I really admire (and want to be like) companies that make a product for a very niche kind of customer and then tailor their message to speak to them specifically. It’s almost as if the owners of the company sat down in a room and sketched out the ideal customer on the wall and said “this is our customer” and then said “if we sell to this kind of customer only, and we never waiver, we will dominate our niche and have fun along the way”. They seem to know that by being different than the businesses (who uses the sawed off shotgun approach trying to sell to anyone who will buy), they will create a loyal, almost cult-like following of like-minded people who will talk about how much they love using the product because it was created for them and others just like them. People tend to hang out with people like themsleves too…so most companies that focus like this can relax a tad on applying sales pressure and expect more word of mouth.

I also admire when the company tells their story too. Just an honest story of why the product was created and some background on the people who built it and the kind of people they are. I like to read about the hobbies of the owners and what makes them tick instead of the awards they’ve won and their success in the past. I can always tell if their story was written for me to read – or for a potential buyer of the business….which is usually never a good thing for customers. In fact – I almost always go to their story first – before I even check the price or click the “learn more” link. If I like the story and can relate to it, I become less price sensitive every time. I think people who will eventually love the product also love to know the story behind the product and understand why it’s here and how it relates to them specifically. I think it helps create an emotional attachment to the product and the brand. So even if the customer outgrows the product or stops using it for whatever reason – they will carry the admiration for that brand with them and continue to tell people about it down the road….even when they are not asked about it.

Wes

p.s pardon my random use of commas and dashes and dot dot dots. I write how I think and not how I was taught to write in school.