Physique, Personality, Culture, Self-Awareness
I’m sure your product has all the parts and functionalities that your customers need. But what you want to sell is more than the generic product, you want to sell the “whole product”. The whole product is a generic product augmented by secondary, auxiliary services such as a nice package, polite salesperson, pleasant in-store experience, ease of use, fun on-boarding process and everything else that is required for the user to feel good about putting their money into your pocket. Offering the whole product provides the complete brand experience, tied to the emotions of the prospective buyer. Since buying is an emotional decision, you should invest some time in creating the whole product. These are the layers of a whole product which I like to focus on:
Physique
Physique is a general appearance of the product. Whether it is a package or a landing page, it has to look appealing to your customers. The appearance is what triggers the emotions of your customers. And emotion drives buying decisions. The physique is the first point of contact with the customer so you should address the buyer’s perspective:1. Noticing the package2. Asking “what is it?”3. Wondering “why should I care?”4. Wants to be persuaded5. Needs proofAddressing this flow with your design gives you a good start with your prospective buyer.
Personality
You should focus on the message that you send to your customers. The product you are building should have the same tone of voice as a person which your customers can relate to. This way, they will feel like a part of the tribe. And that feeling, this sense of belonging, builds the trust and makes buying easier. So make sure that you create a character, a persona that reflects your product and enables your customers to relate with that imaginary hero.
Culture
Personality provides an image of a single figure. Often, a single figure is unable to define the culture of the larger group. To define the tribe which your customers want to be part of, you have to share the core values of that tribe. By sharing these values, you give the consumer peace of mind or certainty that you have the same beliefs. The customer accepts the group’s norms, values, and perspectives which makes him a part of the group. And if one of the norms of that group is having your product — everybody will want to have it. So, share your belief. Attract those with the same belief. Same belief builds a tribe and a tribe builds the trust. Furthermore, trust drives decisions and decision controls the behaviour of your buyers.
Self-image
The sense of belonging feels good, but each member of the group is aware of their individualism. This moral stance emphasizes the worth of the individual and values independence and self-reliance. So make sure that your customers are aware of who they are when using the product. What superpowers can they get with the product in their hands? Clearly communicate the achievements they could make. Your customers are more powerful than they think, you just need to give them permission to be their best. They will feel empowered, inspired and eager to try the product out.
Whether you’re launching a start-up, leading an established one, or simply working to get a new product off the ground, you just need to streamline your efforts in creating the whole product. These four layers of the whole product will help you provide an excellent experience for your customers. It does make a difference and makes you stand out from the crowd.
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