This document discusses the changing nature of customers in the modern era and provides guidance on how businesses can adapt. It notes that customers now have greater choice, demand more respect, and are seeking personalized experiences from brands they connect with. The document then outlines four key rules for businesses: 1) show value by highlighting benefits and comparing to competitors, 2) make interactions personal by listening and being present, 3) ensure products/services are relevant by understanding customer interests, and 4) create positive surprises that encourage customer loyalty and word-of-mouth promotion. Following these rules can help businesses build strong customer relationships and increase profits in the current business environment.

1. IQ
Customer Intelligence
Customer Intelligence IQ
September 2014
1
We are all part of a new species that is
getting louder, more demanding and moving
in all sorts of directions that are unpredictable
and speedy. It would be sheer madness to
think you can get by using the same old
tactics in a completely new world.
We all belong to a movement of new century
customers that have greater needs and
opinions that we want heard throughout the
whole human kingdom of products and
services.
With one strike of a match our views and
experiences can spread like wildfire doing
collateral damage within a matter of
seconds.
We will use facebook, twitter, SMS, blogs,
ratings & reviews websites, as well as good
old fashioned word of mouth in the park, at
the gym, dinner parties and family gatherings,
church, school, at work around the water
fountain – heck if we can be heard we will
share.
The latter part of the 20th century and the start
of this new century have indeed been
interesting in both pace and perspective. This
is the time of Me, Mine and More.
We feel we not only deserve respect, we
demand respect. In a world with more choice
than ever before its important I feel good
about spending my money with businesses
that notice me, reward me and are grateful
for my custom.
Some of us are well behaved and some of us
are despicable.
There’s a power shift here. The customer is
driving the future and its not asking for a
navigator, its taking off and leading the way
with a sat nav programmed to seek more
value, more personalized service, more
relevance and more surprise with any
purchase of products and services. The only
way to read the map of where the new
century customer is heading is to take notice
each step of the way.
Regardless of how the new century customer
behaves one thing is certain; their voice will
be heard and it will carry much weight in the
success of any business.
Here are 4 things to consider:
1. the customer has more choice than
ever before
2. the customer feels they not only
deserve respect they demand respect
3. the customer is far more educated
than ever before
4. the customer is seeking a connection
with you and your brand
The rules are changing and they are
changing fast. The organisations that will own
their industries and grow their brands will be
those who put people and their relationships
with them first.
Businesses that obsess about their customers
have more skin in the game. What we are
talking about here is inspiring customer loyalty
which translates to increasing profits beyond
current performance levels of at least 6%.
4 needs of new century customer
Customers need businesses to (show value).
There is a market for every price point if you
can show value. They need you to (make it
personal) giving individual attention which is
unique and authentic. They want you to (be
relevant) to what they are interested in and
above all they want you to (create surprise),
give them something unexpected and
something to talk about setting up the
‘exchange effect’.

