Product Creating - Evaluating Customer Needs

When creating your information products and courses you need to target your audience's needs and problems.

But how?

The easiest way is if you already have a list of customers that you can target. Just ask them. It's probably the easiest thing to do, yet it's not often done. "What do you want?" You'll involve the customer and make them feel like you care about them and their opinion. Take what they want, and work on that.

One way to do that is to send out a "Help me" email. "I'm developing a new product - what would you like to know?" Your customers will tell you outright what they want to know, and what they need to know, about your products. With this knowledge you can write up the description, you can put it in future e-mails, you can also work it into the advertisement itself.

It's much harder if you are starting a new line of products without any customers to call on.

First, begin with a target customer. What group of people will you want to target with your product to make the most sales? If you are selling a weight loss book you won't be targeting people who want to learn to make home movies. Understand who will buy your product, and you will know what their needs are. And the easiest way to do that is to create your own perfect customer.

There are three elements you need to focus on:

1. Problems

What problems will the majority have? What do they find difficult, or what happens to them that they see no answer to? Provide them the answer.

2. Needs

Every living creature, no matter how big or small, has needs that are essential to its survival. Figure out what your potential customer needs; if you are targeting parents your product should reflect their needs to keep their child safe while giving them their love and helping them grow up. Use Maslow's lists to help you focus on the important things.

3. Motivations

These are very similar to needs, the difference is that while a need is always a motivation, a motivation is not always a need. Say you want to win a soapbox derby. This is not a need, as it is not necessary to your (or your loved ones) survival. It is a motivation for you to work hard on that racer, perhaps find designs on the internet or read a few books on how to design and build one. Find out what motivates your customer to do what they do, and you'll have found an easy way to make them feel like they need your product.

Do you want to learn how to create information products (learning content)? Check out my new free eBook "7 Myths and Seven Tricks in Nine Steps": http://www.learningcreators.com/myths.htm

Do you want to read more free information like this? Go to my blog: http://www.learningcreators.com/blog/

Glen Ford is an accomplished consultant, trainer and writer. He has far too many years experience as a trainer and facilitator to willingly admit.