Comments on: Leading in the Trenches: How Well Do You Know Your Customers? http://artpetty.com/2009/09/30/leading-in-the-trenches-how-well-do-you-know-your-customers/ Leadership, Management and Professional Development Mon, 21 May 2012 11:19:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Keith Bossey http://artpetty.com/2009/09/30/leading-in-the-trenches-how-well-do-you-know-your-customers/#comment-11556 Keith Bossey Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:05:55 +0000 http://artpetty.com/?p=2560#comment-11556 Art - an excellent post. I particularly liked the exchange between you and your client ("you know...the ones with money").I think you started to touch on a more fundamental issue at the end when speaking about Revlon and selling hope. The act of getting insights into your customers isn't really about them, its about you. These insights need to be used as a mirror, its about exploring who you are as an organization, getting to the truth about what you do, and why it matters to someone. That kernal of information drives everything from strategy, to marketing and sales, to hiring practices, etc. When we do market segmentation studies, the biggest value is often not the research, but the pre-work, where we force executives to look at why they are trying to learn about customers and to explore what that means for them. Again, great post! Art – an excellent post. I particularly liked the exchange between you and your client (“you know…the ones with money”).I think you started to touch on a more fundamental issue at the end when speaking about Revlon and selling hope. The act of getting insights into your customers isn’t really about them, its about you. These insights need to be used as a mirror, its about exploring who you are as an organization, getting to the truth about what you do, and why it matters to someone. That kernal of information drives everything from strategy, to marketing and sales, to hiring practices, etc. When we do market segmentation studies, the biggest value is often not the research, but the pre-work, where we force executives to look at why they are trying to learn about customers and to explore what that means for them. Again, great post!

]]> By: Sunday Six Pack 10-4-09 : Slacker Manager - Management and Leadership Advice – How to Be a Good Manager http://artpetty.com/2009/09/30/leading-in-the-trenches-how-well-do-you-know-your-customers/#comment-11432 Sunday Six Pack 10-4-09 : Slacker Manager - Management and Leadership Advice – How to Be a Good Manager Sun, 04 Oct 2009 17:47:47 +0000 http://artpetty.com/?p=2560#comment-11432 [...] Art Petty shares Leading in the Trenches: How Well Do You Know Your Customers? [...] [...] Art Petty shares Leading in the Trenches: How Well Do You Know Your Customers? [...]

]]> By: Sun-Hua Lin http://artpetty.com/2009/09/30/leading-in-the-trenches-how-well-do-you-know-your-customers/#comment-11286 Sun-Hua Lin Thu, 01 Oct 2009 21:29:32 +0000 http://artpetty.com/?p=2560#comment-11286 Art, Great post! It is always worth spending your time to understand your customer. Talking to my customers usually is my way to understand what my customer need, They may not tell you what they want, but you can observe what they really hope. It takes time, but it totally worth it. In addition, in my opinion, sometimes if we think what are customers really care from their perspective, we won't complain their unreasonable requests and we can figure out why they want it. Art,
Great post! It is always worth spending your time to understand your customer. Talking to my customers usually is my way to understand what my customer need, They may not tell you what they want, but you can observe what they really hope. It takes time, but it totally worth it. In addition, in my opinion, sometimes if we think what are customers really care from their perspective, we won’t complain their unreasonable requests and we can figure out why they want it.

]]> By: Zachary Vernal http://artpetty.com/2009/09/30/leading-in-the-trenches-how-well-do-you-know-your-customers/#comment-11228 Zachary Vernal Thu, 01 Oct 2009 04:56:44 +0000 http://artpetty.com/?p=2560#comment-11228 Art; Wonderful post! Understanding your customer base is essential to be successful in the business world. I cannot tell you how many companies I have worked for in the past that made these same generalities about customer wants that you speak of. More recently, I found myself working for a financial institution that made some drastic changes in order to “better please” the customer. The only problem is that these changes did the opposite. In fact, they caused many of our frequent customers to leave to a competitor. Granted, the city I live in (Reno, NV) is hardly a true representation of this companies customer base a whole, but the idea still applies. Makes you really wonder how they come to these conclusions? Anyways, keep up the good work! Art;
Wonderful post! Understanding your customer base is essential to be successful in the business world. I cannot tell you how many companies I have worked for in the past that made these same generalities about customer wants that you speak of. More recently, I found myself working for a financial institution that made some drastic changes in order to “better please” the customer. The only problem is that these changes did the opposite. In fact, they caused many of our frequent customers to leave to a competitor. Granted, the city I live in (Reno, NV) is hardly a true representation of this companies customer base a whole, but the idea still applies. Makes you really wonder how they come to these conclusions? Anyways, keep up the good work!

