What Your Customers Really Want
Figuring out what your customers want can be a puzzle - with so many channels of communication to keep track of and different categories of customers, it can be overwhelming. Below, I’m breaking down some of my top strategies to help you connect with your customers on a deeper level.
Listen to What They are Saying
Are you really listening to your customers or just assuming what they want? Always pay close attention to comments on social media, customer reviews (both good and bad) and recordings or transcripts of customer service interactions.
Additionally, one of the best ways to get deeper information is by having conversations with your most loyal customers. Setting up virtual or in-person meetups for a casual conversation can really unlock deep insights into their current and future needs.
Look at What They are Doing
What products of yours are flying off the shelves? Are there any seasonal trends? What current trends can you spot from your sales data? Incredible insights can also be had when pairing your sales data with trends you currently spot in your industry.
You can also learn a great deal from the reasons for product returns or service complaints. Adjustments can quickly be made in product design or service delivery to ensure your customers remain happy and keep buying from you.
Look Beyond the Product / Service
Many customers now seek a holistic product / service that adds value to their lives and business. For example, Amazon lets customers “Buy Now” in 1 click and create subscriptions that make their purchasing journey effortless.
Netflix recommends personalized content, while Apple's Genius Bar proactively solves tech issues. It's not just about the product, but creating an experience that makes customers feel understood, valued and well served.
Stay Ahead of the Curve
Your customers might not always know what they want next and your ability to anticipate these wants can be a major competitive advantage. Stay on top of industry trends with forecasting tools, conferences, webinars and subscribe to industry analysts and news publications.
Keeping tabs on your competitors is another tactic - create Google alerts for key competitors, analyze their patent filings and monitor their marketing campaigns to better understand their movements.
Lean Back into Human Connection
While artificial intelligence and analytics can offer incredible efficiency, customers still want a genuine human connection. Like anyone, they want to feel understood, valued and seen as just more than a transaction.
The most reliable customer insight will come from interactions with them. Training customer service staff to actively listen to their concerns and build rapport can be extremely insightful in understanding needs and wants.
However, including tools for customer sentiment and AI can help decode customer interactions and quickly spot patterns that even customers themselves may not realize.
Understanding what your customers want isn’t about mind-reading or complex algorithms. It’s about paying attention, asking the right questions and always putting the customer first when making business decisions.
Need more help with understanding your customers through market research and competitive analysis? Reply to this email to discuss with me.
- Kristen
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