a theoretical sense. Not with the cool ‘personas’ in marketing books. I’m talking about really listening.
- What are you looking for?
- What does he want?
- What is blocking him?
- When does he disappear?
- When do you convince yourself to buy?
You only need three things to get started: read reviews, talk to support, and do simple surveys.
And maybe one source of data you already have, but don’t use: databases. We have already talked about this in this article.
You can’t do customisation if you don’t know who you are talking to.
You need a CRM done right, full stop.
It does not have to be the most expensive on the market, but it must contain the right information:
- What he bought
- How often he buys
- How much he spends
- When was your last purchase
- Why he contacts you
- If you had problems
- If he needs support
- What he is really interested in (maybe collected by a survey, or even just by asking him)
2. Segment. But do it well.
Not a thousand labels. You only need four groups:
- New customers
- Recurring customers
- Silent customers
- Customers at risk of abandonment
Of course much more in-depth analysis can be done (and we have discussed this here), but this is already a good starting point.
Everyone has different needs.
Treat them differently.
3. Create paths, not ‘campaigns
Campaigns end. Paths accompany.
- First purchase? Welcome mail, maybe with useful advice.
- After 60 days of silence? Targeted offer, without shouting.
- After 3 purchases? Sincere thanks. A little extra. A surprise.
You are not selling. You are cultivating. You are investing.
4. Technology? Yes, but only what you need
You don’t need a spaceship.
All you need is:
- A CRM that is not chaos
- An automation tool
- And someone who knows how to connect the dots
5. What if I don’t do it?
If you don’t it’s a problem… and I’m not saying that.
- 76% of consumers get annoyed when they receive non-personalised communications (McKinsey)
- The 71%-81% expect relevant and personalised interactions (Forbes)
- 90% of customers satisfied with the experience are willing to repurchase (Custify)
- Only 18% of dissatisfied customers do so (same source as before)
Customers don’t just want to buy. They want to be understood. And they want to know that if they have a problem, there is someone on the other side. They want helpful advice when they need advice, they want stimulation when they need gratification and they want support when they have a problem. And all this comes from knowing the customer and being able to provide timely communication.