2. Customer Intelligence IQ
September 2014
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Rule 1. Show Value
To define value for a new century customer is
knowing full well that perception creates the
reality. Start with a story and find a way to
portray your value message beyond a
product or service for a price. Your story
needs to tap into the emotion of what’s in it
for them. The customer needs to know how
they will benefit or what your product or
service will fix and the value message has to
connect with them on some level.
In a competitive world knowing how you
compare to your competitors is something
your customer will seek with or without your
help. If your providing them this comparative
information from the getgo its one less thing
they need to do their homework on or
consider when choosing to purchase from
you.
Of course value is always increased when
there is high demand. Generating a limited
offer or limited time to your products and
service may potentially create hype and
interest that kicks familiarity to the kerb.
The final comment on value is to remember
that when a customer is deciding to
purchase from you it is most effective if you
can talk to the ‘reptilian brain’ the part of our
brain built into us that is instinctive and primal.
This is the instinctive brain that can make
decisions fairly quickly before the thinking
brain has time to start sorting and selecting
through the detail using words and numbers.
If your value can highlight within seconds a
need or solution for a customer your more
than likely going to convert them to want to
spend money with you.
Rule 2. Make it personal
The main business of business is to connect
with – and add value to – people.
Business really is all about people.
Robin Sharma, one of the worlds leading
gurus in business leadership refers to an
enterprise as nothing more than a human
venture that brings people together around
some marvellous dream that inspires them to
express the fullest of their talents and
contribute rich value to those they serve. He
goes on to suggest that with all the
technology, disruption, competition and
transition in business world today, a lot of us
have forgotten that the whole game is about
relationships – and human connections.
The stronger the bond is between you and
your customers you work for – the stronger the
results. Customers are looking for a bond and
they want you to make it personal.
Imagine you are at a concert watching your
favourite pop artist and they pick you out of
the audience to come up on stage. They
noticed something about you in the crowd
that made your experience feel uniquely
personal.
Noticing something unique about a
customer, creating that 1:1 experience,
generates what I refer to as a “spirit of
friendship “ with your customer. Its like; If you
knew the customer you served today would
be your best man in 5 years time, how would
you serve them?
Affecting an individual and creating a sense
of belonging is the outcome of making it
personal. Two simple yet often forgotten
techniques that will assist in making it personal
when interacting and conversing with
multiple customers each day is to really listen,
in fact even asking a customer “what they
want” is a great way to get started on a
personal level.
Secondly to be present is to be switched on in
the workplace. Presence in the workplace
requires disciplined practice of mindfulness
and will be the difference between 1:1
attention felt and someone ‘going through
the motions’.
Rule 3. Be relevant
Relevance in the customer service industry is
the intersection between saying what you
want to say and saying what they are
interested in. To know what your customer is
interested in it first starts with mechanisms to
listen to what your customer is saying. Without
hearing their needs, understanding their
world, and being up to date with the issues
that need fixing from your product or service
it will be like trying to sell ice to the eskimos!
When our products or brands are irrelevant to
our customer its often because we have not

3. Customer Intelligence IQ
September 2014
3
got the awareness of seeing our products
and services through their eyes.
Understanding your customer ie; where they
hang out, what they read, what music do
they listen to are simple yet very effective
ways to show them ‘ we get you, we
understand you and we will listen to you’.
The new century customer is informed and
they are taking the path to purchase journey
with already pre - determined decisions that
will influence what they are most likely to buy.
Ideally if you could put a tracking device on
your customers for a day what would you
discover and how relevant are you to what
they already know about your products, how
engaging are you along the journey to inform
the ones that are oblivious?
Rule 4. Create Surprise
Of course none of us like bad surprises so I’m
talking about creating nice surprises! Like
knowing your customers birthday and
acknowledging it on that day.
Have you ever walked into a retail store and
been offered an ice tea or coffee while you
browse? Have you ever been given a little
bite size piece of chocolate or a cookie with
your take away coffee? Have you ever been
offered an additional service or been given
additional advice that really assist you or
saves you money un - expectantly?
That warm fuzzy feeling that comes over you
when someone goes out of your way to give
you something above and beyond what you
were willing to pay for in the first place leaves
a lasting impression and further more gives
you something positive and unique to share
with others when talking about that
experience.
Creating surprise for some businesses may
seem like it’s a lot of effort and yes it is. Its like
gardening; you need to be constantly
watering people and your connections with
them.
Recently I sent out some gifts with a Thank
you Card for some clients that had referred
my business to a new client, this act of
gratification and creation of surprise for my
client receiving the gift prompted many of
them to send me a thank you card for the
thank you gift.
The law of reciprocity is one of the most
powerful of all laws that run human
relationships. When you genuinely help others,
they will do anything to genuinely help you.
It’s human nature at play and therefore the
principle of creating surprise is additional
attention given that creates “the exchange
effect”.
When you are surprised as a customer you
feel good and you are happy to return. This
can be from a business promising something
and giving more than promised, praising the
customer un expectantly or not promising
them anything and giving them something
pleasant. All in all it’s about creating a reality
that is different to what they were expecting
that exceeds their expectations.
About the author
Jaquie Scammell has been described as the chic with an infectious enthusiasm
for life, people and business, and she’s set out to revolutionize the customer
service game in Australia!
If you have an unwavering commitment to build your business around the
customer, then you need to meet a real – world Customer Advocate and learn
about “The 5 Devotions of Customer Inspiration Program”.
Get inside your customer’s heads, and walk in their shoes to future proof your
organisation by ensuring you have clearly defined customer inspiration strategies.
Here is a program you might find interesting:
The 5 Devotions of Customer Inspiration If you would like to know more call us on 1300 537 721 or
email us at jaquie@jaquiescammell.com
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