Seth Godin recently wrote an interesting post on his marketing blog called “Alignment.” Check it out here.
As I was reading along, I found myself nodding in agreement. It wasn’t until about halfway through, though, that I recognized the underlying Six Sigma theory. Another great business blog, “ “ also recently wrote a great piece that simplified the “Voice of the Customer” process down by giving a real-world example that anyone could understand. Check that out here.
Voice of the Customer, all capitalized, sounds like a high-falutin’ concept, something that only trained consultants can wrap their brains around. But in fact, while the methodology behind the Six Sigma approach is exacting, the concept is pretty much just common sense.
Listen to what your customer wants and needs. Respond to those wants and needs. If they aren’t frequenting your bakery because there isn’t enough parking, get some parking! If your offerings aren’t aligned with their needs, re-align!
There are a lot of ways to say this, and in fact it bears repeating, because far too many businesses find themselves hawking goods and services that their clients don’t really want. Or their customer service protocols don’t line up with their clients’ preferences. Or they don’t go out of their way to “wow” customers with a nuanced understanding of their desires and pain points, and instead try to get by with the least possible amount of effort. Customers notice.
When your customers aren’t saying “Wow!”, it’s not time to go back to the conference room, huddle up with the other CXO’s and brainstorm. No. It’s time to go to your customers (or prospects) and ASK them what they want. Ask them how you can do a better job. Listen to the voice of the customer.
There are a lot of ways to do this, including surveys, informal interviews, test groups, pilot programs and authentic Six Sigma methodology implemented by a certified Black Belt (Six Sigma expert.) What’s most important is that you start doing it. In an economy as tight and competitive as today’s, you can’t afford not to listen and align.
What do your customers want? Are you offering it?
