I feel honored today to have my friend and great mind Ken Mueller writing a guest post for me. I love his way of connecting deeper social media ideas and ideals to everyday, relatable stories. It’s always a pleasure to read what he has to say and teach and even better when I get to read it on my own blog. Enjoy!
I recently noticed an interesting conversation in my Twitter stream. My friend Megan is planning her wedding, and she put a general question out to the twitterverse about how to word the invitation in order to deal with people who have dietary restrictions.
Now this may not seem all that interesting to you, but look at it this way: I was married waaaaay back in 1985. At that time, you invited people. They RSVP’d. They showed up to the wedding and reception. They ate what you gave them. End of story. You see, back in the day, this was less of a concern. There seemed to be fewer people with dietary restrictions, and there weren’t even many vegetarians, and especially not vegans. If someone had a special need or restriction, they came to the reception, and made the best of it; made do with what they were offered.
But now, in addition to those who choose not to eat meat or other animal products, we hear about those with nut allergies, lactose intolerance, or even those who require gluten free diets.
People need, want, and expect options. And just like that, the way we do business has changed.
There was a time, not that long ago when businesses dictated everything from the top down. Sure, they might do market research, but in the end they would offer you a product, and you would either buy it or take a pass. In fact, you might even buy it, even if it didn’t fully meet your needs or expectations.
But things are different now. Customers have spoken. They have made requests, complaints, and more. No longer can we just offer “one size fits all” options. Customization is key to gaining new customers and maintaining your existing client base.
No one wants to feel as if they are being given the same generic treatment as everyone else. Make them feel special. Tailor what you have to offer based on their specific and unique needs and desires. Social Media is an important aspect of this as it gives you a chance to converse with your customers on an individual level. They now have an easier way to voice their preferences, expecting that you will not only hear, but will listen.
And if you’re not sure, just ask! Use the social channels available to you to find out what it is that they want. Believe me, they love to be heard.
We are already seeing the signs of this all around us, and it’s driven from the customer up. They have spoken and we need to listen. As 2012 unfolds, customization and personal connections will become increasingly important.
Do you approach all of your customers in template fashion? Or are you willing to customize your products and services to meet them where they are?
Ken Mueller is the owner of Inkling Media, a social media and marketing consultancy in Lancaster, PA. He works on his porch, loves baseball and bacon, and is rather distressed that Lady Gaga might actually be moving into his area.
Tags: 2012 social media business trends, are you customizing for your customers, conversation, customer customization, social media customization, wedding planning
You're right, Ken, and this is a great rationale (excuse) for why I don't currently post my rates. I think people feel they're being put into a box, when the services I offer are highly customized.
ShakirahDawud I'm the same way. Some people feel you ought to post your rates. I won't. I also don't post a list of my clients because what I do for each client is different, and not fully visible, so I don't want people judging me based on how well my client implements a strategy that I developed for them.
I just wrote on this topic last week from the oppposite point of view. Here is the article http://thecontentcocktail.com/2011/12/27/do-you-fit-the-mold-build-a-new-one-or-adapt-constantly/
My point made was that you cannot adapt your product for every customer just to win them over. You need to decide who you are and what you offer and stick to it. If the customer is not a good fit, then send them off to someone who is. You cannot maintain a business is you dont have some sort of 'template' to work with. And the further you stray from it for each individual need and want, you are going to get yourself in trouble.
joey_strawnC_Pappaskmueller62 Well, I think it depends on the product, as well as whether you are really looking to win them over, per se, and how badly you want to do that. And it's not so much the product, necessarily, but i think we need to treat each customer as if they are special, and be willing to listen and perhaps create a "unique experience" for each of them, if that is what you need to do. Certainly, I'm not talking about total customization, but we need to be aware of their differences and desires and needs.
I offer very specific services. But there are some things I just won't do. I'm not a web designer. I'm not a graphic designer. i'm not a photographer. But within what I DO offer, I want every client to have a personalized experience.
I think we would agree on a lot of points and mostly differ on semantics.
KenMuellerjoey_strawn I agree that the 'pitch' should be tailored. Products do solve multiple problems in most instances so it makes sense to customize the conversation to make it look like the product is just for them. But I have seen companies that literally change their product and their vision just to get a marquee customer on the books <- this is very bad!!
People have a hard time saying no to certain people and brands. So I applaud that you dont pretend to be something you are not. Some will just say 'yes' to get the customer and then damage ensues for both sides.
C_Pappasjoey_strawn I think perhaps we should differentiate between physical products, and services that we provide. And even retailers provide services. The concept of customer experience is where a lot of the customization needs to take place.
See! I knew we mostly agreed on this.
Right there with you, sir. We might not be the unique snowflakes we used to think we were, but we're still relatively unique and expect to be treated as individual people, not numbers.
I think that it is also important for businesses to make sure that the customer is a right fit for them. Social media allows us to make sure that the fit is right on both sides. And yes, sometimes I think that my business is full of nuts! Great post Ken.
BestRoofer Well said, Joe! It works both ways.
Conversation from Twitter
kmueller62 joey_strawn WITH of course
kmueller62 great post today, man. Thanks!
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