Fearful Of Interviewing Customers After Key Engagements?

Quality Reviews

Identify Gaps After Important Customer Projects

• Customer Experience
• Products and Services
• Attitudes and Behaviors
• Easy To Do Business With
• Customer Facing Processes
• Touch Points
• Channels
• Complementary Partners
• Communications

Prove Total Customer Satisfaction by gaining approval for logical next steps, referrals, new ideas, and customer participation in authoring success stories.

Discover Uncontrollable Business Risks: Competition, technology, economic, social, regulatory.

Interview The Customer, Partners And Team

Your interviewer must be perceptive about things that are difficult or unclear so that you can gain a deep understanding and insight about your business.

Marketing Dollars Better Spent On Customer Experience Management

Customer Experience Management

You Will Be Much More Successful When You Create A Great Experience At Each Touch Point

If actual experiences don't live up to your promise, what good is it for you to attract attention with any form of content marketing?  Instead, consider investing marketing dollars in your CEM culture rather than spending it on image promotion.

Rather than tooting your horn it's better to provide pleasant surprises at every touch point, especially if you can identify and differentiate each touch point visitor according to their needs, the value they bring to your company, and their stage in the buying process.  This will enable you to tailor an individual experience based on what you know about them.

Each stage of the buying cycle has make it or break it touch points.  For example, in the pre-purchase stage your blog, social networks, website and contact center will be key factors in determining if the prospect decides to invite you to discuss a solution to their problem or opportunity.  If they enter the purchase stage, your sales rep becomes very important along with store layout, packaging and ordering process.  Once they've become a customer, you want them to return and also to refer you to others. So, in the post-purchase stage, things like ease of use, customer service, newsletter tips and loyalty programs become key "stay in touch" points.

You'll need a process that is supported by the right marketing automation tools to make this happen.  Begin with content, layout, graphics and video that capture initial attention so that people will want to begin their customer experience journey. They will move to the next logical step in the buying process as long as each prior touch point experience is positive.

By John Bernardi

Fight For Your Customer But Don't Annoy Your Boss

Sales Reps Walk A Fine Line

They Fight For The Optimal Customer Experience

And Do What's Right For The Company

Smart sales reps don't present a CEM recommendation until they have have earned credibility.  In the beginning while learning about the company's products, services and touch points, they strive to understand its CEM capabilities in each area so that they don't promise more than they can deliver.

As you develop your sales practice, identify the company's CEM gaps based on customer feedback, competitive pressures and your own desire to excel.  Earn the right with your boss by achieving the goals and objectives assigned to you.

After you have earned credibility, become a CEM evangelist who can influence the company's CEM to its next level.  Implement your own internal drip marketing campaign after you have prioritized the touch points that need attention.  Recommend two ideas at a time to your boss based on this prioritized list.

Customers and partners will take notice and become more loyal while introducing you to new prospects.

By John Bernardi

Teach New Customers How To Benefit From Your Relationship

 Manage Expectations With A New Customer Welcome Package

An excellent way to begin each new business relationship

• Welcome letter from a company officer reinforces the sales proposal's promise
• Contact information - customer, company, channel partners
• Date for kick-off meeting to review timelines, responsibilities, potential pitfalls and status meeting schedule
• Warranties and how to request maintenance services
• Invoice and A/R process
• How to request a proposal for future services
• How to place a purchase order

An Important Synergy - Your Employees Will Benefit

If you teach new customers how to do business with your company, your people will be more efficient and better able to leverage their competencies for serving customers and finding new ones. They will be more effective in creating logical next step opportunities with each customer. They will help your company to learn from customer feedback. They will introduce referrals early in the relationship.

A totally satisfied customer will strengthen the company’s portfolio of success stories. So, start the relationship on a positive note.

Quality Reviews Retain Customers and Earn Referrals

Quality Reviews Prove Your Commitment To Total Client Satisfaction

Don't fear what you might learn about your company. It will set the stage for growth.

After important projects or sales, a quality review debriefing between you and your client verifies that desired results were achieved and discovers gaps requiring resolution. It recognizes those that contributed valiantly.  It reveals your company's weaknesses that need to be addressed along with strengths that can be leveraged en route to being selected for the next opportunity. It gives the client confidence to refer you to others who have a similar challenge.

Business Relationships

There Will Always Be Someone Who Wants To Eat Your Lunch

The only way to create and then strengthen interpersonal business relationships is to help each contact achieve goals, minimize risk, enjoy what they're doing, eliminate pain, etc.

All the personal stuff is fluff [golf, football tickets, lunch, etc.] that will make a difference only if job #1 is accomplished.

First, get to know their company and industry before attempting to gain personal credibility with them. 

Then, make sure they know if you have a strong business relationship with others that they admire in their own organization.  It lessens their risk in partnering with you because they don't have to be the first.

Continually add value just to maintain your relationship because someone else that they've discovered on their own in this new world of self-service marketing has come along without your knowing it.