<p>The VP at Microsoft who managed Windows had a great saying about customer training. "There are two ways to improve the product -- one is to re-write millions of lines of code, and the other way is to upgrade the customers."</p><p>What he meant was that in many cases customers aren't happy with how a product works because they don't understand how to use it, or (as is often the case with software) there is a design flaw that drives normal humans to physical violence and <a href="http://despair.com/despair.html">despair</a>.</p><p>In both cases, some kind of user training or teaching can often improve the perception of the product -- even if you're just showing people a work-around for a poor design. How many matchbooks have "close cover before striking" on the edge? How many gas pumps have little "no smoking" symbols?</p><p>So part of the marketing plan for your product, both pre-purchase and post-purchase should focus on making sure your customers learn about the details. If all you do is print out instructions in eight languages and include them in the box, that's not enough. I'm a guy, and I don't read instructions. Even my wife rarely does, unless something is already broken.</p><p>But I <b>will </b>go to your web site and see if there's an FAQ. I <b>will </b>see if there's a discussion group about it, or a Yahoo Group for it, or search for "Swiffer Owner Manual" on Google. All of these are learning tools, and in most cases if they're well designed I'll like your product more once I've used them.</p><p>But don't stop there. When I buy from you, grab my email address and <a href="http://www.icontact.com/">send me mail a few days later</a> with a little tip. Show me how to change the battery, or put on a new cover, or tighten the armpits. (Don't try to sell me something. Just help.) Include a link to the FAQ.</p><p>What should your Frequently Asked Questions page have on it? Well, you can start here:</p><ul><li>What's in the box</li><li>How to put it together</li><li>What to do if stuff is missing</li><li>What the finished thing looks like</li><li>What it's supposed to do</li><li>Common assembly problems</li><li>Common problems users have</li><li>Typical issues</li><li>Battery life estimates</li><li>How to return it</li><li>Where it gets repaired</li></ul><p>A week later, another little nugget of information. Then another. Each time I learn a little bit more about this wonderful thing I added to my life. And I have the opportunity to share back to you any pain points that I've encountered. (A pain point is an opportunity, by the way. Not a problem. If you fix my pain, you make me happy and I want to give you more money.)</p><p>When version 2.0 of your Pocket Blast-A-Tron comes out, send me an opportunity to upgrade -- and list all the improvements you've made, based on the pain points you've identified. Have a couple of videos you can link to showing happy owners <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qySFp3qnVmM">demonstrating the new features</a>. Maybe a user's group where I can learn more tips.</p><p>Now, you may not do all of this on day one. That's fine. Maybe for right now all you do is collect some email addresses. Or collect a list of typical problems on a pad by the phone. Then later on, you start collecting a list of short answers on the whiteboard.</p><p>Then you move to putting them up on your web site (you do have a web site, right?) or maybe making a short video for YouTube. But just a tiny little bit is a move in the right direction.</p><p>Just keep upgrading those customers.</p>
2008-03-13T16:44:30Z
2008-03-15T06:07:48Z
-25.4417
897
453
true
15
3814
selling-with-learning
17
2008-03-15T06:07:43Z
2008-03-15T06:07:43Z
<p>I don't understand why I want that, or how it works. So I'm not going to buy it. The last one I bought never worked, and I couldn't make it do anything -- so I never used it.</p>
Selling With Learning
0
2009-02-24T09:43:24Z