Lessons from Nicaragua

Are your prospects hunting for the perfect piece of pottery?

I recently had the opportunity to take a family trip to Nicaragua. During our travels, we visited a small village known for its pottery. Every family in the village has a studio attached to their home where the entire family works the pottery trade.
We had the privilege of visiting a private home to learn about making pottery. After watching their amazing talent, we visited their store. It was filled with pots of all different shapes, sizes and colors. Many had unusual shapes with small mouths at the top. Some were planter sized. Others had no visible function other than as art.
My challenge was that I wanted to buy a pot that had a purpose and didn’t just look pretty.
As my frustration grew, it reminded me of the mistake I see so many companies make. Have you ever been with a prospect and fanned out a stack of collateral showcasing every product or service you offer? Well, I was that prospect.
I decided that a pencil holder would be a perfectly useful item. I scoured the store and the hundreds, if not thousands, of handmade pots. Nothing looked right.
Your prospects are looking for a vendor because they have a specific need or pain point. They are searching for the perfect solution. Will you make them scour your store or will you identify their pain point and then guide them down the path of how your business can help?
I walked around the store using my broken Spanish and wild hand motions trying to describe what I wanted and why. There were so many pots that I was overwhelmed. All of the pots were beautiful, but they had very little function.
How often have you talked to a prospect using industry lingo and then rattled off a list of features your company has to offer? Are you overwhelming your prospects with a list of options and leaving it up to them to decipher what is a fit?
Finally, I reached into my fanny pack and dug out two pens. My son and I went from pot to pot searching for something that was the right size. The store owner saw what we were doing and started holding up pots for us to consider.
If you start by understanding your prospect’s needs, you can more effectively communicate how you can help. Through the use of case studies, testimonials or pilot programs, you can offer specific examples of how your company has solved a similar problem for others.
Eventually, we found a pot that could be used as a pencil holder. It wasn’t perfect — it still had an unusual shape — but it would work.
Do you think your customers’ feel that your product is good enough but maybe isn’t perfect? Have you asked them what they really want or need?

Does your company turn prospects loose in a store full of pottery? Or, do you work to understand their needs and magically display the one that is the perfect fit?

 
Kristy Amy is the managing director of Client Services & Strategy at SBN Interactive, a full-service marketing agency dedicated to producing measurable business results for its clients through comprehensive digital and content strategies.