What you think isn’t always what your customers are actually saying. Bob London, CEO of Chief Listening Officers, explains the key to hearing what your customers are really thinking. Whether you’re a business owner, CEO, marketer or sales person, understanding the customers’ “rants” will enable you to: - Gain insights into what is actually meaningful and important to your customer - Leverage those insights to differentiate your product, service or pitch - Market and sell to customers in their real-world language, not marketing-speak

1. How to Figure Out What Your
Customers Are Really Thinking
marketing@surefirelocal.com
05/02/17

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3. Today’s Speaker
Bob London
CEO & Founder
Chief Listening Officers
SurefireLocal.com 3

4. Bob London, Chief Listening Officers May 2, 2017 Surefire Local
How to Market Better by
Learning the Customer’s Perspective

5. $500M IN
AD SPENDING
@chief_listener
$500M IN
AD SPENDING

6. Day 2 Senior Marketing & Sales Staff Meeting
“Our network sucks”
Day 4
Day 1 T-Mobile Hires John Legere as CEO
Day 3 Senior Technical Staff Meeting
“Our marketing sucks”
4th
place US
wireless
carrier
Rapidly losing
subscribers
Commodity
@chief_listener

7. “None of the
technology
mattered.”
“A plethora of
hatred for this
industry…
a list of things
people wanted
to change.”
@chief_listener

8. ELEVATOR RANT
“Why not?”
“Contracts!”
“You can’t
do that”“Let’s not have
them!”
@chief_listener

9. @chief_listener

10. McKinsey Consulting:
“Companies are talking past
their customers”
“The themes that many companies consider important
appear to have minimal influence on buyers’
perceptions.”
@chief_listener

11. 11
SO MUCH MARKETING IS
FORGETTABLE & INEFFECTIVE BECAUSE
WE USE THE WRONG
PERSPECTIVE: OUR OWN

12. JUST ASK & LISTEN
WANT TO HEAR WHAT YOUR
CUSTOMERS ARE REALLY THINKING?
@chief_listener

14. Relax. It’s a conversation.
You’re seeking their insight.
Leave your ego & biases at the door.
Never be defensive.
No selling.
@chief_listener

15. “What does a
successful
project look
like for you?”
@chief_listener
“What’s your
worst case
scenario?”
@chief_listener

16. “Name
something
annoying
that vendors
do.”
@chief_listener
“What do
we do better
than anyone
else?”

17. “What would
make you
a customer
for life?”
“No one’s ever asked me that!”
Wait, we all want
customers for life
but never ask what
it means to them?
@chief_listener
?
(the
killer
question)

18. • Focus on things that matter most from target’s
perspective—not just nuts and bolts.
• Emphasize the problem you solve best and prove it.
• Use the customer’s language in your marketing.
• Help their research: Provide more facts than narrative on
your web site.

19. “I never know what’s
happening next.”
Create and share a Google Doc so the customer
can see project updates.
“I can’t tell how far along
we are.”
Record a “walk through” video each week or so to
show progress and what work is remaining.
“It would be nice to know
when they’re running late.”
Use the Waze messaging feature to send ETA.
“Someone referred me to
them but they never even
returned my call.”
Create an auto reply email and voicemail greeting
during busy times that says, “We’d love to work
with you but we can’t until July. Would that work
for you? If so please leave your name and
number.”
“They act like they don’t
care.”
Always bring in the newspaper when you arrive.
It’s a small signal that you are empathetic.

20. www.chieflisteningofficers.com
Listen more. Market better.
FREE Customer Re-Discovery E-Book
www.chieflisteningofficers.com/free