In a recent episode of the Driven by DCKAP podcast, Jim Hansen, Chief Product Officer at Advantive, offered a key piece of advice: “Don’t fall in love with your product.” This isn’t just about how you build something; it’s also about how you communicate its value to your customers.
As a consultant, I’ve seen both companies fall into the same trap. Companies can get so immersed in their own culture and assumptions that they believe customers will automatically understand, appreciate, and love their product or services just as much as they do. Unfortunately, this mindset can lead to a disconnect in both development and how the product is marketed.
The Silo Problem
A company’s team can become siloed, designing solutions based on internal assumptions rather than actual customer needs. I’ve also seen this in marketing, where the product may resonate with customers, but the marketing focuses on the internal perspective of benefits and love for the product. This can alienate the buyer because they don’t have an emotional connection to this product or service. They’re not in your bubble.
What Does the Customer Need?
When you’re developing a product, the focus should be on solving real problems your customers face. But this principle also applies to marketing. You can’t just tell your audience how great your product is—you need to show them how it solves their problems and fits into their lives.
Make It Easy to Buy
Talk to customers and ask them about their frustrations. Then tell the buyer your story so they can easily answer these questions: What problems will this product solve for me? How will save me money or hassle?
Avoid telling them that you’re the leading provider or making claims you can’t back up. Rather show them how your product or service helps them. Don’t make assumptions that the buyers knows your product or understands the value.
Seeing Beyond Your Own Perspective
The challenge here is that we all think we’re focused on the customer. But the reality is that our perspective is ours and being objective is hard. Just taking an extra step and asking ourselves a few hard questions or getting feedback can go a long way.
Watch the episode on the Driven by DCKAP podcast:
