Really Understand Your Customers

People in business welcome challenges. And if you are like us, one challenge you love is trying to understand customers. But how hard are you trying? How many ways are you trying? 30? 5? 2?

These numbers aren’t all that meaningful, but here’s what counts—get to know your customers well-- what makes them tick, what motivates them to act, why they like brand x but loathe brand y--and there is a good chance you will come up with the insight that launches a thousand ships, makes your company a billion dollars, and puts you in the marketing rock star hall of fame.

Just think about it. Someone, one day, understood the hassle of sorting and sharing personal music and iTunes was created. Another someone, years before that, knew families well enough to come up with the idea that led to the minivan.

Really understanding your customers takes a well thought out plan with priorities, multiple approaches, and some coin. (The good news is that the research techniques you need to use to understand customers are coming down in price faster than a spec condo building in Vegas). You need an in depth understanding of habits, actions and the motivations behind your customers' actions. Why did they buy? What are they thinking of doing next?

We understand that today’s budgets are squeezed more than ever, so it’s important to focus your customer understanding agenda on your most important types of customers. Especially today, it is better to have a multi-dimensional understanding of the customers that count than a slice of insight into all customers and prospects.

Customer Engagement Strategies believes that really understanding customers is one of the keys to engaging in conversations, building relationships, and achieving business success.

Let’s start the conversation.