5 Ways to influence your customers like Tyrion Lannister does it
Tyrion is one of the best at coming up with clever responses, staying out of dangerous situations without pain, getting rid of enemies and mostly influences people around him. He’s even able to convert enemies into allays. He shows himself as a good example of an influential person and he does it in a very subtle way that looks effortless and always to the point. Thus, who better than him to teach us a thing or two about customer influence?
I was inspired to write this article because the other day I was watching a video from Charisma on Command (really good YouTube channel by the way. Super recommend it). He was talking about the basics of how Tyrion influences people. Although he was talking to help you improve your social skills, no reason why not resonates with it at a marketing level.
Here I share what I learned:
1. People want what they want and there’s no way to change that
I have seen many cases when companies try to push product to our throat through every possible channel available. And most of the time we just don’t want it or care about it. They put their marketing efforts into selling a product their customers don’t even want and use any tactic available to try to convince us otherwise.
We have seen also, so many cases of startups who create an app or a product, and after late nights relaying only on coffee to keep going, they learn the hard way, that their potential users actually don’t care about what they just build, even though is supposedly the next great thing.
What companies could do instead, is to first LEARN what their customers want and only then create a product that satisfies that specific need.
[Insert creepy witch voice here]
Oh you want that? Well, lucky you dear costumer! I’m can actually provide you with that precious thing you’re looking for…just follow me, I’ll show you.
[End of creepy voice]
2. Who matters the most? Clue: Your customers!
It’s NOT about what you believe is the next great thing, is about what your costumers believe.
What you want? It really doesn’t matter. You could want spicy ice cream, bit if your customers want vanilla…give them vanilla! That’s the way to do it.
Don’t let yourself be inside on your own head for too long. Get out of your own head and explore your market/costumers/user. Get to know them.
You don’t ask that cute girl to have babies with get you on your first date. You get to know her and if you’re a good fit, after a good trial and error, you pop the question and have million tiny babies if you want to or only one if that’s your sort of things. Why with your customers has to be any different?
3. Everyone cares about different things
What one costumer cares about is not usually the same thing that matters to the next one. Through your company lifetime you’re going to encounter different tastes and set of believes, and you have to provide and satisfies the need of each group. Don’t treat them the same, don’t offer the same and don’t use the same tactics. Sectorize your strategies.
Let’s say you’re selling healthy products and your target market is women on their 20–50. So… a huge gap. What matters to 20 years old is not the same to one in their 50ths. There’re so many differences on their interests, level of income, free time, way to think. So start by divide them into sub-group and redirect your marketing efforts to align with their specific situation.
4. A/B test it, but do it fast
If something doesn’t work, change it until you find the one strategy that fits just right. If posting pics and info graphics on Pinterest is not working, try Instagram instead. The audience is out there. You just have to canalize your efforts the right way through trial and error in the fastest way possible. Not everything will work out, but the sooner you realize it the faster you can improve upon it.
5. Speak your customer language
Don’t go all technical. Or do it if your costumer is on that kind of things.
It’s not same talking to teenagers than talking with 40+ years old men. It’s not the same talking to software engineers than designers. And by language I don’t mean always the written words, it also includes the visual used and the way the information is presented.
6. Be creative
Try new things. Strategize and do thing different than what everyone else is doing. Move things up a little. Creativity will take you further.
There are several ways to do all that:
Basically: Understand what your users/customers want and learn what their needs are so you can better satisfy them.
· To cold read you have to be a really good observer. And that’s sometimes more difficult to do if you’re only working in the online world. If you have the opportunity to really see how people react and act, definitely will be a more valuable experience
· Read carefully the reviews on your product (or your competitors), constant listen/read what your costumers has to say in the comment section and emails for user support. What are the things people complain about?
· People won’t always tell you what they thinking. Sometimes you just have to ask. So do it now. Use whatever tool you think is more convenient: surveys, pop ups, side pops, e-mails, etc.
[Picture credits: Charisma on Command]
You hope like this article and if you have more questions or would like to see some character featured, just let me know in the comment section.
Have a good day :)
