Selling your products
Why do people buy products and why aren’t they convinced by the latest products they have? Why do we constantly spend more even when we have all the things we may ever need as a necessity? Clothes, shelter, personal transport, entertainment. Most of us in the developed world have these things. So why do we crave the next thing?
We always want the latest gadget, the newest fashion etc. But no matter what the product, it’s just that, the latest and newest. That’s what people want – to be new, to be constantly changing, and constantly evolving in to a better person. People urn to be at the forefront of whatever it is, to be the person in their social circle with the latest [whatever]. It shows that you are aware, informed and up to date on whatever it is that they buy. They are educated, they want to succeed, they care about becoming better than they were yesterday. This is how we have positioned our society to accept.
They are buying a better version of themselves.
How will it impact them? Will it be a piece of entertainment, a luxury product? Or will it be a practical product that helps their productivity and create faster, better, or something new entirely? It’s down to their experience with products already on the market and how they value that experience. What does it mean to them that youare making their workflow a little bit faster, or making them more fashionable and trendy (depending on the market). Think about how to position your product on the market.
Value first. Make the product that solves the problem then price accordingly. What would people pay for this service?
You need to understand what your product is and how it serves that person before you start selling it. Your product has to solve a problem for them.
Position your product as something that is going to help your customer become a better person.
You are missing out on sales if you are only selling features. You have to sell to people, the version of them that they want to become. How do you do that? By understanding who your product is for, and how it will solve the problem that people without this product have. The more niche the problem, the more sales you will make.
Of course you will have the best product, in your eyes. It will look the best, have the nicest packaging, the slickest user interface, have the best price on the market. And yes, you will make sales on your product, people will buy it on looks, on its features, and if it is the cheapest. By default, it just being on the market will generate sales, regardless of how it’s pitched and how you position it. But think about if you focus on the problem it’s solving, and the people who will be using it. How are you going to please them and make their life easier? Even if it removes one step in their process, you’re making a difference to them. That’s your selling point.
Taking advantage of your product
Case in point; Microsoft vs. Sony. When Microsoft announced the Xbox One, it was met with a backlash of negativity. This is because it was positioned as an all-in-one entertainment machine. It could do everything, but limited the capacity for gaming and even reduced features that it’s audience and the industry had then accepted as standard. With this hole in the market, Sony, understanding what its audience wanted, announced the Playstation 4 as a dedicated gaming console with all of the features that Microsoft had retracted from its machine. Leading to Sony’s console selling far more and gaining the majority market share.
This is an example of how you can position your product to solve problems without changing peoples workflow, how they live their lives and making an inconvenience. Think about how the motor industry positions its cars. They all sell their features as benefits to how it’s going to make your life easier, assisted parking etc. Cars that sell at an affordable level to middle-class families know that this is their audience and market, thus they sell accordingly by understanding what middle class families want from their car. They know they aren’t a luxury brand, Ferrari etc. so they know who to target and what their target’s problems are and they sell them a better version of themselves by marketing the car as something that will make their lives easier.
Sell people the benefits of your product. Who do they become after buying this product?
Is the product a status symbol, giving a sense of exclusivity by owning one of a few ever made? A system that makes your life easier by removing steps and making the process faster? Does it allow you to do something new, something you have never experienced before? Is it a comfortable piece of clothing using the very best material to give the softest touch?
Spell it out for them. Use these problems as leverage to position your product. Help people imagine what their life will become. When people arrive at your product page online, what is the first thing they are going to see? Think about the layout, the story it’s going to tell, and the delivery of this description to people who are seeing it. Ask people you know/speak to in your industry for help, ask an accountability partner, ask someone you can trust. Would they buy it? Put yourself in potential customers shoes – Is someone who is on the fence and on your product page convinced enough to buy your product?
Your products, while they can have elements of your personal style and artistry, shouldn’t be an extension of what you want to make. It isn’t about you, as much as it is the product people are spending money on to solve a problem that they have. All the more reason to understand what products you want to make and what the problem is. Even if it is something simple like a laser-engraved, bottle opener with your designs/art on it. Think about the problem.
If you’re an artist, no matter what you are selling. It could be prints, t-shirts, vector packs, a course, photography, lapels/pins, stickers. Whatever it may be, sell your product by making clear the benefits to buying it that helps customers become a better person.
Part 2 in a series of posts about selling products. (Part 1: Selling on Your Platform)
You must be logged in to post a comment.