Buying A Bag Of Potato Chips
I was in the grocery store today and I suddenly had the urge to buy some potato chips, so I walked to the snack aisle. When I got there, I was overwhelmed by the choices: Old Dutch, Lays, Pringles, Miss Vickies, Kettle Chips, and about ten others. As I looked over them, I found myself looking for three main things: flavor, price, and brand name.
When people look for any product or service, they usually have about three main things that they look for. If you’re a hairdresser then your customers will be looking for style, price, and friendliness; if you’re a lawyer they will look for experience, personality, and cost; and if you’re a photographer they will look at quality (of examples), customer satisfaction (word of mouth), and cost. It’s the same everywhere you go. It might not always be three things, sometimes it might be 4-5 while others it might be 10. Nonetheless, people make all of their decisions based on a few major principles.
It is your job, as a provider, to find out what your customers are looking for and then meet those needs. Back to the chip example…I was hungry for a bag of potato chips and every brand had a chance to take my money. However, I chose Miss Vickies in the end because of the flavor (salt and vinegar), brand recognition, and price (they were on sale).
How can you meet your potential clients’ needs in the same way? First off, you need to build up recognition. This only comes through exposing yourself to people in some way or another. You can either network, write, or make phone calls. It is never a slow process, but it is one that pays off in the end. I wouldn’t have bought a bag of Miss Vickies today if I never knew what they had to offer. You need to make people aware of your services and let them know what sets you apart from the competition, without “selling” them – show them your flavor!
If they like your brand and appreciate your flavor, then they will likely be willing to pay a little extra on the price. The Miss Vickies that I bought today were still more expensive than about half of the chips available. However, I was still sold. They probably didn’t even have to be on sale and I would have still bought them.
It’s your job to make people think the same way about you.
