| OK, so finding customer commonality is important. If | | | | to go to. If you don't, then the rest of this article is for |
| we know what traits our customers share we can | | | | you. |
| find more customers like them...and market smarter to | | | | We suggest two 45 minute meetings with a team you |
| our existing customers. | | | | trust. Steer the group toward where you want them |
| Employees contact customers on a regular basis. This | | | | to go with some general questions. Open-ended |
| employee experience is a malnourished asset small | | | | questions that don't have a yes/no answer work best |
| business marketers fail to utilize as a vital resource for | | | | to urge on conversation. |
| developing further insight into customer commonality. | | | | Your job as Chief Marketer is to fan the fires of |
| This is understandable in large companies, where | | | | discussion so the group interacts and generates ideas |
| marketing is often far removed from any employees | | | | which you can then implement. Just add some small |
| with frontline customer contact. But, in a small | | | | topics to discuss, throw in a few additional insights now |
| company, chances are you have plenty of direct | | | | and then, and channel the group discussion toward |
| customer contact. If not, then at a minimum you rub | | | | your end goal--understanding customer commonality. If |
| elbows with the people in your company that do. | | | | the topic gets too tangential such as straying into |
| So, the problem in the small company is a bit the | | | | personalities or fixing the company's problems you'll |
| opposite of that in the large company. Large company | | | | have to steer the group gently back on task. |
| marketers sometimes don't know the employees with | | | | Why not just dole out a survey to the employees you |
| direct customer contact; small company marketers | | | | choose and let them fill it out when they get a |
| mistakenly believe that since they have frequent | | | | chance? Key insights emerge when people share their |
| customer contact they know the customers quite well. | | | | own experience with their peers. |
| But, most of the time you have at best a partial picture | | | | Why two sessions? In the first session everybody |
| of the customer. You know your world-view of the | | | | brings their own experience with customers and their |
| customer, but you really need to see the view of the | | | | own conceptions regarding customer commonality to |
| customer from at least three to five other employees | | | | the table. They take away from that first session the |
| that are engaged in face-to-face customer touch. | | | | kernels of some good ideas the group has created. In |
| Your view will be limited by the actual customers you | | | | between meeting one and two some employees will |
| come in contact with, the product lines you handle, and | | | | think up new insights. They will understand customer |
| your own perceptions. No matter how long you've | | | | commonality in new ways, plus they will discover new |
| been with the company, no matter how many | | | | avenues to reach the customer. These perceptions |
| customers you speak with, this third limitation is | | | | can fuel new marketing programs. So it's important to |
| impossible to overcome without help. | | | | give these new ideas time to percolate. |
| The challenge, then, is to create a core cadre of | | | | Remember the Chief Marketer is responsible for |
| employees you can rely on to gain deeper insight. This | | | | implementing the ideas; but the more input about your |
| is, of course, going to be more work for them. But, it | | | | customers you gain from your fellow employees, the |
| needn't be arduous. You aren't asking your co-workers | | | | more powerful your marketing will be. |
| to work overtime on this project. Rather, you need just | | | | Remember: Brand (who you are) + Package (your |
| some insights into what common traits your customers | | | | Face to the Customer) + People (customers and |
| have that you currently may not be aware of. | | | | employees) = Marketing Success. |
| Of course, if you have a Bloom Team, you know who | | | | |