Different marketing approaches attract different buyer personality types. For some kinds of buyers, hearing (or seeing) the journey of an example client helps them imagine the journey they would be on if they buy what you sell. It can put a human element to your products or services and allow them to picture themselves going through a similar journey. Yet, many small businesses need to maintain a level of client confidentiality. So, how do you reconcile the need that some buyers have to feel the experiential impact of your services with the principle of maintaining client confidentiality in your marketing?
Today’s topic is an interesting one, because there could be many reasons for your need to maintain confidentiality – and many levels of what actually needs to be confidential.
For some industries, such as medical or therapy-related professions, confidentiality is built into the honor code of the practice. You may be regulated by your industry into a standardized privacy policy with very little wiggle room.
Others may consider confidentiality an ethical best practice but not be governed by specific rules around what that entails.
If client confidentiality is on your mind when you are marketing, the best place to start is to look up any rules that you are bound to follow to get the verbatim wording, whether dictated by an industry, a franchisor, privacy policies already outlined by your company, or any other place where legal rules are explained that impact your operations. Once you know exactly what regulations you are committed to uphold, it will be easier to plan for your approach.
If client confidentiality is on your mind when you are marketing, the best place to start is to look up any rules that you are bound to follow to get the verbatim wording. #marketing #business #entrepreneur #smallbusiness #smallbiz
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If you are in the situation where client confidentiality is required, but it is possible to get consent from a client to share some aspect of their journey or a success story, this may be one solution. It allows you to construct the content you want to share and then go to the client for approval to release it in a more public way.
Where consent is not the question at hand, what options do you have? Sharing a client journey could have a variety of levels of how deep you go:
- Sharing their journey in a generic way
- Sharing details of their pain points, process, and outcome
- Sharing their first name, their full name, business name, pseudonym, or no name.
- Sharing a composite example of numerous clients
- Sharing a fake example inspired by typical results
Of course, when you can spotlight a client success and attach a name to it – with their consent – they may end up becoming a partner in your marketing, especially in the case of B2B customers. If they feel proud of their journey or like it is good publicity for their own business, they may feel honored by your choice to share it and go as far as to share it, too. Some industries that deal with more sensitive subject matter may not have that perk, but others will.
If you show an example of your best client or best success, you will generally want to share “results not typical” or a similar statement, which is a legal consideration.
For the buyers who truly need to envision their experience with your product or service before they commit to it, the more detail on the journey itself, the better. If you can call out pain points they may be dealing with right now, then illustrate for them what working with you or using your product or service will look like for them, THEN show them what kind of outcome to expect and how you will relieve their pain point, they will be more inclined to give it a try.
For the buyers who truly need to envision their experience with your product or service before they commit to it, the more detail on the journey itself, the better. #marketing #business #entrepreneur #smallbusiness #smallbiz #biztips
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Of course, not every buyer needs this type of information. Some want facts and data. Some want information about how what you sell will be better than other options or their own status quo. Some will be most motivated by an emotional appeal. A customer journey may not be a useful selling point for all types. But, how can you serve those who DO need it?
So, when it comes to maintaining client confidentiality while showcasing client journeys or client successes, don’t assume that there is no option for you until you explore it. If you can find the right path ethically and legally, it may be the thing that helps your client understand your value. At the end of the day, you’re there to help them, and this is one way to enable them to see that.
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