You can't get better results unless you change your behavior. The same applies to customers. Their results won't improve as long as they keep doing things the same way.
That's why I learned to say NO when customers asked me to customize their new solution to completely adapt to their existing processes.
The problem is that they won't get better results if they don't change how they work.
And when customers don't get results they leave.
Of course, we often need to customize the solution to be able to work for customers. But this can be a slippery slope to reproducing their existing processes wholesale.
Customers can get really pushy on this. DON'T GIVE IN!
HERE'S WHAT TO DO INSTEAD:
● Take the time to explain to the customer why certain new processes are essential to getting the improved results they are looking for. You'll discover that many customers aren't very clear about exactly what their results are. That's why establishing their Customer Results Strategy (CRS) is the most important thing you can do to improve customer success.
● Work through the DETAILS of the new process so they can see how it would work for them. People often can't visualize a new approach until they see it in the context of their organization. This is why sharing generic 'best practices' usually fails.
● Help them try out the new process with a dry run or a small pilot to demystify and get comfortable with the new approach.
Comments