The art and science of asking your customers how to beat your competitors

2. Customer Insight & Market Strategy Consultants
daviesbdm/com
shane@daviesbdm.com
twitter: @daviesbdm

3. learningto be betterfrom talking with customers

9. insight departments.
9

10. ‘…there are only two sources of competitive
advantage, the ability to learn more about our
customers faster that the competition, and
the ability to turn that learning into action
faster than the competition.’
Jack Welch

11. So, what is an insight?

12. ahamoment

13. An insightis an enlighteningdiscovery of
underlying customer needs and values that the
business can address to createcustomer value
and competitive advantage.

14. conversations

15. 1.establish or
5. deliver & nurture
evaluate relationship
sales cycle
4. close sale 2. assess needs
3. develop solution

16. 5. trusted 1. unknown quantity
advisor or
friend
relationship
cycle
4. expert 2. service provider
3. expert

17. service trusted
expert friend
provider advisor
unknown
quantity

18. 5. trusted 1. unknown quantity
advisor or
friend
relationship
cycle
4. expert 2. service provider
3. expert

21. starting the conversation

22. ask for their help!

23. conversation intro
1. go to client.
2. remind them why you’re there.
3. thank them for their help.
4. take notes

24. the choice question 1 of 6.
q1: what made you choose me over the
others?
(prompt)

25. the revelation question 2 of 6.
q2: I felt I could have done _________
differently, what do you think?
(prompt)

26. the one thing question 3 of 6.
q3: if you could change one thing about
the way I went about things what would
you change? (the flip)
(prompt)

27. the perfect question 4 of 6.
q4: if I said to you, design your perfect
real estate representative, how would
she behave? what would she look like?
(prompt)

28. the sum-up 5 of 6.
q5: .let me just see if I’ve got this
right….
(prompt)

29. the un-question 6 of 6.
q6: close your notebook and say
thanks. listen as you leave
(no prompt)

30. 15-minute braindump

31. Client Details/Date Ideas/Insight
Braindump
Client Competitor You Market
Quotes

32. insighting – an individual
pursuit and a team sport.

33. TEAM SHEET SUMMARY WEEK: Ideas/Insight
Braindump (highlights)
Client Competitor You Market
ACTIONS & RESPONSIBILITY

34. takeaways

35. don’t stop at the sale

36. make winning conversations part of your
process and build it into your culture

37. ‘…there are only two sources of competitive
advantage, the ability to learn more about our
customers faster that the competition, and
the ability to turn that learning into action
faster than the competition.’
Jack Welch

38. Shane Davies is the founder of
Customer Insight & Marketing
Consultancy Davies BDM and the
author of the Winning
Conversations Blog
Through consulting, training,
coaching, workshops, facilitation &
speaking he helps professional &
business services companies build
a competitive advantage through
talking with customers
You can reach him at
shane@daviesbdm.com or
follow him on twitter
@shanedavies