Customer Listening Expert Bob London gave this talk at the 2016 Mid-Atlantic Marketing Summit in Baltimore, MD on 9/29/16. You can also see a video of the talk here: https://youtu.be/BmQD6KomvQM

1. You Are NotYour Customer
Mid-Atlantic Marketing Summit Baltimore, MD 9/29/16
Bob London, Chief Listening Officer

2. 2
Paul: I brought you a picture of me,
Bob London!

3. 3
Paul: I brought you a picture of me,
Bob London!
An elegant,
hand-carved
frame made
of the finest
Brazilian
teak!
I even
autographe
d it!
Featuring my
patented
“casual-jacket-
thrown-over-
the-shoulder”
pose!
Full color!

4. Ummmm…thanks…
But what would have been nice…
4

5. That’s more like it!
5

6. 6
TOO MUCH MARKETING IS
FORGETTABLE & INEFFECTIVE BECAUSE
MARKETERS HAVE THE WRONG
PERSPECTIVE:THEIR OWN

7. September 2012:
T-Mobile Hires John Legere as CEO

8. September 2012:
T-Mobile Hires John Legere as CEO
• 4th place US
wireless carrier
• Losing subscribers
to AT&T, Verizon
• Commoditized

9. It’s all about network coverage maps,
right?

11. 11
Legere found a
visceral window into
the public’s angst.
“None of the
technology
mattered.”
“There was this
plethora of hatred
for this industry and
this never-ending list
of things people
wanted to change.”

12. 12
“My head exploded,
and I just went on a
rant about the
wireless industry and
how I didn’t get it.”
“People hate
contracts. Let’s not
have them! ‘You
can’t,’ people said.
Why?”

13. 13
“People hate
contracts. Let’s not
have them! ‘You
can’t,’ people said.
Why?”
ELEVATOR
RANT

14. 14

15. T-Mobile Share Price vs. Major Indices
15

16. First Quarter 2016:
“T-Mobile Lapped the Field”
T-Mobile
31%
AT&T
3%
Sprint
3%
Verizon
1%
New Activation
Customers, 1Q16
Source: Fortune Magazine, 4/19/2016

17. Most Marketers “Get”
the Customers’ Perspective,
Right?

18. 18
McKinsey: “How
companies talk past
their customers”
“The themes that many
companies consider important
appear to have minimal influence
on buyers’perceptions.”

19. 19
McKinsey: “How
companies talk past
their customers”
“The themes that many
companies consider important
appear to have minimal influence
on buyers’perceptions.”

20. 20
McKinsey: “How
companies talk past
their customers”
“The themes that many
companies consider important
appear to have minimal influence
on buyers’perceptions.”
“We can solve all
your problems!”
“Can you solve my specific problem
better than anyone else?”

21. How do we fix the disconnect &
discover what’s valuable from the
customers’ perspective?
We Can Try Asking Them 

22. Interviews with 600+
decision-makers to discover
their Elevator Rants.

23. “Magic” Questions to Discover the
Customers’ Elevator Rant (Sample)
What are your top 2 – 3
priorities for the board?
What might
you get fired
for not doing?
What do we do better than
anyone else?
What would you lose if we
went out of business?
What do other vendors do
that annoy you?
Does my industry have a
reputation—good or bad?
What’s your worst fear about
investing in (product or
service)?
What would make you a
customer for life?

24. “Magic” Questions to Discover the
Customers’ Elevator Rant (Sample)
What are your top 2 – 3
priorities for the board?
What might you get fired for
not doing?
What do we do better than
anyone else?
What would you lose if we
went out of business?
What do other vendors do
that annoy you?
Does my
industry have a
reputation—
good or bad?
What’s your worst fear about
investing in (product or
service)?
What would make you a
customer for life?

25. “Magic” Questions to Discover the
Customers’ Elevator Rant (Sample)
What are your top 2 – 3
priorities for the board?
What might you get fired for
not doing?
What do we do better than
anyone else?
What would you lose if we
went out of business?
What do other vendors do
that annoy you?
Does my industry have a
reputation—good or bad?
What’s your worst fear about
investing in (product or
service)?
What would
make you a
customer for
life?

26. 2Year Old Cloud Management
Software Firm with $0 Sales
26
“Our platform helps
you gain visibility &
control over your
public, private & hybrid
cloud environments.
You can reduce costs &
run your cloud more
efficiently.”

27. 2Year Old Cloud Management
Software Firm with $0 Sales
27
“Our platform helps
you gain visibility &
control over your
public, private & hybrid
cloud environments.
You can reduce costs &
run your cloud more
efficiently.”
“Wow, you’re trying
to do an awful lot in
one piece of
software. I’m not
sure what problem it
solves. No thanks.”
“Is there
one specific
problem it
solves really
well?”

28. 2Year Old Cloud Management
Software Firm with $0 Sales
28
“Is there
one specific
problem it
solves really
well?”
“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?”
CUSTOMERS’
ELEVATOR
RANT

29. Pivot to Simple EnterpriseWeb App
29

30. Pivot to Simple EnterpriseWeb App
30

31. 2 YEARS WITH
NO CUSTOMERS
OR REVENUE
Pivot to Simple EnterpriseWeb App
31
RAISED
$1.65M IN
VENTURE
FUNDING

32. NowWhat?
Real conversations with
real humans.
Discover their Elevator
Rant
Learn how they buy.
Learn the real language
they use.
Stay objective. Never
get defensive!
You’re a Marketer.
Listen to the Market

33. NowWhat?
Then Transform Your
Marketing
Focus on features &
benefits that matter most
from target’s perspective.
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.

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Fix Your Perspective—
Then Fix Your Marketing.
ThankYou!