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Have you taken the path of your customer?

Written by: Joe Dager

Article Overview: They usually have some type of marketing in place, and we are looking at improving the system not dismantling it. After the marketing calendar has been constructed, I start moving, sometimes just the post-it-notes from a chronological order to a marketing flow stream based on the customers' viewpoint.

Have you taken the path of your customer?

One of my steps in working with a client is that I like to put together their Marketing calendar to understand what they have on the table, events, conferences, advertisement, flyers, etc. They usually have some type of marketing in place, and we are looking at improving the system not dismantling it. After the marketing calendar has been constructed, I start moving, sometimes just the post-it-notes from a chronological order to a marketing flow stream based on the customers' viewpoint. We could even call it an assessment, but initially I am just on a fact finding mission, in Lean terms = Current State Map. The next step in the process is diagramming this current state map and in Duct Tape Marketing terms, their Marketing Hourglass.

However, this week the procedure took a strange turn. I completed the process but I happen to know one of the client's customer very well. So, after constructing this hour glass with the new client, I was able to sit down with his customer and my friend and map the process from the customers' point of view. Voice of Customer seems to an over-used word in our industry but this was one of my best experiences. We actually pulled the clients file from the customers file cabinet, reviewed the folders on his computer including e-mails and bookmarks. I then laid out all the marketing material that had accumulated, highlighted and even taking note of the bent corners in the catalog. This was all followed by an interview.

Of course, my sample size of 1 is not a good indicator. The key to this process was the awaking to the client and myself on what the customer valued and what his procedure was in making the decision. His process was simply different. We talk about going to Gemba and walking the walk from the customers' point of view, but do we? How much non-effective marketing could you save by doing this? How much effective marketing could you implement?

P.S. Use a larger sample size.

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Article Tags: chronological order, flow stream, marketing, postitnotes, viewpoint



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Re: Politeness! - [quote="Kevin":2sd46jnv]I sometimes find that people these days will actually go out of their way to be rude when filing a complaint. For instance, why can't a customer just say a simple "no thank you" rather than writing in an angry tone or making threats? Of course the customer is always right, so as professionals we have to suck it in and be the bigger person... but is there a better way to deal with rude clients? When I used to work at McDonald's, I recall the store manager actually yelled back at the customer who shouted profanities at a teenage employee since the order was taking so long. While the store manager didn't use any vulgar language, he still firmly told the customer to leave the store because he wouldn't serve someone who was so rude.[/quote:2sd46jnv] I think that this is the right thing to do. Nobody should have to put up with rudeness or abuse even by a customer. If the customer cannot behave in a decent manner, I would quietly tell them that until they can treat me with respect I would prefer not to deal with them. I have been in that position and will not allow anyone to behave badly to me. In fact people will only behave badly towards you if you allow it. MichelleJ
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