Get Closer to your Customers in 2021

Are you asking the right questions?

Yes, it’s a new year, but the unsatisfying reality is that many of the changes we experienced in 2020 year will not be going away anytime soon.

One of those lingering realities is the ongoing need to rethink how we stay connected. And, for many of us, that means finding a way to understanding our customers when their needs are changing dramatically, and we can no longer spend time together in person.

Last year, I spent a LOT of time talking to customers, of all sorts, across all industries. Whether it be to inform a new brand, refine an existing one, or shape up a corporate strategy, I had the chance to hear first-hand from hundreds of customers in all sorts of industries. 

And one major takeaway was that it’s not enough to be asking the questions. We have to make sure we’re asking the right questions – especially now. 

To do this, we need only to look to one of the top trending words in all of 2020: empathy.

Yes, empathy for our colleagues. For our friends and family. And for our customers. And it’s the key to updating your customer outreach for 2021: empathy.

As research has shown, we’re officially in the era of solving, not selling. But to do so requires a profound understanding of the emotional state of the people we seek to serve, which means we need to approach our research with more empathetic – and less self-serving – questions. 

And so, I offer this:

THREE WAYS TO UPDATE YOUR CUSTOMER RESEARCH QUESTIONS FOR 2021 

#1. From “How are we doing” to “How are you doing?” 

The customer satisfaction survey. I’ve always found this to be one of the most under-utilized exercises in corporate behavior. Yes, your customers want to be asked. But if you’re going to spend the time and resources to do so, start with the more empathetic model of this question: how are you doing? 

You might find that by turning the focus on them first, more broadly, they offer unprompted clues to their current state of thinking, and emotional well-being. Especially in an interview or a focus group, this can lead to unexpected, especially candid, and often surprising insights.

#2: From “What are your top needs we can fill?” to “What is keeping you up at night?”  

Again, by expanding the starting point to a broader, more human question, you will demonstrate empathy and create a stronger connection at the outset. You’ll also increase the opportunity for surprising challenges that may indicate new problems you can help solve, or a new frame for grounding your value proposition.

#3: From “What business value does our service provide to you?” to “What does it feel like to receive this service?”

This might be my favorite. In a recent series of in-depth-interviews examining the core value of a service offering, we asked this question both ways. In the former version, the answers were brief, stilted and predictable. Business terms. Jargon.

But after some conversation, as we came to the second version of the question, people opened up. They provided some of the most visceral language we received, offering authentic and sometimes moving insight into their customer experience – and guiding us on ways to elevate the marketing of the offering in a very current, relevant and urgent way.

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Regardless of where and how you use these questions, just find a way to use them often. In routine conversation, scheduled touch-bases, check-ins or even on sales calls. The whole point is to practice empathy, and achieve connection.

At the very least, you’ll be more attentive, and more human. And those are two words to live by in 2021, that is for sure.

This post originally appeared on the Captivating Blog on January 4, 2021.