I recently read in a blog published by Neil Patel, that according to Teradata, only 41% of businesses are using customer engagement data to inform their marketing strategy.
Despite this, brands continue to neglect the customer before and after the sale. The biggest barrier to even beginning is usually the lack of a deep understanding of the customer in the first place.
Having a comprehensive understanding of your customers is key to business, no matter its size or industry. Here are 5 secrets to help you understand your customer.
Curiosity – Practice eccentric listening, so more than simply understanding what they are saying, use that information as a catalyst to insights. How many customer surveys do we fill in to then realise nothing was done about the feedback? How frustrating does that feel? Don’t simply ask for feedback, listen to it and actively act on it.
Grounding – Understand the deep aspirations and desires of your customer, not only what they might ‘need’ at any given transaction. Go deeper and allow your business to be inspired by your customers’ deepest aspirations and dreams.
Discovery – Help your customers feel a valuable part of the ‘ideas process’ of your business. Let them be involved in the decision of what you offer them; how you deliver on those offerings.
Trust – One of the central components of trust is a history of promise-keeping. Making a promise and delivering it consistently is what builds a strong brand.
Passion – Passion is essential to customer service and satisfaction. It gives you a clear mission that enables you to pay attention to your customer’s needs and put them before profits.