Online Expressions of the Point of Need

In real life, we don’t go around with a Facebook or Twitter status displayed above our heads. (i.e. What are you doing right now? “Just shopping”, or “I need help finding shoes”).

The powerful thing about online marketing is that people are increasingly expressing needs and opinions online. As an online marketer you can easily listen for specific conversations about your product or brand where people are expressing needs. Then you can engage at the customer’s expressed point of need.

To illustrate my point, here are some examples that I selected randomly of people expressing needs or asking questions in the past 24 hours using twitter (I don’t know any of these people). All of these posts on twitter are opportunities for a company to respond and be helpful. Add to that blogs, videos, images, social networks, micromedia and there are ample opportunities to listen for the point of need.

Customer support opportunities from questions mentioning Techcrunch, AT&T, Canon, coComment, Paypal, United Airlines:

Stevie_Knight: Does anyone know how 2 contact support @ techcrunch.com? I’ve been trying 2 register 4 the forums & haven’t received confirm.

Kichigai: Can anyone tell me if they’re having a problem with AT&T’s data services in South Jersey, or is it just me?

alisonedward11: does anyone know anything about canon warranties?

janelowe: does anyone know if there’s a problem with coComment - it goes weird when I try to submit a comment!

tthomas906: Last night up until 2 am trying to get my website up and running. Having problems with Paypal. I don’t know whats up with them? costing $

leanda: just wrote a list of all the problems we had we United Airlines last week, sending to insurance, UA and Expedia. Will try to avoid flying UA

Sales opportunities for companies such as Adobe, The W Hotel in San Diego, Mazda, Volkswagen, a computer manufacturer like Dell Computer or Apple, a pet store or dog breeder, a bicycle shop, etc.

jbruin: can anyone hook with me up with a discounted rate at the W San Diego? thinking about booking a room for tomorrow

dawrobel: Looking to buy a new computer…

naples: looking to buy adobe professional and other software

scarletdivision: Does anyone know where I can find a Brian Griffin dog? I really want a Brian Griffin dog.

intldiplomat: Does anyone know of businesses in augusta ga that sell refurbished bicycles?

ColinFBarnes: Can anyone point me in the direction for a nice sounding mac podcast mic/mixer setup for around $200?

Peter_BNC: looking to buy a jetta!

JonHenke: I start looking to buy a car (probably an RX8) next weekend. Huzzah! Now, to find a good deal on one.

Meet them at their point of need.

May 6th, 2008 - Posted in The Point Of Need, Online Listening, Social Media | | 3 Comments

The Point of Need and the Three Sales Clerks

I was in Quebec City this weekend where the IIHF World (Hockey) Championship is currently underway. My son was there playing in the IIHF 2008 World Youth Hockey Tournament. While we were there the kids wanted to visit a local sporting goods store.

The experience we had in the store reminded me of the importance of listening and meeting people at their point of need which I wrote about in an earlier post. It re-enforced a bunch of ideas about listening/watching, building rapport and then engaging at the right time and for the right reason. In this experience, three different sales clerks approached us, but only one made a sale.

We walked into the store to look around around. We were just browsing. The first sales clerk approaches us and asks, “May I help you with anything?” The response was expected, “No, we are just looking around.” He leaves us alone.

A few minutes later, we walk into a shoe section and another clerk interrupts us with the same question. I wondered if a better question would have been, “Hi, how are you today? Are you in town for the tournament?” A less transactional question might have at least worked to build rapport and would still have drew out a need if we had one. Our reply was unchanged, “No, we are just looking around.”

Then one of the boys reminds his father that he will need a new pair of soccer cleats this year. They were on sale. Dad seems to be open to the idea so his son starts grabbing a few models off the shelf. Suddenly, we start exhibiting some potential buying behavior as shoes are being taken off the shelves, passed around, examined, replaced, etc.

That is when a third clerk keenly observes the signals that declared a point of need. The boy’s father stands up with the shoe his hand and looks around. Immediately, the sales clerk who had been hovering in the area jumps in to respond and simply says, “Hi there!” He knows there is a need. He reaches out his hand and grabs the shoe as the boy’s father says, “Can we get this in a larger size?”

The clerk returns. The sale is complete. The clerk writes his number on the box to claim the commission then hands his customer the shoes and says, “Thank You”. Smart guy. The first two clerks were interrupting. The third was being helpful. What was the difference?

The third clerk was listening & watching for the point of need and got the timing exactly right.

Do you think the same thing is possible online?

May 4th, 2008 - Posted in The Point Of Need, Online Listening, Social Media | | 4 Comments