(First appeared in Second Opinion Marketing e-bulletin March 2011 - subscribe to the e-bulletin here ) What do your clients really think of you? This is a question I often ask my clients. It’s met with a mixture of reactions, sometimes confidence that they know exactly what their clients think, sometimes puzzlement as to why I’ve asked and on occasion horror that they should even care.  So, first things first: you do want to know what your clients think, don’t you?
I suggest you do.
It might feel comfortable and cosy to keep our heads down and carry on, but learning what your clients think of the service they receive from you can be invaluable in so many ways:
- Spotting threats – especially spotting potential defections and the reasons why
- Seeing opportunities – your clients will tell you better than you can, what you could do differently that they would value
- Getting a pat on the back – you’re bound to have some clients who are delighted with your service – and it’s great to hear that
- Learning about the competition – framed in the right way your questions can help you explore much more than just your relationship with the client
- Prioritising areas for improvement – let your clients tell you the things that make the most difference to them and then put a focus on those areas, rather than the things you think are important.
How are you going to find out what clients think of your business and the service they receive?
...if all else fails - guess
Well you could guess, based on their behaviour, especially how often they thank you for a job well done, their willingness to provide you with testimonials and the frequency with which they refer other people to you.
Guessing isn’t great – but even the process of consideration you would need to go through is useful and if it gets you quantifying things like how many referrals you get or prompts you to ask for testimonials or case studies, it’s been a useful exercise.
...ask the team
A little bit more advanced than the guessing game is asking around within your business. If nothing else it will give you a feeling of what current perceptions are. Do you think clients are dissatisfied, if so with what; are they content generally but ‘moan’ about one thing in particular?
Sometimes by asking the front line staff, whether that’s the receptionist or person who answers the phone, you will start to hear what your clients think. Do you give permission to your call handlers to tell you when clients complain that they can’t get hold of you? Do you have a system for capturing the news that a competitor down the road has just launched a new service they are targeting to your clients?
Putting an internal focus on what clients think of your business and the services you provide will force you to see things more clearly from a client’s p... |
