The first annual National Day of Listening is on Friday, November 28. This is a StoryCorps project and it got me thinking. Though the focus is on listening to the stories of your loved ones through thoughtful interviews, it seems the same could be done with your customers and clients.
In marketing circles, we often talk about finding out what your customer wants and then deliver. But how do you do that?
The obvious answer is to ask. What you think they want may not be what they actually want. Or what you think is your customer's biggest problem, may not be true.
Here are three ways to listen to your clients and customers:
1) Beyond sending an email to your customers asking for feedback or suggestions, have them complete a survey (SurveyMonkey is an excellent free or low cost survey tool) with specific questions about their challenges and goals.
2) Post a poll on your blog or website. We like Vizu.com for simple 1 question polls. You can find out a lot with one question. See Patsi's poll on the right sidebar of Writing on the Web for an example of Vizu.
3) Use Twitter to find out what's going on for your customers and prospects. Twitter is a fantastic research tool. I've used Twitter to get questions answered, get info for presentations, and get feedback on programs.
And one more way to find out what's up with your clients...have a conversation! We've been having 30 to 60 minute conversations with a lot of people for the last few weeks so we can better understand the challenges facing solo professionals. These conversations are helping us craft the products and services that will best serve our community.
So here's my question(s) for you:
How do you find out what your customers want? What are you doing to keep your finger on the pulse of your clients' wants, needs and challenges?
I'm listening. I will compile your answers and post them with credit to you and a link back to your blog/site.
Comments