Client testing. Easy peasy.
Marketers are embracing data in all areas but one – testing value propositions and campaign ideas with clients. We know which email subject line works best and what content is most popular, but very rarely gather robust client intelligence on whether the proposition is relevant and valuable, or the campaign interesting and actionable.
This is a missed opportunity to improve the commercial success of marketing. According to CEB, just 3% of the leads marketers create actually convert into revenue. We need to take every opportunity to maximise impact.
Client testing is the key. Done right it uncovers the insight needed early to create appealing and targeted campaigns, and provides certainty that your proposition and messages will be strong enough to drive sales. The good news is that it needn’t take up huge amounts of time or budget.
To test or not to test
Marketers are put off the idea of buyer testing for a few reasons:
“We don’t have time.” Testing is perceived as laborious and time consuming – adding weeks to already tight campaign timelines. When you’re trying to deliver multiple campaigns each year, the idea of testing every proposition and campaign idea is justifiably daunting.
“We don’t have any more money.” Developing campaigns can be an expensive business and every cost must be justified. Running tests has typically been eye-wateringly expensive and seen as adding further complexity to already intricate projects.
“We already know what our clients think.” Organisations frequently ask clients for feedback and input, so question how much they will learn from testing. Is there really more value to unlock?
“We can’t change the campaign anyway.” Campaign themes are often set at a global level. Service-line, sector or in-country marketers therefore see little merit in testing when the direction is already set.
“We’re not sure how to test.” Understanding what to test and how to do it effectively is a stumbling block for many marketers. Without knowing where to focus your time to make the biggest impact, it can feel safer not to try – especially when it comes to precious relationships with prospective buyers.
It doesn’t have to be this way.
It’s client testing, but not as you know it
We live by these four principles to remove hassle and maximise value from buyer testing:
Start small. Good testing doesn’t mean expensive focus groups or labour intensive surveys. It’s about focus and prioritisation. Five 30 minute interviews with clients or potential buyers is enough to see clear trends in the feedback. What’s resonating and what’s on. First act on the comments and then, if you like, do another five interviews to hone the message further. We like to include interviews with ‘live’ prospects wherever possible – our clients say that involving them in the process helps to progress sales conversations for relevant services.
Use a prototype. It’s hard to give meaningful feedback on an abstract idea or a collection of phrases in a flat document. Help respondents give constructive feedback by creating a realistic prototype that shows your proposition or campaign in action. Perhaps in an email, landing page or report. Create a few versions in your brand and build your buyer interview around it. The prototype doesn’t need to be perfect – it’s about giving the audience enough context to determine how they would act.
Steer toward action. Open questions can encourage unhelpful, negative responses. Don’t ask “What do you think of X”. Instead focus on action. Ask “Has this convinced you to do Y?” or “What one change would improve Z” to test the strength of the idea.
Ask why. Don’t stop with the first question. Always follow up positively, not defensively. If clients aren’t taking the action that you want, why not? Is there something that they just don’t buy? Or is the problem you have diagnosed not one that they recognise? This insight is gold for maximising impact.