Figure Out What Your Clients Really Want (Even Before They Do)

Ever wished for the ability to read the minds of your clients?

I know I have! After all, it would be great to predict exactly what they want to buy and when. And then deliver it with confidence that clients will purchase.

Determining what your customers really want and need is easier said than done. The quick answer of course is to just ask your clients what they need.

Customer feedback is an invaluable source of information about your current products, what works, and what isn’t working. But clients only know what they’ve seen and used. They aren’t always a good source of information for your next course or program.

So how do you determine what your customers truly want next?

Wants vs Needs

First, let’s consider the difference between what clients want as opposed to what they need.

Client needs are the meat and potatoes of your program or course. These are the elements they need to meet their goals and be successful.

Think in terms of content… if you’re a career coach, a resume and cover letter are a client need. For a business coach, a sales funnel is a client need. For your program to help clients achieve your big promise, it must deliver on these needs.

Wants are the gravy on the plate. These are things your clients desire from your program, but they aren’t critical to success. These could be things like worksheets, or Trello boards. They’re useful and serve to separate you from your competition, but they’re not essential.

4 tips for learning what customers really want

Figure out the problem you’re trying to solve

Pay attention to trends

Get to know your clients and their goals

Ask for feedback

Addressing client wants and needs is critical for your long-term business success. Let’s take a look at 4 ways you can identify what your customers truly desire.

Figure out the problem you’re trying to solve

Sometimes your clients’ real problems are difficult for them to express. A famous example of this is Henry Ford.

Back when horses were our main transportation method, Henry Ford asked his prospective customers what improvements they’d like to see in transportation. Their response was “a faster horse”.

When you can dive deep into what your customers need, and figure out their “real” problems, you have the insight you need to create programs that will delight them.

Pay attention to trends

There are two types of trends you need to keep up with: business trends and client trends such as course completion rates.

The needs and wants of your customers constantly change. You need to pay attention to what’s happening in your field of expertise as well as in the general business community to understand what no longer works, and what innovations are coming in the future.

You also need to understand what’s happening with the programs you currently offer. Where do clients consistently get stuck? Do they watch your videos to completion, or do they stop halfway through? This type of user data is invaluable as you develop your next offer.

Get to know your clients and their goals

If you want to stay ahead of your clients’ changing needs, you need to find out everything you can about them and the problems they need to solve in their business.

Establish an active relationship and focus on their behavior. How are they using your program or service? Are they active in your program community? Why did they purchase your program? What are their goals?

Once you know the answer to these questions, you’ll have a better understanding of what is motivating your customers and how to address that in the future.

Ask for feedback

As we mentioned, customer feedback is an important aspect of understanding what’s working in your current program and what might be missing.

Customers can only tell you what they think they want now. We’re interested in learning what they don’t know they want.

Look at the feedback you receive and ask yourself what areas your clients need extra support. When you approach customer feedback as a problem solving strategy, chances are your next program will be a success.

What’s in it for you?

Knowing what your clients want helps you position your business and your brand better. You’re able to stand out from your competition simply because your program is more relevant for your customers.

In addition, you’ll have a better feeling for what your clients may need help with. You’ll be able to anticipate their questions, offer quicker solutions, and deliver great customer service.

As a result, you’ll be able to bring in more clients and increase your profits.

FAQs

How can I learn what my clients really want?

When used together, these 4 strategies will help you anticipate your clients’ needs.

Figure out the problem you’re trying to solve

Pay attention to trends

Get to know your clients and their goals

Ask for feedback

What’s the difference between a client want and a client need?

Client wants are the things that set you apart from others in your space. They aren’t critical to your clients’ success, but they are really nice to have.

Client needs are the things your program delivers that are essential for your clients to meet their goals and be successful.

Why don’t I ask my customers what they want?

You should! You just need to keep in mind that customers can only tell you what they think they want. They can’t tell you what they don’t know they want.

Final thoughts

The fact is that, as a coach, your clients are your business. To win and keep them, you need to anticipate their future needs and wants.

If you don’t have a plan on how to serve your customers tomorrow, your business will stop growing, or worse start shrinking.

The four tips we’ve discussed here will help stay one step ahead. The key is developing the processes in your business to implement these strategies.

Systems with Strategy is an all in one platform where you can easily build your membership or group coaching program and integrate it with our CRM and email system, community, funnels, help desk, and more.

Some of the quick wins you can get from our platform include meaningful customer data, a built-in community to foster client relationships, and systems to easily obtain customer feedback. You can find out more about Systems with Strategy here, and start your free 14-day trial to take our system for a test drive.