Steps to developing a product that attract customers

By Jerry Nyazungu

A BUSINESS must always remember that it serves at the pleasure of its customers. What Blackberry failed to take heed of was the fact that Apple with its new features was giving consumers exactly what they wanted. For the first time a full browser was available on a mobile device, users could download music, videos and maps from the internet onto this little phone and even with all its drawbacks customers flocked to buy the new iPhone.

Jerry Nyazungu, the founder and Managing Director of M&J Consultants

So how do you avoid the trap that Mr Balsillie fell into? How do you ensure your organisation is truly catering for your customer’s real needs? To begin with it’s simple. Too many sale representatives, in their eagerness to close a deal, will go on and on about what they offer and why their product is better than the next.

THE day after the iPhone was first launched Jim Balsillie, the CEO of Blackberry at the time, famously said: “It’s oK, we’ll be fine.” Five years later Blackberry had gone from an annual
profit of US$2 billion to a US$5,8 billion deficit and their market share had dropped from 50% of all mobile users to less than 1%. There are few better examples of how forgetting who the
real boss is can ruin a company.

But does it solve the customer’s problem? The only way to find out is to hear what brought them to you in the first place. To probe and question and listen actively as the potential buyer tells you what it is they really need. So stop pushing for the close, encourage your customers to talk and when they do – listen.

The next thing you’ll want to do is create a great customer experience. The need to reduce in-person interactions as a result of the global pandemic means more commerce than ever is being conducted digitally. Unfortunately for consumers it also means there are more pain points and potential potholes when trying to make a purchase.

This is especially true in a Zimbabwean context where technology is often stubbornly resisted or implemented half-heartedly. Differentiate your organisation by making their customer experience as seamless and safe as possible. Be available via multiple touch points, respond quickly to questions and requests, streamline your processes and explain them clearly because when a customer feels you care about them, they start to care about you.

The center of your business is the product or the service you offer. Make it a great one. Few things can keep the client as happy as a great product. Target a customer pain and build the right package to alleviate it. Consistently ask your customers how it is performing and act on their feedback.

Importantly, remove everything that is unnecessary. When you go on Google the only thing you can do is search. Which is amazing because that, in all likelihood, is the only thing you want to do at that point in time. So keep it simple, cater for a real need and accept feedback as the first step in improving your offering.

Finally, don’t forget to follow up. One of the greatest disserves a salesperson can commit is pursing the ‘mission of commission’. Believing your job is done when the sale is closed and forgetting about a client thereafter is holding back your business. After sales service not only shows a customer your care, leading to brand loyalty and referrals, but also opens up a myriad of organic up-selling opportunities that benefit both you and the customer.

If you’ve sold a laptop for example, a call to your customer to see how they are getting on with the new machine might uncover that they are in need of an antivirus and a laptop bag or that a friend loved their new acquisition and is looking to buy a similar product. You can also learn how to improve your product or service or the way it is delivered. Following up will open infinite doors for your organisation.

Whether you are a sales representative, an accountant or the founder and CEO of a company, remember always that if they don’t love your offering your customers can quickly send the entire organisation home. Conversely, they can contribute to making your business a booming success. Which way they turn is largely up to you. Avoid the Blackberry trap and never forget who the real boss is. The customer, as they say, is king.

Nyazungu is the founder and Managing Director of M&J Consultants. He is a seasoned Accountant and Entrepreneur with more than 10 years of working directly in the Accounting field.