What Do Customers Think Of Your Product?ByRaymond D. Matkowsky
There is no product or service that satisfies all of your customers. So, what do your customers think? Let’s take this one step further. Why did your sales prospects choose another product over yours? The answers to these questions will possibly lead you to improvements that may leave your competition in the dust.
Your Customers
Your customers are already sold on your product. Overall it is what they need. However, is there anything else they would want to have? You could guess. Many times that is what happens. However, many times that person’s guess is wrong or incomplete. Why go that route when you could simply ask?
Every company has different production schedules, different equipment, and different personnel. Their needs and wants are different. What makes you think a single guess will be good for every situation? You need to ask!
Your present customers most likely use your product on a daily or weekly basis. They have more experience with it than you do. Use that vast amount of knowledge to your benefit.
In some cases, companies use surveys to judge customer sentiment. In my opinion most of these surveys are not quite useless. They usually consist of yes or no or multiple choice questions. Do not form your surveys this way.
You need concrete, detailed, and actionable information! You are not going to get it from a yes or no question. All of your questions should be open ended. Let the customer control the narrative. Your job is to review that narrative and act on it.
Be sure to ask for permission to contact the customer again for further clarification, if need be. Regardless of the answer be sure to thank the customer for his or her time.
Once the project is thought to be complete, offer the customer a pilot plant sample and ask if it meets their desires. If it does, the project is complete.
Sale Prospects
This group can be divided into two subgroups. You have those that have tried your product and rejected it. You also have organizations that have never tried your product. Each one has different reasons. Each one has to be treated differently. Are the reasons technical or subjective? Just like the above, you need actionable information.
If they are technical, you need to find out what they are and is it feasible to meet or exceed the prospect’s desires. If you’re going to make changes, try to entice the prospect with the modified sample. Again, be respectful of the prospect’s time regardless of the outcome. At the very least, the prospect will know that your organization values its customers. That reputation may serve you well in the future. Subjective reasons can vary infinitely. You may have very little ability to challenge them.
If the customer’s reasons are subjective, it may be best to set your company up as a reliable secondary source in cases of unforeseen circumstances.
For prospects that have never tried your product, go back to what your existing customers told you. Their “wish list” may be the hold the elements that may “wow” new prospects.
After Thoughts
It is not cheap, it is very costly to send out pilot plant samples. However, the return on the investment may be many times more. It will also induce a prospect to thoroughly test out your product and report back to you.
If you cannot get the sale, be sure to inform the powers that be, that you are ready to step into an emergency.
If you have any comments, let us know. Email me at rdm@datastats.com. We will try to print it in our next newsletter.
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