What a 4-year old taught me about communication.
A few years ago, our 4-year old daughter came to me with a question that her teenage sister couldn’t answer. I don’t remember the question, but I remember taking my responsibility to answer it very seriously. I kneeled down so we could see eye-to-eye and pontificated at what I considered a 4-year old level. She left and I felt satisfied that I had fulfilled my fatherly duty. That is, until our teenage daughter approached me, giggling. Evidently, after my impromptu lesson, our bright little 4-year old walked up to her, shrugged her shoulders, and proclaimed, “I have no idea what he just said.”
There’s a lesson in there for advertisers. We often believe we’re telling consumers what they want to hear when in reality we’re mistaking it for what we want them to know. Those are usually two very different things. So they end up not understanding, or perhaps worse, not caring about our message. Here are a few thoughts on how to ensure your consumers both understand and care.
Stop making assumptions.
I’ve been in countless campaign kickoff meetings where the discussion revolves around things we believe our consumers know or feel. In most of those meetings, though, someone (hopefully one of us from the agency because, well, it’s our job) has the wisdom to say, “Hold up, do we really know this or are we just assuming?” If we’re just assuming, it’s probably time to do some research. A lot of money can be wasted on assumptions.
Eliminate the lazy platitudes.
In this day and age, every company is a “solutions company.” Everybody “puts the customer first.” All companies “strive for excellence” and “provide value.” It’s all meaningless pablum. The world’s best marketers avoid platitudes because they say nothing and mean nothing. They’re easy to write but much easier to ignore.
Sell the experience.
If you’re selling an SUV, you’re not actually selling an SUV. You’re selling that family trip to the beach. If you’re selling healthcare, you’re not actually selling healthcare. You’re selling more time playing tennis with a grandson. The experience connects emotionally. Stop talking about features and focus on emotional benefits.
People purchase the experience, not the products themselves.
Use your data and your ears.
Use your data to know habits and tendencies. Use your ears to gain empathy and understanding. Allow the data you gather to guide what to say, but allow the listening you do with actual customers to help you understand how to say it. Both are vital to successful communication.
If I could go back to my little 4-year old’s question again, I think I could do a better job answering it. Some self-evaluation has helped me learn how to better communicate with her. As you look at your advertising and marketing strategies, are you telling consumers what they want to hear or are you telling them what you want them to know? If it’s the latter, a little self-evaluation might help you, too.
