The Challenge in Marketing More Effectively

Bernadette Jiwa writes an excellent blog entitled, The Story of Telling. Her post on Sunday, April 2, hit the nail on the head, recognizing and defining the change necessary to market showrooms more effectively. Jiwa wrote,

"The easy part of marketing is working out what to say, when where and to whom, in order to sell what we make. We expend most of our energy on the easy part. The hard part is understanding why it's important to say what we're about to say and who will care enough to listen. We should start with the hard part."

 

That hard part entails understanding what the customer truly wants and that those wants are constantly changing, especially in the luxury sector. Luxury Marketing's Pam Danziger points out that making a luxury purchase used to center on aspirations. You bought a luxury item because acquiring that brand spoke to a special status or position. Aspirational purchasers though are now a dying breed. Danziger correctly notes that affluent customers who can afford to buy luxury items already have achieved plenty of status and position. They don't need to show off a Rolex watch or Hermes bag to prove it.

 

The future of luxury business requires moving from aspirations to inspirations. Showrooms that focus on demonstrating how their products and services, yes services, can add meaning to their customers' lives will win.   Features and benefits no longer have the impact they once did. When an affluent customer enters a showroom and is considering a new bath, they don't necessarily care about how many finishes faucets come in, thermostatic valve technology (which is now a quarter century old) or water flow rates. They want to know how their new bath will make their life better and what the showroom will do for them that an online etailer or order-taker cannot do. And showrooms can't depend on superior customer service to win the day, because superior customer service is now an expectation not an exception.

 

New fashion retailers such as Stitch Fix and Trunk Club are disrupting markets by providing better buying experiences. These companies provide customers with personal stylists to select complete outfits for consideration. There are other companies that allow women to design their own handbag or dresses. The key to their success is that they are personalizing the customer experience and more significantly, making it easier and more enjoyable to buy.

 

Even stodgy old Lincoln Motor Cars has changed its service paradigm to improve the customer experience. Need your Lincoln serviced? You no longer have to make a trip to the dealer.  The dealer will pick up your car, service it and then return it to you.  It makes you want to buy a Lincoln.

What can you do in your showroom to personalize customer experiences? What can you offer that makes it easier for your customers and trade representatives to buy from you? Why your showroom instead of Amazon?