This week, we’re changing things up a bit! In this Proofpoint POV episode, we join James Ricks and Joseph Lewin to revisit “Ep. 21 Ryan Gibson – Customer Research Drives Revenue Growth.” We’ll explore even deeper insights in the realm of customer research.
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
- It’s important to NEVER conflate assumptions about customers with systematic, empirically-based, customer research.
- If you’re not hearing directly from the customer, you’re operating based on assumptions and guesswork. Can you say waste of time and money?!
- Don’t know what a customer means? ASK THEM TO CLARIFY. This is such a simple strategy but is still shockingly underutilized. “Tell me more about that.”
- Don’t just ask your customers WHAT they think, but WHY they think it!
- Every customer delivers helpful insights in their own way.
- Every customer interview is unique and should be treated as such, before, during and after engagement.Use customer interviews to tailor and then incorporate specific, data-driven language in your copywriting.
- A little thesaurus never hurt anybody! Beware of overutilized industry “buzzwords” in your marketing language:
- “Camaraderie,” “storytelling,” “optimize,” “pipeline.”
- Customers see right through these and have a harder time connecting with you when they feel you are not being organic or genuine with them.
- Make sure that by the end of every customer interview, you have actual ACTIONABLE items and that you can move on, NOT just vague highlights or data patterns.
- How to achieve this? Prep for interviews by creating a list of specific objectives to adhere to.
- Don’t underestimate the value of follow-up interviews! Multi-layered and multi-step interviews with customers tend to reveal insights that are more robust and much further-reaching in their impact.
- When doing customer interviews, make sure to weave in questions that elicit emotional responses as well as fact-based responses.
- Asking a customer to clarify how they feel about a particular aspect of their business or project can also round out insights.
- AVOID use of “double-barreled” questions:
- These are more common than you’d think! These are questions that, despite leaving room for only one answer, are asked in such a way that they touch on multiple issues.
Learn more about James & Joseph:
- James’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricksjrr/
- Joseph’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-lewin/
Connect with Mike & Gaby @ Proofpoint Marketing:
- Mike’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikegrinberg/
- Gaby’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriellaisrael/
- LinkedIn Company Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/company/proofpoint-marketing-llc
- Proofpoint YouTube Channel: http://bit.ly/ProofpointonYouTube
- Proofpoint Marketing Website: www.proofpoint.marketing
