How to understand customer needs

When a customer looks at the products or services offered by a company, he or she usually does so for one of these two reasons (which often complement each other):

1. They need something.
2. They have a desire.

The mechanisms of the desire of buying are certainly complex, and we have already discussed them on previous occasions in this blog, although we will return to them soon. As you can imagine, the actions that originate the desire have a lot to do with emotions. A multi-faceted and exciting world.

But what can we say about the needs? Less emotional, but sometimes as basic or more primary than desires (this is not a contradiction), in the fulfilment of needs it is often the rational component that predominates.

However, as a member of a company, you may want to figure out how to find out what the customer needs are, because by knowing them you will be closer to offering what they really need.

In this article we will look at some ways to understand the customer needs. Write this down!

1. Listen to your customers

No one knows what they need better than the clients themselves. While it is true that sometimes it is almost inevitable to help them find what they need, but to think, that we know better than the customers themselves, that is a mistake.

Once we have overcome this part of our ego that makes us believe that we know the client’s needs better than the client himself, the task will not be too complicated.

There are many ways to find out what users think, but probably the most effective way is to ask them directly. Talk to them, use active listening and in a short time you will understand their motivations.

2. Hire a market researcher

A market research study is a study, generally carried out by companies specialised in the field, whose main objectives include detecting the needs and behaviour of a more or less specific group of consumers.

This is done using methods that include face-to-face interviews or the distribution of surveys, and usually have a technical format.

Do you need a market research? Nobody knows that better than you do. Maybe you just want a little orientation and just need to talk to some of your best clients, or maybe you are as lost as an octopus in a night party so bear in mind that market research is essential. It’ s up to you…

3. Take a look at the competition

It is not about copying, but about detecting trends. Very often, new products and services that enter the market respond to new customer needs.

While we should always be the first to detect such needs, we cannot be on top of everything, and sometimes there will be market trends that will be hard to identify if we do not take a look at what our competitors are doing.

Take a look at what they are offering their customers, and don’t settle for the same. Do better than they do.

4. Use social networks

Does your company have a profile on any of the main social networks? If so, in addition to having a digital presence, you can use it to find out what the customer needs are.

Sometimes they will tell them spontaneously. Other times, you’ll have to encourage them to tell you what they need, for example through surveys or by asking open-ended questions. This is a simple way to find out their opinions. Keep your eyes open, you may have the answers you need much sooner than you thought.

5. Identify your target and your personal buyer

Although they are similar concepts, they have certain differences. And the interesting thing is that they can both help us to understand the needs of our potential customers.

When we talk about target we think of a group of people who are the target of our products and services. Once this is defined, we can approach the most common needs of the target members. For example, if we sell dentures, we should know that our target will be people with dental problems, who are usually older people. By knowing these facts and the needs that they usually have, we will be able to sharpen our offer better.

“Buyer persona” goes a bit further. This is a fictitious identification of our typical client. It is constructed through a series of variables similar to those used to define the target (demographics, age, etc.), but they are refined a little more, including aspects such as market behaviour or needs.

In addition, at the same time as refining the search, the buyer persona construction includes groups that perhaps the target would discard. For example, the buyer persona of our denture company may be a person affected by a certain dental disease, regardless of age.

The interesting thing is that, through the study of the target and the individual buyer, we will know some of the needs that our users may have. And wasn’t that our goal, after all?

And so far we have seen 5 ways to meet customer needs, but there are a few more.

One of the most effective is through customer service. In this type of service a direct contact with the client is usually established, which offers an excellent opportunity to know what their needs are. And it is also a good time to get to know the user’s needs once they have had contact with our products or services, which can provide us with valuable information.

Although providing good customer service is not an easy task, luckily we live in the 21st century, which allows us to have technological tools that can make this task easier. One of them is Pandora ITSM.

Pandora ITSM is a program that has, among other features, an issue management system (help desk software) based on tickets (ticketing) which can help with customer service in a company or organization.

Do you want to know more about what the Pandora ITSM helpdesk tool can do for you? Click here: https://pandorafms.com/en/itsm/help-desk-software/

Or you can also send us any query you may have about Pandora ITSM. You can easily do this using the contact form at the following address: https://pandorafms.com/en/contact/

The Pandora ITSM team will be happy to help you!