You can’t go five minutes on LinkedIn before hearing the current phrase-de-jour tripping out of the mouths of the latest LinkedIn Influencer with an opinion.
But beneath the buzzword lies one of the most important opportunities—and potential pitfalls—for your course and content. Because it’s just a trendy way to talk about something that marketers have known about for years—knowing your customer is key to your success.
Knowing the challenges they’re facing, the objections that are in their way, and their hopes and dreams for the future.
And the more you know about your customers, the more aligned your messaging can be—and the more likely it is they’ll go on to buy from you.
What Does It Mean to “Meet Your Customer Where They Are?”
Essentially it boils down to:
Understanding Their Journey: Knowing what your customer is doing, thinking, and feeling at every touchpoint and how this changes as they move along their journey with you
Adapting Your Messaging: Speaking to their current level of awareness, experience, and willingness to act.
Anticipating Their Needs—and then exceeding them: Offering the right solution at the right time so that taking the next step with you—and the next, and the next, is a no-brainer.
Of course, this is nothing new. This is rooted in the work of the late, great, Eugene Schwartz—if you’ve been in marketing for even a minute, chances are you’ve heard his work even if you haven’t heard the name.
The Stages of Awareness A.K.A. “Where They Are”
Unaware: They don’t even know they have a problem.
How to Meet Them Here: Focus on education and intrigue. Share content that sparks curiosity or sheds light on a pain point they might not have recognized.
This is your “top of funnel content” (or the more disgustingly named, TOFU 🤢)
Problem-Aware: They know something’s wrong but have no idea how to fix it
How to Meet Them Here: Address their problem head-on and show that you understand their struggle.
Dangle the carrot of your course, lead magnet, or coaching services as the best next step to take towards a solution. 🥕
Solution-Aware: They want to fix it, and are shopping around
How to Meet Them Here: Testimonials, unique mechanisms, case studies, track records…
It’s time to dig deep - what makes you and your methods so special? 🦄
Product-Aware: They’re familiar with you and your offer but need more details before they’re ready to buy.
How to Meet Them Here: Use (genuine) urgency, FOMO, transformations and outcomes to make hitting buy the only thing on their mind ⏰
Most-Aware: They’ve heard all they need to hear. Now, it all comes down to price.
How to Meet Them Here: It’s time to make an unbeatable offer and seal the deal… but can you help them get bigger, better, faster results?
(Maybe there’s an upsell in this for you… 🤑)
Ok, this all sounds great in theory, but how do you know all of this?
How do you get to know your customers “better than they know themselves?”
There really isn’t a shortcut… you’re going to have to….
🥁🥁🥁
Speak to your customers!
Get them on Zoom. Court them, bribe them if needs be, but talk to them!
Ask them about their fears, what causes them tears, and find out what makes them tick. But not just them.
Speak to your almost customers… the ones that got away.
Why didn’t they buy? What stopped them from taking the plunge?
People will always fall back on price… and time… but those same people will always find the time (and the money) for a transformation they want and so desperately need. So dig deeper. Find out what’s missing in your messaging.
Ask: Other than price, why didn’t you buy?
You’ll be amazed at what will crop up.
And a quick side note - ChatGPT can help you a lot, but… all it’s doing is telling you what everyone else is saying...
and doing...
and selling...
... and if you’re just parroting the same stuff, well, are you going to stand out?
Don’t underestimate the power of getting someone on a call, asking a question or two, and sitting back as they come up with your pre-launch content for your next campaign in a matter of moments.
Why It Matters
How do you know if you’re getting it right?
When you know… well, you’ll know because your customers will tell you.
The words “OMG, it feels like you’re talking right to me” won’t be far away.
By knowing exactly what your customers are doing, thinking, and feeling when they interact with your launches and campaigns, instead of being “sold to,” your customers feel that they’re being guided towards the outcome they’re hoping for and that you’re invested in them achieving it.
They’ll gladly spend more, buy more, and recommend you even more because of it.
And that’s the outcome we’re all working towards, right?
If I’m meeting you where you are and you’re not quite sure if your current messaging is cutting the mustard, reach out to me and let’s chat about a Customer Journey Conversion Assessment and how it can transform your customer’s experience—and your business—for the better.