From my past articles you probably are aware that in Europe 3D Laminates have a much better appeal. The personal perception of Kitchens using 3D Laminates are that they are stylish, modern, durable and easy to care for.
In North America, white thermofoil has been the low cost option to a solid wood Kitchen and the sales pipeline still does not have a solid grasp on how exactly to market Kitchens or closets using 3D Laminates.
For this article I will be discussing "Perceptual Filters" and how they shape who YOU are, who your CLIENT is and then address how we can De-Filter.
Let's begin....
Everyone you come in contact with is affected by "perceptual filters." This may sound like Marketing Jargon (which it is) but its pretty self explanatory. We all put filters on things and therefore perceive them differently.
Perception is how we see ourselves in the world we live in. All of our thoughts are a result of information that has been consciously or subconsciously filtered as we experience it and then process it.
Perception is formed by the following:
-Exposure (seeing an advertisement or samples.)
-Attention (whether you give the attention to what you see or hear. Usually there is something about the ad or samples that attract you)
-Awareness (assigning meaning to what you have seen or heard. You will be aware if you view it to be relative to you)
-Retention (remembering what you have seen or heard. Was the experience memorable?)
Finding perceptual filters for your potential customers can be easy however finding your own perceptual filters can be quite challenging. Lets examine:
1. YOUR DEMOGRAPHICS: Where did you grow up; in a city, in the suburbs, in the country? Do you think this affects your view of what colors you like and don't like? Do you think you ever apply your filter of taste and assume that your customer will have the same tastes?
2. YOUR CUSTOMER POOL: Is your customer pool tainted towards your tastes, your product offering? For example, if you or your company initially sold your components or products on price to get into the business then inevitably you attracted customers who care too much about price. Does this filtered set of customers make you believe that there is not a market for nicer colors or for customers who will pay more for better door profiles? Although this may or may not be you the same can be said for design or color offering.
Essentially your existing customers are drawn to your line because of what you currently offer and then through the correspondence with your customer you will come to believe that their tastes are reflective of the entire market.
Do you see how your filters make you take action which then attracts a certain customer which then only fills your head with more of the same?
Now lets look at your potential customer's perpetual filters and see how we may break through.
1. CUSTOMER'S DEMOGRAPHICS: So if a potential customer says "I don't like this Cherry, its too red for me" You can then address why. What about this Cherry don't YOU personally like? It sells very well for us and I'm certain you'll find that it will sell well for your clients too. Although I agree that its a bit red the match is outstanding and customers seem to be drawn to its clean look....
By applying logic to address your customer's "filter" you are then able to change their filter in fact. The next time the customer sees that Cherry they will see it in a different light. They will view it as a sensible Cherry that fits into the market and obviously has appeal to others.
2. YOUR CUSTOMER'S FILTERS: Often your customer's filters inhibit the sales of your components. Allow me to explain.
Lets say that you don't carry a High Gloss 3D Laminate, your customers aren't asking for a High Gloss so can you conclude that there is not a demand for High Gloss? Not necessarily.
Lets imagine that your customer previously sold thermofoil only for single family home developers and now their main business is selling single Kitchens to existing home owners. Your customer may say "nobody is asking for High Gloss" but this is a mistake. Consumers shop initially to research "What they like" then they narrow it down to "Whom they want to give that business to". Only through displaying and promoting can a product have a chance.
So this is where you attempt to de-filter your client's perceptions. You could explain that Euro style Kitchens can be sold for $20 to $40K whereas a raised panel door "replica kitchen" typically retails for $5K to $15K, for example. Or if a company says they do not use 3D Laminates you could use other information to de-filter their negative frame of reference with our product segment.
CONCLUSION:
In conclusion, perceptual filters can have a huge impact on how we think and the decisions that we make. Only through understanding our own weaknesses or the weaknesses that are applicable to all humans can we grow and learn to communicate more effectively with one another.
I hope that this article has given you more insight on how our perceptions create filters and how identifying them can be the start of breaking through and going to the next level.
