Rogers Balamaga
You need to figure out your experience-as-a-product and make it an integral part of your marketing strategy because it’s your biggest value proposition.
– Have you ever wondered how Louis Vuitton sells handbags for thousands of dollars where other brands can’t for a fraction of the price? It’s not about style and quality; it’s all about the experience. They offer a product which makes their customers feel special and a part of an exclusive club.
– Apple doesn’t sell digital watches, it sells a device that gives you the experience of tracking your health no matter where you go and encourages you to get up and get moving. Samsung phones are arguably better if we look at specs and features, but Apple is not in the game of selling specs, they sell an experience and the sense of belonging to an exclusive club.
– Red bull doesn’t sell energy drinks, it sells vibes and thrilling experiences associated with extreme sports. Hence their slogan, “Red bull gives you wings.” They do this with their story-performing marketing strategy which is quite different from the story-telling approach that most companies use.
I know this won’t come easily for anyone starting out, but you have to be deliberate about giving your customers more than what you’re selling.
Personally, I try to imitate this by building and nurturing an exclusive members community for my customers. A diverse hub that fosters discussions on self-improvement, personal finance, parenting, marriage, relationships, career growth and business in a judgement free zone where members, with the benefit of anonymity, openly share insights, seek advice and support one another in their journey towards personal and professional development.
It doesn’t have to be a community for every brand, but you need to figure out a way to package a unique experience that your customers identify your brand with. Something that will nurture an emotional bond between your brand and your customers, remembering always that people buy on emotions and justify with logic. That is the only way I know how to sell 60 liters of mubisi at 10k per liter a day when there’s people on the streets selling mubisi at 1k per liter and can barely sell 20 liters a day.
If you’re a small business selling luwombo, don’t sell “Luwombo”, sell “Authentic Luwombo, just the way mamma made it”. By using the words “Authentic” and “Mamma”, you are creating nostalgia (positive personal association). Now you are no longer just selling Luwombo.
I am not saying there’s no other way to grow a business than this, there’s lots of small businesses that have grown into big without having to through this process of befriending customers, but doing this will give you so much leverage and help you build networks as well as opportunities to diversify into other businesses providing goods and services to the same customers.
I must admit it’s hard and it takes a lot of time and patience. But it’s doable and totally worth in in the end.
Remember, when you sell “things,” you can only compete on price or specs. However, he who sells a great experience can command a higher price, which customers are happy to pay because people are willing to spend more on experiences.
Sell experiences, not things
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