Even in good times, knowing what your customers want is a key to your success. When the going gets rough, it becomes critical.
In the New York Times “Tool Kit,” Paul B. Brown shares expert ideas on how to get inside your customer’s minds, like:
- Be Aggressive: While it sounds basic, Brown says that if you really want to know what a customer wants and needs, ask them. He quotes Terri Schepps, a customer service consultant, who notes that many small companies do “passive” customer analysis, but don’t go out and seek real feedback, which is essential in both keeping customers happy and gaining new ones.
- Make It Easy: Don’t say you want feedback from your customers and then make it difficult for them to provide it. In today’s customer-centric environment, you need to be reachable so that your calls for feedback are taken seriously. For example, provide telephone and email contact information (preferably a direct email versus a generic business address that isn’t checked frequently) on your website.
- Ask Your Employees: Nobody understands what your customer’s want better than your sales staff, who connect with customers on a daily basis. Be sure to conduct regular meetings to swap ideas and information.
- Focus: Jon Hall, chief executive of consumer research firm SpencerHall, says it is important to concentrate your efforts on things you “need to know” versus those that are “nice to know.” For example, in tough economic times, he says it is more important to learn the shifting habits of your core customer versus your potential ones.
Take The Tip:
Click here to read the full New York Times Tool Kit on “What do Customers Really Want? Here’s How to Find Out.”
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