What do customers want?

I found myself asking this question more than once, and to other creative makers as well. Just what does the customer want? I'll find myself asking this a lot at art shows while observing the customer as they shop. And I talk to other artists. It seems one year you make one type of product, it doesn't go over; the next year you try something else, it doesn't sell- just what does the customer want?

WIIFM: "What's in it for me?" This is the big statement that I hear lots of professionals speak on. This is what the customer is asking themselves. So in essence, the customer is looking for what they will get from your product. What value will it bring to their lives? What are the benefits of the product? If it is not a product based on "need", just what are the benefits that the customer will receive from purchasing your product?

I think some of this can be answered by how inviting you make your booth presentation to the customer. Does you booth invite the customer in and make them feel at home and at ease to shop?

On the other hand, shopping on-line is another story altogether. And I think it is much harder to speak the customer's language and make a sale, because there are so many factors that come into play.

~Gaining the customer's trust
~Creating good photos that showcase your product's best features
~Getting the customer to like you
~Getting the customer to see the value in your product
~And ultimately, getting the customer to make the purchase

This still brings up lots of questions to me about how to build that great customer relationship. One which I will be exploring here soon. Do you know what your customers want? Feel free to leave me comments below. We could all learn from them. And if you consider yourself a customer as well, I'd like to hear your comments too! Thanks for sharing!