Henry Ford is quoted as once saying that if he had always listened to what his customers wanted, they would be working on faster horses instead. Although the veracity of the quote itself is debatable, it is true that customers are not always sure what they need. Steve Jobs is another famous entrepreneur who preferred sheltered development over customer focus groups for product innovation.
There is no right answer here. What choice one makes depends on their risk appetite and how much they are willing to bet on an idea that does not have a market yet. However, the lessons from Henry Ford and Steve Jobs may be applied to other areas of customer engagement – mainly sales and support.
Play the role of a consultant
Customers do not always know everything about the product they are looking for. This is evident during the purchase of a smartphone or computer. Customers have a general idea about the phone they are interested in – perhaps they know they want a large Android phone with at least a 12 MP camera. But beyond this, a major chunk of customers do not really have a preference for components like the processor or RAM; except that the phone needs to be fast.
In such a scenario, customers seek ‘consultants’ over salespeople. An effective consultant understands the needs of a customer and matches this with possible product offerings they shall be happy to own. This way, you help the customer with their product queries and at the same time help sell your products to them.
Offer a helpline
If you are an online business, the challenge with an unsure customer is made worse by the fact that visitors spend just a handful of seconds before they decide to continue their search or exit your website. In such a scenario, it is a good idea to actively promote a helpline on your website. Take the example of a company that sells products like flagpoles. Most businesses and organizations that want to buy flagpoles do so only once every few years and so do not have a definite idea about the dimensions and materials that work best for their needs. A toll-free helpline that answers questions that such customers may have is a great way to understand their needs better and thus offer a product that works best.
Encourage easy returns and exchanges
One of the biggest impediments to purchasing a product that the customer is not sure about is their concern over buying the wrong item. Businesses can minimize the impact from this dilemma by drafting an easy returns and exchange policy. This comes at a cost – according to one study, at least 30 percent of products ordered online are returned when compared to only 8.89% in brick and mortar stores. However, what is not mentioned here is that customers are more likely to purchase a product when they see an easy returns or exchange policy. So while there is definitely an added cost to having an easy returns policy, the extra revenues can more than make up for it.
Converting a customer can be a challenge and this is all the more harder when you are dealing with an unsure customer. But by understanding their needs and engaging with their concerns, it is possible to ease their anxieties and convert them into paying customers.