]]> By: Mark Allen Roberts http://artpetty.com/2009/09/30/leading-in-the-trenches-how-well-do-you-know-your-customers/#comment-11203 Mark Allen Roberts Wed, 30 Sep 2009 18:26:30 +0000 http://artpetty.com/?p=2560#comment-11203 Great post! Getting to know your customers is truly the Key to adding Value. Unfortunately, some organizations play a dangerous game of follow the leader, in terms of doing what their competitors are doing. Or even worst, they follow their resident HIPPO as I discuss in my blog this week: http://nosmokeandmirrors.wordpress.com/2009/09/29/11-follow-the-leader-is-a-dangerous-game-particularly-when-you-follow-a-hippos/ Great advice Art, Mark Allen Roberts www.outbsolutions.com Great post!

Getting to know your customers is truly the Key to adding Value.

Unfortunately, some organizations play a dangerous game of follow the leader, in terms of doing what their competitors are doing. Or even worst, they follow their resident HIPPO as I discuss in my blog this week: http://nosmokeandmirrors.wordpress.com/2009/09/29/11-follow-the-leader-is-a-dangerous-game-particularly-when-you-follow-a-hippos/

Great advice Art,

Mark Allen Roberts
http://www.outbsolutions.com

]]> By: Art Petty http://artpetty.com/2009/09/30/leading-in-the-trenches-how-well-do-you-know-your-customers/#comment-11200 Art Petty Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:23:42 +0000 http://artpetty.com/?p=2560#comment-11200 Wally, I love the approach. The story/narrative approach is great and your "Only people buy things and they show up in their human complexity" is priceless! Thanks for the value-add. -Art Wally, I love the approach. The story/narrative approach is great and your “Only people buy things and they show up in their human complexity” is priceless! Thanks for the value-add. -Art

]]> By: Wally Bock http://artpetty.com/2009/09/30/leading-in-the-trenches-how-well-do-you-know-your-customers/#comment-11198 Wally Bock Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:51:46 +0000 http://artpetty.com/?p=2560#comment-11198 Excellent post, Art. When I work with new clients on a project where I write web or other marketing copy, there's a particular process I like to use. We start by having the client identify at least six "excellent" customers. We don't do a detailed definition of "excellent," just let them go with their gut. These are real people with names and a life. The client comes up with everything we know about them. If the client will allow it on the project, we contact the individuals for more information. I build a detailed persona or several detailed personae for the client. They describe individual, composite people. Then I write a User Vignette. This is a story of one of my customer personae acting. It might be visiting the site we're preparing, or shopping at the store, or directing a B2B purchase. I developed this over the years because I learned two things the hard way. 1) Markets don't buy things. Consumers don't buy things. Only people buy things and they show up in all their human complexity. 2) Stories or narratives are the best way to describe and understand that complexity. Excellent post, Art. When I work with new clients on a project where I write web or other marketing copy, there’s a particular process I like to use. We start by having the client identify at least six “excellent” customers. We don’t do a detailed definition of “excellent,” just let them go with their gut.

These are real people with names and a life. The client comes up with everything we know about them. If the client will allow it on the project, we contact the individuals for more information.

I build a detailed persona or several detailed personae for the client. They describe individual, composite people. Then I write a User Vignette. This is a story of one of my customer personae acting. It might be visiting the site we’re preparing, or shopping at the store, or directing a B2B purchase.

I developed this over the years because I learned two things the hard way. 1) Markets don’t buy things. Consumers don’t buy things. Only people buy things and they show up in all their human complexity. 2) Stories or narratives are the best way to describe and understand that complexity.

]]> By: Art Petty http://artpetty.com/2009/09/30/leading-in-the-trenches-how-well-do-you-know-your-customers/#comment-11196 Art Petty Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:36:36 +0000 http://artpetty.com/?p=2560#comment-11196 Thanks, Susan! Great follow-on questions...and suggestions. Before I launch here on trying to address those, I'm interested in how others might address them. You've got me thinking of some follow-on posts for this critical topic! -Art Thanks, Susan! Great follow-on questions…and suggestions. Before I launch here on trying to address those, I’m interested in how others might address them. You’ve got me thinking of some follow-on posts for this critical topic! -Art

]]> By: Susan Mazza http://artpetty.com/2009/09/30/leading-in-the-trenches-how-well-do-you-know-your-customers/#comment-11194 Susan Mazza Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:21:54 +0000 http://artpetty.com/?p=2560#comment-11194 "Quit talking about customers as an amorphous glob of individuals that you bill." Well said!! You have me thinking about how the mantra "the customer is always right" still seems to pervade the thinking of many on customer service. It leads to keep the customer happy at all costs - not particularly healthy for individuals or a business! Do you think this particular belief is still ingrained or is it changing? I am also interested in what you think are other underlying beliefs about customers and customer service that get in the way of cultivating customer relationships that serve everyone involved. Excellent post Art. I really like where you are taking us. “Quit talking about customers as an amorphous glob of individuals that you bill.” Well said!!

You have me thinking about how the mantra “the customer is always right” still seems to pervade the thinking of many on customer service. It leads to keep the customer happy at all costs – not particularly healthy for individuals or a business!

Do you think this particular belief is still ingrained or is it changing? I am also interested in what you think are other underlying beliefs about customers and customer service that get in the way of cultivating customer relationships that serve everyone involved.

Excellent post Art. I really like where you are taking us.

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