One thing I’ve noticed that separates dialed-in businesses from those that spend a lot of time guessing and hoping, is the frequency and depth with which they talk to their prospects, customers, and clients.
Frequency:
Talk to your people and get their unfiltered feedback as often as you can. Markets change, your offer’s relative position and value changes, people change.
Relying on that one, big feedback-gathering spree from years ago means you’re not seeing see the whole picture.
(Though by all means kick off significant projects with a big spree. It provides a robust snapshot of how people are feeling now.)
Depth:
Don’t rely on testimonials, multiple-choice surveys, and Net Promoter Score forms. You need to go deeper if you want to get to the good stuff.
(i.e. an actual understanding of their needs, pains, objections, wants, and delights.)
Ideally, you want to:
- Set up ~40-minute interviews with 6-10 customers.
- Send surveys peppered with open-answer questions.
- Set up on-site pop-ups to poll non-customer visitors.
It’s a lot, but it’s worth it.
Happy gathering,
James
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