Saturday, September 5, 2015

Let Your Prospective Customers Know "This Solution is for You"


I'm guessing that at some point before you built your software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution, you thought about who
might need this kind of product.   

Maybe you figured it out through market research, your own personal experience and frustration, or a flash of inspiration.

Whatever the methodology, either consciously or unconsciously you somehow answered a critical question: Who would need a solution like this? 

What prospects want to know first 

Oddly enough, that's exactly the same question prospective customers ask.  When they find their way to your website, scan your email, or walk by your trade show exhibit, what they want to know is this: "Is this solution meant for me?"

Before they think about anything else - how's the solution built, how much does it cost, what are the key features and benefits, etc. - they need to know if they are the intended buyer. 

And by the way, you need to answer that question in 60 seconds or less.  That's about how much of their attention you've bought through a pay-per-click campaign, a tradeshow, PR or whatever tactic you've used.   

If you can't nail that question in that short window, you've wasted your money and your opportunity.  The prospective customer ends up clicking, deleting, or walking away. 

I'm talking to you! 

Tell the prospect right up front who you built this solution for.  You want to make it crystal clear to them that "I'm talking to you."  

And the more explicit the better.

 For example, this solution is designed for "small dental offices," "K-12 school districts," "companies with 3 or more warehouses," "companies spending more than 10 hours per week tracking vacation and time-off requests," or whatever.   

The people in your target market should know, without any doubt, that you're talking to them.

Be specific, not generic 

Believe me, I know that it's difficult to narrow your target market.  There's always a nagging fear that you're leaving out a lucrative potential market.  You figure that with a few tweaks here and there, your solution probably could be adapted to a broader market and another set of prospects. 

Resist this urge.   

You want the prospect to see your product as "the perfect solution" for their particular problem.  It's not a generic tool that can be adapted to handle some of their needs... sort of.   

They don't want a "mediocre fit."  They want  a "perfect fit." 

Of course with enough resources, you can sell to multiple audiences and multiple markets.  But each one will require a dedicated focus.  Each group of prospects expects that your solution will solve their particular challenges and is built to suit their specific requirements. 

Prospective customers don't care about everybody's problem.  They care about a solution that perfectly fits their problem.