Bob London of Chief Listening Officers presents these tips on how to have more strategic, revealing and insightful conversations with customers. Great for customer success, sales, product and marketing teams who need to get customers to open up and reveal their TRUE problems, priorities and perceptions.

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GETTING
OUT OF
THE WEEDS
Bob London
www.linkedin.com/in/boblondon
www.chieflisteningofficers.com
An open-ended, conversational approach to uncovering customers’
true problems, priorities & perceptions.

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2,300+
customer
convo’s &
counting

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CUSTOMER VALUE MAP
EXTRAORDINARY COMPANIES DRIVE
Innovation
Insights
Value-Add
Support
Product
Are you consistently delivering the
basic value the customer expects?
Are you honest, clear, responsive
& easy to do business with?
Do you go above & beyond?
Do you give customers insights that
help them do their jobs better &
make their lives easier?
Does the customer trust you to bring
them new ways to solve challenges?
DIFFERENTIATED VALUE
COMMODITY
UNSPOKEN/
UNEXPECTED
OBVIOUS /
EXPLICIT

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Start with
company
challenges &
priorities
Not the
product
Ask disruptive,
open-ended
questions
Not easy
ones
3. Ask questions
you don't know
the answer to
No
clichés
4. Go where
they take you
Don’t
pivot to
solving or
selling
5. Make it a
dialogue
Not a
survey
AGENDA-LESS LISTENING
1 2 3 4 5

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1. “What do you think is the top priority or challenge
being discussed in board meetings?”
2. “What’s on your whiteboard now that wasn’t there
90 days ago?”
3. ”What’s the one thing you and your team need to
get better at this year?”
4. “What are your customers’ top challenges?”
5. “If I gave you a magic wand, what problem would
you make disappear first?”
6. “What’s the hardest part of your job?”
7. “If a competitor contacted you today, would you
ignore them or want to learn more?”
8. “If you were having coffee with our CEO, what
would you say?”
9. “What would make you a customer for life?”
ASK
DISRUPTIVE
QUESTIONS
A. THEIR
COMPANY
B. THEM
C. YOUR
COMPANY &
PRODUCT

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FRAMING & TRANSITIONING
TECHNIQUES

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Hi, Christina.
Just a quick note about this week’s
QBR. I’d like to reserve some time
at the end for a bit of a “step
back” conversation. This just
involves us asking a few open-
ended questions so that we can
listen and learn about (company)’s
top level priorities and challenges.
The more and better we
understand, the better we can
deliver the value you need from
us.
Let me know if you have any
questions.
Best,
- Your name
PRE-CALL
As we get started, I wanted to see
if we can grab some time at the
end of the call – time permitting –
for a bit of a “step back”
conversation.
It just involves us asking a few
open-ended questions so that we
can listen and learn about
(company)’s top level priorities
and challenges.
I promise it’s painless! And it’ll
give us a better understanding of
how we can add value. OK with
everyone?
IN-CALL
So, before we wrap up, we actually
wanted to have a bit of a “step
back” conversation with you.
It’s just a few open-ended
questions so that we can listen
and learn about (company)’s top
level priorities and challenges. I
promise it’s painless! And it’ll give
us a better understanding of how
we can add value.
Sound ok?
BEGINNING OF CALL TOWARDS END OF CALL

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START WITH A
QUIET MIND
CHECK YOUR
EGO, BIASES &
DEFENSIVENESS
BREATH & SMILE
KEEP IT ALL
ABOUT THEM
START BROAD
GO WHERE THEY
WANT TO GO
BE
AUTHENTICALLY
CURIOUS
EMBRACE THEIR
RANTS
BE AGILE CONVERSE DON’T SOLVE NO SELLING
BE AGENDA-LESS.
GO WITH THEIR FLOW.

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INSIGHT
ACCELERATORS
WHY did you say that?
WHAT did you mean by that?
HOW does that work today?
HOW DO I KNOW THIS
IS WORKING?
“Hmmm….”
“That’s a good question.”
”No one’s ever asked me that.”
“Hang on, let me close my door.”

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“Is there anything I didn’t ask about that I
should have?”
“Anything you were hoping I’d ask? Or
relieved I didn’t ask?”

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CHEAT SHEET
COURTESY OF
https://churnzero.net/infographic_strategiccustomerconversations

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IT’S TIME FOR YOUR
QUESTIONS J

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Bob London
+1 240 994 7644
bob@chieflisteningofficers.com
www.chieflisteningofficers.com