I was honored to give this presentation to members of the Wharton Club of DC's leads group hosted by Snyder Cohn, PC and courtesy of Heinan Landa of Optimal Networks.

1. STOP BRAINSTORMING, GET OUT
OF THE BUILDING & ASK YOUR
CUSTOMERS 5 QUESTIONS
Bob London @chief_listener

2. 2012
@chief_listener

3. 2012
@chief_listener
“Contracts!”
“Let’s not have
them!”
“You can’t do that”

4. 2012
@chief_listener
“Contracts!”
“You can’t do that”

5. B2BCompaniesTalkPastTheir
Customers
“Thethemesthatmany
companiesconsider
important…appeartohave
minimalinfluenceonbuyer’
perceptions.”
TheDisconnectBetween
Marketers&Buyers
“Techmarketersinvestin
areasthatITbuyersdon’t
considerimportantin
thedecisionprocess.”
“Vendorsarefocusingon
providingmaterialsthatbuyers
don’tfindveryusefulor
trustworthy.”
TheB2BBuyingDisconnect
YOU ARE NOT YOUR CUSTOMER

6. Decommoditizing an IT Services Firm
We are great at
technology! The problem is, I’m a CFO,
not a techie.
So how do I not get blindsided
by the next big tech wave—and
decide whether we should
invest—or not?
We deliver great service.
It’s about our people!
Hmmm…would it be helpful if
we briefed you every 6 months
on major tech trends and
whether you should invest?
Absolutely. We’re talking
“customer for life.”

7. Decommoditizing an IT Services Firm
We are great at
technology! The problem is, I’m a CFO,
not a techie.
So how do I not get blindsided
by the next big tech wave—and
decide whether we should
invest—or not?
We deliver great service.
It’s about our people!
Hmmm…would it be helpful if
we briefed you every 6 months
on major tech trends and
whether you should invest?
Absolutely. We’re talking
“customer for life.”
ELEVATOR RANT

8. WANT TO KNOW WHAT
CUSTOMERS ARE REALLY THINKING?
@chief_listener
*
*Actual live humans
JUST ASK THEM 5 QUESTIONS

9. Subj: A quick favor if you can
Dear (name):
I hope this note finds you
well. I’m touching base to see
how things are going and also
to ask if you’d be able to
participate in a very brief
research project we’re
undertaking.
As background, things are
going very well at
(organization name). To
ensure they continue that
way, we are doing some
strategic planning around our
positioning in the
marketplace—and that
means getting real-world
perspectives from folks like
you. We’re just looking for
your candid thoughts on a
few things.
Would you be able to
participate in a 20-minute,
one-on-one phone
conversation with (me or
name of interviewer)?
If so, please reply with a
couple dates/times when
you’re free. Or you can use
this scheduling link to find a
date and time that works for
you: (use TimeTrade.com or
Calendly).
Your involvement would be
greatly appreciated! If you
have any questions, please
feel free to reach me at
(phone) or (email).
Best regards,
(Your name)

10. Relax. It’s a conversation not a survey.
You’re seeking their perspective.
It’s about them (not you!). Let the
dialogue go where they want to go.
Leave your ego & biases at the door.
Never be defensive.
No selling.
CURRENT & PROSPECTIVE
CUSTOMERS
10 CALLS
20 MIN. EACH
@chief_listener

11. 1
“What are your top 2
or 3 priorities for the
board?”
@chief_listener
2
“What’s one thing you
wish you and your team
were doing better?”
3
“Does our industry
have a reputation
(good or bad)?”
4
“What do we do better
than anyone else?”

12. 5
“What would make you
a customer for life?”
“No one’s
ever asked
me that!”
@chief_listener
The killer question

13. From $0 in Sales to
90 Customers & $1.7M in Funding
“…visibility & control over your
public, private & hybrid cloud
environments…reduce costs &
better governance.”
“Cloud is early. We don’t even know all
our requirements yet. So there’s no
compelling reason for us to buy now.
“One feature is like a
programmable light switch that
turns off your cloud when you’re
not using it. This reduces your
monthly costs by 20 – 60%.”
“Now that’s cool. Can I just buy
that & not the whole platform?”
“Nope, sorry.” “That’s just dumb.”
@chief_listener
Is there one specific problem it
solves really well?”

14. Minimal
marketing
No dedicated
sales resource
@chief_listener
PIVOTED TO

15. LISTEN FIRST. MARKET BETTER
• Ask about them—not what
they think about you
• Check biases & ego; never be
defensive
• Emphasize the problem you
solve best & prove it
• Deliver insights vs. content
• Be “transparent & absorbent”
vs. “opaque & impermeable”
• “Use customer’s real
language not yours
• Help their research: Provide
facts & insights vs. narrative
@chief_listener

16. THE VALUE OF SEEING THE WORLD
FROM THE CUSTOMERS’ PERSPECTIVE

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