Plant lovers have heard it since the late 1800’s: talk to your plants, and they’ll grow faster. Although scientists and plant lovers alike have debated the accuracy of this theory ever since, an experiment on the popular Discovery Channel television show, Mythbusters, not only concluded that words improved the growth rate of their test plants, but also that music—particularly heavy metal music—improved growth rates the most.
That’s great news if you have plants at home, but what does that have to do with your marketing? As is the case with plants, the more you talk to your customers, the more they’ll grow as customers, and the more you cater to their particular tastes, the greater your success.
What kind of success? According to an article, “21 Marketing Experts Share the Top Reasons Why You Should Talk to Your Customers,” by Kissmetrics, talking to your customers helps you learn key, practical information, including
The hesitations and questions your customers have before buying/signing up
The exact language your prospects use to describe their problems
The reasons why customers do what they do, including why they signed up for something but didn’t follow through, why they chose one product over another, why they chose not to engage in a service with your organization, etc.
Their biggest pains and struggles
Their actual needs
The products and services they really want and are willing to pay for
What’s the best way to talk to your customers? Patrick Hull, contributing writer for Forbes magazine, describes it this way: “I consider talking to customers like going on a date. I try to stay positive, make a good impression, and let them do most of the talking.”
In other words, be that plant in the greenhouse: listen to what you’re hearing. Soak it all in. Respond with enthusiasm. That’s when the most substantial, and most rewarding, growth will happen.
Comments