How to Get Relevant

We need to get relevant with our markets. Most buyers say we’re not. Relevant that is.

For decades we marketing and product folks have believed that what we wanted to say was what our buyers needed and wanted to hear.

That’s not true anymore. If it ever was.

The What’s Relevant Gap

The gap between what’s relevant to vendors and what our buyers care about is growing larger every day.

So why do we just keep pushing our messages, our story, our chest thumping claims on our audiences? Even when we’re not focused on our buyers’ needs.

It’s called habit, or the way we’ve always done it.

We gather in a room, determine the coolness factor of our latest and greatest offering, decide what our messaging and positioning will be, and then –  we share it to the world. Usually with little knowledge of what our buyers are really wanting to know.

We make it about ourselves when in reality, every single thing we say and do needs to be about our buyers.

I know. You don’t think you do it. That’s what every single one of my clients says too.  Yet when we dig deeper into their buyer’s needs and requirements, questions and critical factors – we find the relevance gap.  That gap between what we want to say and what our buyers really want.  Sure, you created those buyer personas. Sure you asked you top customers a few questions. But that’s not what it takes to be relevant to our buyers.

Only when we dig deep into the minds of our buyers and truly listen can we hope to close the relevance gap.

We all claim we’re customer-centric. It’s the buzzword of the digital age. But are we relevant in our minds, or are we relevant in the minds of our buyers?

Art courtesy of Scuttleblog