Elise was reading a brilliant book and recommended it me. Marcus Sheridan's "They Ask You Answer" is a really interesting approach and straightforward guide to fixing marketing strategy. It focuses on high quality online content which draws in, engages and convinces customers. But that's nothing new; everyone has been saying the same thing for the last few years. What's different, and really compelling, is Marcus' approach of total openness and honesty.
We must all realise that if that our customers are using online resources and expect to become well researched before any major purchase. They will seek opinions and reviews. "They Ask You Answer" recommends that you feed that desire and explain everything to customers. Tell them the upsides and downsides or your product. Where yours is best, and where its not. In short all of the questions that customers really want to know.
And that got me thinking. What we need to do is to ditch FAQ's (Freqently Asked Questions) and replace them with FUQ (Frequently Unanswered Questions)
I immediately looked online at a few pieces of product marketing that I've been party to creating and I saw them in a whole new light. They are professional pieces of work, but they are brochure-ware and blogs. They have a defined point of view - they are selling rather than educating or informing. I realised that they ignore some really substantial FUQ's - the kind questions that every prospect will have rumbling in the back of their mind. The list of FUQ's is massive, but lets start with the following examples;
- Is this product better than any other and why? Under what conditions is it not the best and why is another better?
- What is the process to gain the full benefit? How long and hard is it to get there? Do some customers fail to get there and why?
.... and of course the biggest FUQ of all; the one every customer wants, and needs, to know and yet is so often obscured - How much is it? How do I know its great value and that I won't be overcharged? Are there other costs? How does this compare with alternatives?
Imagine that your online prospect can research all of this on your website. Two things will happen. They will trust you more, and they will be better qualified as leads. Others will have gone elsewhere realising that you don't have what they want; not yet anyway!
Creating a list of FUQ's will be challenging. The Questions will be easy to create, they will fall from your lips. But answering them will challenge your perception of what you should and shouldn't say to a customer. And that's interesting. We want Customers to trust us to deliver their dream, we want them to believe us. But earning that trust begins with honesty. So bring on the FUQ's!