Ever have something come into your mind and then it keeps coming back a few more times like a pesky annoyance? That's how I'm feeling about marketing materials that don't speak to the intended audience. We prepare them, then we send them, we then ask why they didn't get a reaction—and we start all over again. Effective marketing messaging requires a collaboration of voices feeding into the end product that speaks to the customer. It's "customer speak" rather than "sales speak" that I want to explore further.
The metrics are revealing for what it takes to stay in the mind of a potential customer. Years ago, it was the "Rule of 7." Then experts moved it to 12 interactions, and just recently I saw the metric to win the attention of a potential customer has climbed to 30 touchpoints. What is going on with our marketing efforts that requires so many interactions?
Sometimes it takes multiple attempts before your message truly resonates.
Marketing pieces that get my attention are strictly focused on subject matter that educates me on being better at my business development efforts or enhances my personal life, like tennis clothing ads or food articles from the New York Times. These align with both my business and personal interests. As I move through each day within my work and passions, I'm looking for information that will further educate me or give me ideas to improve my capabilities. We as consumers are far more informed than ever before—not just due to social media platforms, but cable TV, books, newspapers, and the clubs or groups we belong to. We have higher expectations today; we seek personalized experiences and value authenticity, making it essential for marketing professionals to adapt our strategies accordingly.
So let's go to the source. When you ask a product or services manager what their differentiator is, you will quite often hear what others are also saying about their products and services. While it may be seen as a differentiator to the originator, those on the receiving end have heard and seen it before. I'm not saying someone or something doesn't do it better or offer more in the end, but the actual claims are similar; it's just rare that true differentiation comes through in the marketing—except for those who do it well.
Take Apple, for instance. Everything they do is about lifestyle and consumer behavior. Or Amazon, which focuses entirely on customer satisfaction and experience, leveraging data and personalization. Another excellent example is Netflix. The streaming service concentrates on customer loyalty and invests heavily in original content. The company disrupted the video rental market, offered a convenient and affordable way to access a vast library of entertainment, and consistently adapted to digital marketing innovation.
While these are well-known examples, what does this have to do with the life sciences industry? The answer is simple: all businesses have customers they need to delight. When it comes to strategizing, it can't be done in a vacuum. The "A team" is needed because they will have the answers required to bring together the best branding for the company's image.
How well do we know our potential customers?
How much market research has been invested? Don't let me lose you on the term "Market Research"—I don't mean years of study but rather a strategic approach to understanding the conversations operations and product or service managers are already having. Here are some key components to consider:
Why was this product or service first developed or established? Typically there's a compelling story in the answers. Storytelling is a powerful practice with potential customers. It's a way for them to get to know you as well as your company through effective communication.
The product managers or division directors who established the product or service you're selling know why it's needed. It's our job as marketers or sellers to take those stories and find potential customers that match the core reason for its existence. This personal selling approach creates authentic connections.
What problems are people experiencing today? Let's condense that a bit! Operations people who answer questions from your internal organization and, more importantly, current customers, know why the product or service is needed. They hear the voice of the customer and ideally speak the customer's language back to them with their answers.
Sales people who hear customer needs during bid defenses, sales presentations, conferences, webinars, etc., also know why the product or service is needed. They're on the front lines of customer interaction within the communication process.
How unique are customer needs and wants? If we combine inputs and feedback from communications professionals across these teams, we can build a strong collection of materials for excellent marketing content as part of our integrated marketing approach. But we aren't finished there.
Converting that written material into customer language is important and often challenging because we tend to want to put sales language into our marketing communications. That doesn't serve the client—it's anything but the voice of a target consumer. I remember reading advice from a successful public relations expert who said we should always think about how to attract customers and start our sentences with them in mind, as though they're saying, "I want a company who will turn our challenges into tomorrow's successes."
Now that we've identified where to find insights about our customers, let's address the critical next step in our marketing communications strategy: transforming that internal knowledge into language that truly resonates with potential customers. This communication process doesn't require marketing gurus. Looking internally to our own experts provides the competitive advantage you need! The key is creating a direct communication channel between your product or service teams and your target consumer by translating what they know into what customers want to hear.
The gap between how businesses talk and what customers want to hear is wider than we often realize
Translating Internal Knowledge into Customer Language: A Guide to Marketing Communications
When we gather insights from across our organization, we often end up with valuable information that’s still framed in our internal language. The next critical step is translating this knowledge into “customer speak” to enhance the customer journey amid the noise of numerous advertising messages.
What does this translation look like in practice? It means shifting from “Our product features advanced XYZ technology” to “You’ll solve [specific problem] faster with less effort.” It means understanding that customers don’t care about your features—they care about how those features solve their problems or improve their lives.
In the life sciences industry, this translation is particularly important. Scientists and researchers aren’t just looking for tools; they’re looking for ways to accelerate discovery, ensure compliance, reduce variability, or increase reproducibility. A marketing message about your “state-of-the-art equipment” falls flat compared to “Your lab can process twice as many samples with 30% fewer errors.”
Introduction to Marketing
Marketing is the process of promoting and selling products or services to potential customers. It’s not just about advertising; it’s about understanding who your target audience is and what they need. Effective marketing involves creating a unique value proposition that sets your product or service apart from the competition and communicating this brand message through various marketing channels.
A well-planned marketing strategy is essential for businesses to achieve their marketing objectives and stay competitive in the market. Marketing professionals use a range of marketing strategies, including digital marketing, direct marketing, and public relations, to reach and engage with their target audience. Whether it’s through a social media post, an email campaign, or a press release, the goal is to build brand awareness, drive sales, and establish strong brand equity.
In today’s fast-paced market, understanding and adapting to consumer behaviors is crucial. By leveraging modern media and traditional media, businesses can create a comprehensive approach that resonates with their audience and achieves their strategic objectives.
