The Truth About What Customers Want

Fifty “Truths” About Your Customers

Consumers use different methods to decide what experiences, goods and services they need to buy. This ongoing process extends far beyond simple purchase decisions. Good marketers consider their customers’ viewpoints well before buyers arrive at the point of sale, and they work to build bonds with consumers before and after a product changes hands. The best marketers are sensitive to their audience at every stage, knowing that the real test of a marketing strategy is how consumers react to it. For marketing to work well, you must know what your customers want. Here are 50 verities that will help you discover and use that information:

1. “Your customers want a relationship” – Apple beat Sony in the portable-music business because it recognized that hardware enhancements alone do not build relationships. Apple added specialized content and features to its innovative iPod to create a “brand personality” that gives meaning to a buyer’s link with the company.
2. “Design it and they will come” – Good design has mass-market appeal that can even trump quality...