Heat, sun, noise, sand, people sitting less than a metre away from you… A morning on the beach with my family in the 1990’, somewhere in the Costa Brava. Hell on earth.
“Aguaaaaa!! Agüita fresca!! Coca-Cola, Cerveza, Fanta!!! Aguaaaaa….!!!!” A man carrying cold drinks on his back was walking towards us to save our day.
“Perfect!” A man next to us said to his wife. “I’m dying for a cold drink”. He had this annoying, deep, loud voice.
The drink man gave him 2 small bottles of water.
“600 pesetas, señor.”
“Wait, what? It’s almost double the price than in the chiringuito!”
“Oh, but this is not the same water, señor.”
“What do you mean? Of course, it is! It’s the same brand. Look, I bought it there before.”
“No, señor; it’s not the same.”
“Are you kidding me!?” The man was offended. The drink man stayed calm, and continued:
“They look the same, but this water is already here, in your hands, and cold. You didn’t have to do anything to get it. The water in the chiringuito is cheaper, but you have to walk on the scorching sand to get it, wait in the queue next to sweaty people, and then come back. So they’re not the same.
And if you want to pay even less, you can, cross the road, walk past 2 blocks, and then you’ll reach the supermarket. There, you can buy a 2-liter bottle for 50 pesetas. The same brand!”
“Still, it’s too expensive!” He hurled.
“No, señor. I offer a premium service. I suffer, so you don’t have to. Comfort has a price. But don’t worry, I understand that my service is not for everyone”.
The man finally gave him the money, but he was not amused.
Do your customers know the value of your products?
I remembered this story while I was experiencing a similar situation last weekend. And it got me thinking.
How many brands are losing business online, because their customers cannot see the value of their products or services?
Your website is your sales person. It’s meant to have that conversation with your customers, where you not only explain the features of your products, but also the benefits — how it is going to impact your customers’ lives.
Because most of the time, that impact might not be as clear to your customers as it is to you.
When they understand that, they will see beyond the price tag, and they will be more willing to pay the price.
