Why is it so obvious that we need to understand and know our customers, and yet often so hard to actually accomplish this goal?
QwikCoach has often stressed a theme rooted in much of our work — the need for self-awareness — and has discussed the benefits of asking ourselves regularly what we really know about our customers and being focused on treating customers the way they would wish to be treated.
Dr. Tony Alesandra developed the Platinum Rule to help people really GET that point.
Keep this framework in mind as you strive to better know, understand, and support the most important people you work with — your customers.
Two other issues (in our opinion) make knowing customers especially difficult right now.
- Technology
- Simply put, technology sometimes provides a false sense of understanding. The reason company x is offering you another book on history has more to do with an algorithm than a true personal understanding of who you are as a person.
- We accept that now — which is great — and realize that this does provide a level of customer response that is amazing.
- However, when you treat your customers as if everything about them can be linked to an algorithm you short change business opportunities and relationships that are based on a deeper and more personal connection.
- The Pace of Business
- Speed makes most things better but not all things.
- Take relationships for example. Developing strong relationships takes time, attention, and effort. And, in reality, there is not enough time for forming multiple deep relationships in today’s workplace.
- BUT THERE IS AN EXCEPTION — your key customers — the critical individuals or groups that are absolutely worth your time to get to know and cultivate deep and meaningful relationships with. Why? Because ultimately, it’s the people you know — not just what you know — that makes the real difference!
So — who are your key customers? Consider these four basic “groups” . . .
- Your immediate boss is always a key relationship. Do you know what’s critically important to your boss? Do you know about his or her home/family/personal interests? Could you on any given day speak with confidence about his or her priorities?
- At least 3 or 4 key people who work in different parts of the organization. You never have enough information about the overall the landscape and knowing key people in your organization deeply. Do you have people you know in finance, marketing, human resources, or other key functions that can give you insights into what the trends are right now? Do you have people you trust enough to share a current problem or issue you might be having with your boss or peers?
- The customer who receives the output of your work beyond your boss? That person could be a vendor, an internal or external person, or a team that uses your efforts to accomplish their work. These are people worth “investing in” — to really know and understand them at a deeper level.
- People who do what you do in other places — those who share a passion for the core of what you do and how you do it. They may not be customers yet, but they well might be the source of your next opportunity.
The workplace of deep, lasting, and amazing friendships and close personal relationships is gone in its original sense, but not completely. It never will be. Human one-to-one relationships are still critical to getting work done and having fun doing it. Never forget that! No matter how fast you are moving, or how busy you are discovering another way to make things move faster, the quality of your relationships with “significant others” will make the difference — between just “getting the job done” and being truly exceptional.
Additional Insights . . .
- Video
In order to build great relationships, listening is key. This is a well worn phrase and yet, it still alludes us. This Ted Talk on listening is one of the best received and rated. We think you will learn something that will help you actually build those customer relationships so central to life and work success.
5 ways to listen better
- Additional Reading
The element most illusive in building great relationships is trust. Without trust, relationships are shallow and really just a series of transactions that do not allow for deepening intimacy. This book takes a deeper look at the trust issue and how to actually build trust more easily and effective. For many people in this complex world where trusting others can seem naïve, this book is a must.
The Courage to Trust: A Guide to Building Deep and Lasting Relationships