Know How Your Customer Thinks and How They Act

One key aspect of effective marketing for entrepreneurs is to learn how their customers think. By learning how to “think like your customer” you have a better chance of developing accurate revenue forecasts and more effective marketing plans. Every good bootstrapper has mastered the art of getting into their customers’ heads and using this knowledge to get the most bang for their precious marketing dollars.
But, an article at StartupJournal reminds us of another important lesson. What customers say is not always reflective of what they really believe and how they will actually behave. Customers may say things to us that are based on what they think is socially acceptable and politically correct. But, they do not always act on what they say.
In the StartupJournal piece we find out that all of the talk by consumers about being environmentally sensitive and aware does not always lead to a decision to buy.

Running an environmentally friendly business can be a good way to distinguish yourself from competition in your area and create a niche, and that’s especially true with today’s growing concern about global warming. But be careful of assuming that just because you’re “green,” consumers will naturally be willing to throw more greenbacks your direction.

After all, look at how many failed attempts McDonald’s has had when trying to react to the stated preference from consumers for healthier foods. Time after time, even though they offer “healthy choices,” we go back to our Big Macs and fries — albeit maybe with a Diet Coke. We say we want healthy food, but when we pull up to the drive-thru what we really order is what tastes really good at a reasonable cost. And what still tastes best to us is fried and fatty.
If you want to have a “green” business or offer healthier foods, do so because you think it is the right thing to do, and not because you think it is trendy and will increase your profits. Equating ethics and social responsibility with better business performance misses the point and rarely holds true over the long term. We should never do what we think to be the right thing because we get some reward (at least not some earth reward). We should do the right thing simply because it is the right thing to do. And know that you will still need to compete on what customers really look for: value, convenience, service, quality, special features, and so forth.