More and more, marketers focus on the emotions customers experience while interacting with their brand, and the decision-making implications behind those emotions. Historically, marketers assumed customers were perfectly logical individuals who would complete airtight analyses around price, quality and ease of use before a purchase.
However, the emotional drivers sometimes outweigh these traditional considerations. Marketers who focus on the emotions of their customers cultivate meaningful customer relationships and know how they can best spend their time and energy in improving the overall customer experience.
Long lasting relationships
The biggest implication of emotional management is the longevity of a relationship with a customer. Particularly in terms of service providers, the rapport and ease of doing business can sometimes outweigh price and quality in the customer’s mind. If your business is easy to work with, customers will shell out extra money or be more tolerant of mistakes because the greater relationship you’ve established is emotionally rewarding and gives them peace of mind.
Relative importance
Not all touchpoints are created equal. Depending on the scenario, certain points along the customer journey will be highly stressful or difficult, while others will be relatively easy. Take the example of a hot tub – picking out a model may be easy for the purchaser, while installation may be more complex and stressful.
Understanding the emotional weight of various touchpoints will help you better understand and deliver for your customers when it matters most.
Emphasizing customer experience – delivery, not just specs
The emotion of purchasing a product or service is defined by the provider’s ability to meet and exceed customer expectations. A product/service may out-perform the competition in terms of cost and quality, but if customers have to jump through hoops and are treated poorly during interactions with your brand, the value of the product/service is irrelevant.
One of the ways this manifests itself is in customer communication. Ease of purchase and clear explanation of product/service benefits help your customers get the most out of their purchase. Communication helps shape the experience and frame your business in their minds by setting expectations and (hopefully) exceeding those expectations in a way that will delight them.
Selling to the individual, not merely the product user
On paper, the statement sounds obvious: customers are real people. However, it’s worth reiterating. They’re complex, multi-faceted individuals, and your product or service is likely a small piece of their day-to-day life. For businesses, this means your product or service’s relative importance is small enough that customers likely aren’t as interested in what you have to offer as your marketing team.
Understanding this relative importance is important in terms of messaging. Your marketing team should focus less on the minute details that make your product/service better, and more on the big-picture conflict resolution. Understanding what problem your product/service solves, how it can be attained as easily as possible and how it fits into your customers’ lives will create a memorable and attractive customer experience that will grow your brand through repeat customers and passionate brand advocates.
