When we have expertise in a certain area it is often difficult to understand that not everyone sees the world the way we do. In fact, we often don’t feel all that special and assume that everyone knows and understands what we do. The truth is that, when we explain what we do, most people don’t have a clue what we are talking about. That’s why seeing the world through the eyes of your customer is so powerful.
It’s not enough to just simplify your language. While people might understand the words you are using to explain what you do, it doesn’t mean that they see how it relates to their lives and their problems. What you need to do is get good at seeing their world in terms of the problem you solve.
This means looking at the results that your customers get from your product or service. I don’t just mean the immediate result they achieve through the application of what you do. I’m talking about the transformation in their lives because they no longer struggle with the problem that your product or service helped them to solve.
People make decisions emotionally, whether it is a purchase or seeking a solution to a problem in their life. When you put yourself in their shoes and look at the world through their eyes, you can start to get closer to the emotional reason they have for needing to solve their problem. This is exactly what we want.
In order to see their problem from their perspective, ask yourself the following questions:
What did their problem prevent them from doing?
What did they have to do to compensate for the problem?
What has changed in their life because of this problem?
What emotions is this problem bringing up in them?
How do they feel about themselves when they are struggling with this problem?
Who else in their lives is affected by this problem?
What is the monetary cost of this problem?
What is the emotional cost of this problem?
How would their life be if this problem was never solved?
Can you describe what they look like physically, mentally, and emotionally as they struggle with this problem?
Our client, Jenny Buckley RN, was a palliative care nurse for over 20 years. Throughout her career, she would help families take the necessary steps with their loved ones who were elderly or suffering from critical illness so that they were comfortable and cared for to the best of their ability. She knew how challenging a situation this was for not just the patient but the family as well.
She recently started her own business and needed help getting clients and figuring out what to sell them. We helped her to package and price what she does to make it appealing to the right clients. At first, she was not having much luck as the nurse that helps people die in comfort. No surprise that people were reluctant to talk to her! By asking her the questions above we were able to see that while she is providing service to the patient, her actual client is the family that is struggling with fear and guilt. Their lives are consumed with reacting to unknown challenges as their loved one progresses through the illness.
Instead of talking to the family only about the patient, she chats with them about their lives and how they have been turned upside down. Her conversation has become more emotional and less medical. She talks to them about getting the peace of mind, knowing that their loved one has the best care possible and that they are ready to handle or head off any health challenges that arise. With the burden of fear and guilt lifted, they regain energy for their family, work, and social life. She now has clients saying yes to her retainer fee of $2000.00 a month.
Take some time to look at the problem you solve for your clients. Answer the questions above. Interview some of your clients with these questions if you need to. They may be buying your product or service, but for different reasons than you thought. There is real power in positioning your product or service as the means to what they really want.
After seeing the world through your customer’s eyes, you will be able to speak their language and relate to them on an emotional level. You won’t even have to try to close sales because they’ll be jumping at the opportunity to get your help.
Do you have questions or comments about this? I love digging down into the emotional reason why people do what they do. Please email me at paul@drpaulnewton.com.