THINKing

What Customers Want

February 17, 2008 on 11:24 am | In Research, Consumer Behavior, Marketing |

Here’s the truth: Your customers don’t know what they want. And to assume otherwise is folly. When you begin relying totally on customers to be your product development department, you are asking for serious trouble.

I am not saying that you should discount customer input. However, asking customers what they want is a marketing question and requires experienced marketers to answer.

Marketers have the objectivity to look at the marketplace, see through the consumer’s self-deception and discern the answer to a tough question that requires some serious analysis.

It is behavior that you need to be learning about from your consumers. Ask them questions that will get to the heart of how they use your products and services. This is where their experience is crucial.

Let’s take an example to illustrate the difference between a “what do you want” and “what do you do” question. Krispy Kreme, the world’s best donut-maker, did some customer research in the 1980s to learn more about the customer experience.

They didn’t ask, “what do you want in a donut?” They asked questions like, “what do you like about Krispy Kreme?” and “when do you buy donuts?”

Answers to those questions helped them redesign the Krispy Kreme experience. They learned that people were happiest when the donuts were hot. Additionally, they heard loud and clear that consumers had no idea when the hot donuts were coming down the conveyor belt. Voila! The “Hot Now” sign was born.

Consumers said they often were in a hurry, heading to a morning meeting when they stopped for donuts. Customers did not like having to stand in line to wait for the sweet treats. From this, marketers decided to install drive-in windows.

If they had asked customers “what do you want in a donut,” they may have produced some low carb abomination that would have crashed to the floor like a heavy Dunkin Donut. Friend, when you want a donut, the last thing you are thinking about is carbs.

So, ask the right questions of your consumer, then let the right people review the research and everyone benefits.

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Here’s the truth: Your customers don’t know what they want. And to assume otherwise is folly. When you begin relying totally on customers to be your product development department, you are asking for serious trouble….

Trackback by Anonymous — February 17, 2008 #
This post brings up an interesting point. Traditionally, the focus of marketing was to sell the product to the consumer, whether they wanted it or not. Unfortunately, the result of this tactic was often to present misleading information and deceive the consumers in order to get sales. I think this is where a lot of the mistrust in advertising by the general public stems from. Consumers don’t want to think of themselves as consumers. More importantly, they don’t want to feel like they are being tricked into buying something. They want to think that the companies they buy their products from actually care about them and want to help them solve all their problems.

Today, marketers have shifted their focus from trying to sell their products to an unassuming audience to finding out what their consumers wants and needs are and trying to satisfy those needs. This approach seems not only more humanitarian, but also more profitable. The solution is incredibly intuitive, ask the consumers what they want, then give it to them. But, as we all know, it isn’t that simple. As this post clearly argues, consumers don’t know what they want. In addition, there are too many other factors to consider when developing, redesigning, and marketing a product. Not only do consumers not know what they want and what they and others would actually buy, but they don’t know what is feasible given current technology and monetary constraints. They don’t have information on competitor’s strategies, and they don’t know what is best for your company. Moreover, it is crucial for any business to constantly innovate and think of new ways to serve their customers. Simply giving consumers what they ask for in a focus group or survey is certainly not enough to stay ahead of the game.

I think the point raised in this post concerning studying your consumers’ behaviors versus studying their preferences is entirely valid given my argument. The best way for marketers to learn about what their consumers want is by finding out exactly how they go about their days, what needs to they have that aren’t being met, how they make decisions, and what’s most important to them. Only by understanding how our consumers function can we begin to truly meet their needs.

Comment by KLK — February 20, 2008 #
They did not do the research they needed to when they tried to sell in Canada. They did not last long here. I liked their donuts but not their prices. Tim Hortons and Country Style kicked their butt right out of here. Now they sell in our grocery stores, cold. You had some good advice though.

Comment by Lori-Lee Craig — February 21, 2008 #
KLK, excellent points. But smart marketers always have tried to figure out what their customers want and provide it to them, rather than forcing something down their throats. It just seems that more marketers are becoming smart!

Lori-Lee, you are so right about Krispy Kreme’s Canadian foray. That was during the reign of the bean counters when they were expanding too quickly for cash’ sake.

Comment by Harry Hoover — February 22, 2008 #
[…] e il cliente non sa cosa vuole (da: […]

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