In sales and marketing, we often ask ourselves “why does my customer buy my product ?” and “what attracts them to try and eventually buy our products ?”. People buy products and services is because they need it and they want to feel good about it. No matter how good your products at addressing the “need” part, don’t overlook the “feel good” aspects. Everything being equal in the “meeting the need” front, the consumer most likely will get the one who give them better feeling. In a nutshell, this is what we call as the Customer Experience. SImple as it sounds, this will determine your products survivability in the market.

In the food and beverages retail industry, some companies leverage on their enhanced customer experience to entice the customer. When we walk into a Starbuck, we don’t just need to have gourmet coffee and fancy-with-whipped-cream beverages, but we want to experience the homely comfort and coziness that Starbuck gets to offer. We don’t mind the overpriced Lattes as with it we may get good atmospheres to do our work, and for students to do their homework.

This big difference in customer experience is also the driving factor why the luxury car and motorcycles makers still make a lot of money in spite of their sky-rocketed prices . People is still attracted to the driving sheer pleasure that names like Lexus, Mercedes, Audi and BMW have to offer. The feeling when you sit in the smooth leather chair, the touch of steering wheel, the sophisticated buttons and touch screens, high-end sound system, and the exhilarating acceleration when you step on the gas pedal, all of these will give you an elevated sense of excitement. Added to it, the feeling when the cool guy or hot girl in the car next to yours give that curious glance to find out who is behind the wheel. By the way, something to show off is also part of customer experience.

In the personal computing competitive industry, the top position will be obviously snatched by those who offer better customer experience. The long-lasting battery, instant wake-up, the screen real estate, quick access due to Solid State storage device, and the interface that is basically the extension of human body make tablets gain more market share, leaving behind the notebooks or netbooks. Amazingly some people even choose one smartphone against the other just because of the better feel and expensive-looking aluminum versus plasticky back cover (you know what products I am talking about).

Enhancing customer experience undoubtedly plays important role too in corporate products, in business-to-business transactions. Once the basic requirements are met, the decision makers in a corporation will look into which suppliers or providers can potentially give them best customer experience. This involves factors such as warranty, customer supports, responsiveness, communications, adaptability and flexibility. Not only post sales, how fast and accurate the supplier respond during pre-sales is essential in the customer experience report card. The corporate procurement executives also craves for having the good feeling after they decide to buy from you. The decision that will grant them worry-less and smooth operations while at the same time making them look sharp and good in the eyes of their supervisor. Try to imagine the company executive with buying-decision power as a father who is about to buy a printer for his family. When he chooses the printer, the type that can print and scan wirelessly even from mobile device, and brings it home, his wife and children will hurriedly start using it. Now imagine the feeling and pat on his shoulders he receives when his family is happy with his choice and highly excited about the new printer. The wife can print colorful recipes and the children can print photos straight from their smartphones. They all will say that he is the coolest father on earth. That is exactly the feeling that the decision maker in a company wants to have.  Off course you have to replace the wife and children with your supervisors and colleagues.

Now, you have the right products and superb customer experience enhancement programs on the table. What do you do next to clinch the deal ? Let your customers try it before they make purchase decision. The reputable car showroom and excellent car sales guy will offer you a test drive right when you come in. Give them the freedom to try things out and step on the gas (within the legal speed limit please). If the car fits their requirements and give them the best feeling, they will buy it for sure. Same things can be applied in different products, be it consumer or business.

I hope reading this blog will make you feel good. I don’t mix business with pleasure. You pleasure is my business.