If what we want from customers is an hour of their time, the best way is to promise that the time will provide them with some genuine help.
The benefits of “helping, not hyping” in marketing are clear, but they do require a shift in mindset across the organisation. It can be hard to explain why our advertising has changed from the proven “Our blue widgets are faster” to a seemingly less specific “We will improve your efficiency”. However, it’s important for everyone who interacts with customers to be on board. Education may have to start at home.
One of the best ways to do this is to break down how customer relationships should work. A good explanation could be that our approach going forward is to always ask “How can we help?”, then consider what we can give them to do that, bearing in mind that we want them to give us something in return.
For the more transactionally-minded, that process can always be considered in reverse. If what we want from them is an hour of their time, what’s more likely to get that? A promise that the time will provide them with some genuine help, or a data sheet explaining how fast our blue widgets are?