What Makes Your Customers Tick? The Telling Information Behind Consumer Choices
Ever wonder why your customers think the way they do? Or why they choose to do business with you, instead of with your competitors?
The consumer mind is a mysterious thing. To effectively target insurance shoppers, you need to get inside shoppers' heads and find the answers to these and similar questions.
By researching and understanding how consumers think, you can more effectively aim your advertising efforts toward your target market—and work at meeting their needs.
Gathering Information
Truly getting to know your customers requires learning everything possible about them.
Following are some basic guidelines to help you gather information and identify your target market:
1. Become familiar with their frame of reference. Understanding consumer choices means seeing things from their point of view. For example, where do they live? What is their yearly income? How long do they typically shop before making a final decision? The answers to these kinds of questions can help you determine what they do—and why.
2. Learn what motivates them. Are your customers motivated by superior service over price? Or is price the most important thing? Are they willing to pay more in the long term for lower monthly rates, or would they rather pay yearly and keep costs down? Getting to know these kinds of motivations helps you give them what they want.
3. Find out what they're looking for. Are your customers looking for lots of options, or are they more comfortable with a few? Too many options can be overwhelming to some while, to others, too few makes them feel constrained. Understanding your customers' expectations helps you meet their needs the first time around—without the worry of losing their business elsewhere.
4. Don't be obtrusive. Remember, gathering information must always be done ethically. Make it clear to your customers from the very beginning what you need to know, how you'll gather the information, and how you plan to use it. Make sure they understand that any information they give you is privileged—and then work to keep it that way.
Meeting Customers' Needs
Once you understand who your customers are and where they're coming from, meeting their needs can best be done by working to establish relationships and improve lives.
Improve your customers' lives by examining their needs and offering them the products that fit them best—both now and with an eye toward their future.
Then, move beyond just selling, opting instead to establish loyal and trusting relationships.
Above all, listen, watch and learn. Combined with the information you've already gathered, paying attention and really listening can help you draw a more complete picture of consumer wants, needs and values.
What better way to find out what makes them tick?
Hitting the Mark
Getting to know how your customers think helps you target them effectively and meet their needs. By following the guidelines above, you'll get the information you need and hit the mark head on…every time!
This information was provided by InsureMe, the leader in online insurance leads for the insurance industry. Since 1993, InsureMe has helped thousands of insurance agents succeed in the insurance business by providing top-quality leads that are both detailed and affordable. For more information on InsureMe leads, please visit our agent Web site at www.agent.insureme.com.