Creating a Collaborative Marketing Strategy Process
To consistently produce customer-centric marketing materials, consider implementing this collaborative process for effective marketing campaigns. Engaging communications professionals can significantly enhance the execution of these strategies and ensure they stay updated with industry trends:
Listen First: Collect insights from customer-facing teams (support, sales, implementation) who hear customer language daily. This is when your own “sales” talents need to come out convincing your internal team why this should be an exercise taken seriously and given respectful time and consideration. It is the start of building brand awareness.
Identify Pain Points: Document the specific challenges customers are trying to solve, using their exact words when possible. This treasure chest of information will further build your story through multiple marketing channels.
Cross-Check with Product Teams: Have your product experts confirm that your understanding of customer problems aligns with what your solutions actually solve. How many times has a message been twisted and restated differently due to different points of view. Lock in the true messaging and meaning from the customers’ perspective as part of your communications strategy.
Create Customer Personas: Develop detailed profiles of your typical customers, including their goals, challenges, and the language they use. These personas will build as you keep learning about your customers and should become key components to consider when writing content.
Draft in Customer Language: Write initial marketing materials using the customer’s perspective and vocabulary. It’s a great starting point to steer you clear of mistakenly going back to the sales talk in your marketing mix.
Review with Customer-Facing Teams: Have sales and support teams review drafts to ensure the language resonates with what they hear from customers. Review, review, review. Once in print, it’s gone forever.
Test with Real Customers: When possible, get feedback from friendly customers before finalizing major marketing initiatives. Do some A/B testing with your marketing campaigns through email marketing and other direct marketing channels.
By following these steps, you can develop skills in critical business and marketing areas, ensuring your campaigns are both effective and aligned with your customers' needs.
Communication Strategies
Communication is a critical component of marketing, and businesses need to develop effective communication strategies to reach their target audience. A communication strategy involves identifying the target audience, selecting the right communication channels, and crafting a compelling message that resonates with the audience.
A marketing communications strategy is a comprehensive approach to promoting a product, service, or brand to a target audience. Integrated marketing communications (IMC) involves coordinating and integrating all marketing communications channels to create a consistent message and image across all communications. This integrated approach ensures that whether a customer sees a television commercial, a social media post, or a direct mail piece, the brand message is clear and consistent.
Effective communication strategies can help businesses build strong relationships with their customers, increase customer loyalty, and drive sales. By understanding the communication process and using the right communication tools, businesses can create marketing messages that truly connect with their audience.
The Power of Customer Stories in Building Customer Loyalty
One of the most effective ways to speak in customer language is to let customers do the speaking. Case studies and testimonials are powerful not just because they provide social proof, but because they naturally demonstrate how your solutions solve real problems in the language your prospects understand.
Direct marketing relies on databases containing customer information to create personalized messages aimed at eliciting direct responses from consumers.
Consider how you can incorporate more authentic customer stories into your marketing mix:
Brief video testimonials where customers explain problems they’ve solved
Written case studies that focus on business outcomes rather than product features
Customer quotes that highlight specific pain points your solution addresses
User-generated content that shows your product or service in action
Target Audience Analysis
Understanding the target audience is crucial for effective marketing communication. Target audience analysis involves gathering data and insights about the target audience, including their demographics, needs, preferences, and behaviors. This information is essential for creating marketing strategies that resonate with the audience and drive engagement.
Businesses can use market research, focus groups, and social media analytics to gather information about their target audience. These methods provide valuable insights into consumer behavior and help businesses understand what their audience is looking for. A well-defined target audience analysis helps businesses develop targeted marketing strategies that resonate with their audience and drive engagement.
By understanding their target audience, businesses can create personalized marketing messages, select the right communication channels, and measure the effectiveness of their marketing efforts. This targeted approach ensures that marketing messages are relevant and impactful, leading to more effective marketing communication and better business outcomes.
Measuring Customer-Centricity
How do you know if your marketing truly speaks the customer’s language? Look beyond traditional marketing metrics to measures that indicate customer resonance:
Engagement metrics: Are customers spending time with your content through the right channels?
Conversation rate: When prospects speak with sales, do they reference language from your marketing?
Sales cycle length: Customer-centric messaging often shortens the sales process
Customer feedback: Do customers mention that you “get” their challenges?
Data-Driven Marketing
Data-driven marketing involves using data and analytics to make marketing decisions and measure the effectiveness of marketing efforts. In today’s digital age, businesses have access to a wealth of data from various sources, including social media, email marketing campaigns, and customer relationship management (CRM) software.
By analyzing this data, businesses can gain insights about their target audience and track the performance of their marketing campaigns. Data-driven marketing enables businesses to optimize their marketing strategies, improve their return on investment (ROI), and make data-driven decisions. Marketing professionals can use data analytics tools to track key performance indicators (KPIs), such as website traffic, engagement rates, and conversion rates, and adjust their marketing strategies accordingly.
By leveraging data and analytics, businesses can create more effective marketing campaigns, improve customer loyalty, and drive business growth. Data-driven marketing is not just about collecting data; it’s about using that data to make informed decisions that enhance the customer journey and achieve marketing objectives.
Conclusion: The Continuous Listening Loop for Effective Communication
Creating customer-centric marketing isn't a one-time exercise but a continuous process of listening, learning, and refining. The most successful organizations build formal and informal channels to constantly collect customer language and insights.
Remember that your marketing materials aren't for you—they're for your customers. Every word should reflect their world, their challenges, and their aspirations. When you consistently speak their language, you'll find that those 30 touchpoints might just become 20, or even fewer, because your message will resonate more deeply from the start.
What customer language are you hearing that isn't reflected in your marketing yet? That's where your next breakthrough message is waiting to be discovered.