Developing a Response Plan for Customer Inquiries

Marketing, sales and CS teams, take note! In looking for a team management tool for my pole vault club, I had an experience that is worth noting with customer prioritization. ABC Glofox and TeamUp set a crazy standard in customer engagement with me this week, and here's why: Fast and Purposeful Response: Within two minutes of filling out their forms, both companies called me. This response replaced a discovery call and showed not only efficiency but a genuine interest in understanding my specific needs. Strategic Discovery Process: Rather than wasting our initial interaction on a lengthy discovery phase, both companies utilized that time to schedule demos around my use case for the next day. I left the calls feeling respected and understood. Effective Questioning: During their brief calls, both companies asked four targeted discovery questions. These weren't generic inquiries; they were aimed at uncovering the specific format of my pole vault club's management needs. They both have solutions for a unique use case I have and will be showing me tomorrow. Thorough Note-Taking: Taking customer-centricity to the next level, both businesses took notes during our talks. Their follow-ups included these details of our conversation so I know I won't have to repeat them tomorrow. Anticipating Wow Moments: Both companies will cover the features I need in the demo but also mentioned a feature they'll show that could be helpful and act as a "wow moment." It's a proactive approach, ensuring that our interactions are not just informative but memorable. In a world where customer experience is setting companies apart, they are showing that prioritizing the customer's journey from the first interaction pays off. This level of service builds trust, sets the stage for meaningful partnerships, and ultimately makes the customer's journey one filled with moments of delight. Turning every interaction into an opportunity to exceed expectations is worth noting and should make us all pause and consider how things currently run in our organization and whether we are providing this level of service.

When building your messaging strategy, don’t forget to play defense. Everything we’ve covered in the messaging framework so far is “offense.” How do you tell your target customer about the best and most differentiated aspects of your brand?  Of course, that’s critical. But you also need to anticipate and develop a plan to tackle customer objections. As a reminder, I’ve been running through the 6 step framework we use at Lantern to help early stage companies craft highly resonant and high-performing messaging: 1. Build a Customer Persona 2. Construct the Benefit Ladder 3. Develop the Brand Pyramid 4. Anticipate the Barriers 5. Test with Target Consumers 6. Launch & Iterate Today we’ve arrived at Step 4. The Barriers step in the framework is "defense" - preparing to overcome any objections to purchase. Here it’s helpful to return to Step 1 of the framework and ground yourself in the target customer persona you outlined. What are the things that would stop this person from trying or buying your product? Make an exhaustive list of these barriers. Then, for each barrier, build a strong defense - in the form of clear and persuasive messaging. And think about the right channels to communicate these points on. (Bonus, this messaging list then becomes an awesome copy doc for your FAQ page!)  A common objection for early-stage companies stems from lack of awareness. You can imagine consumers thinking: “I’ve never heard of this company. How can I trust a company I’ve never heard of?” To combat this newness objection, you need third-party validation in the form of real customer feedback - i.e. social proof. Of course, you also have to drill down to the barriers that are specific to your product or product category. For truly game changing start-ups, a barrier might even be “What is X product category? I’ve never heard of that.” (More on this challenge and how I helped address this in the telehealth space in the early 2010s in a future post!) Returning to the example of the weightloss industry and our past client, Signos, this is an example of how they addressed a common hesitation related to the Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) that powers their app insights. Barrier: Users do not want a medical device attached to them in a visible place and worry about how wearing a CGM impacts their daily activities. Messaging: The CGM functions best on your upper arm, so we created a sleek, bandaid like patch that covers the device and allows you to shower, exercise, and even swim with your sensor on. Communication: Barrier is clearly addressed in FAQs, marketing materials, and the small blue patch is a ubiquitous component of Signos' lifestyle imagery (see above). With some proactive planning, Signos was able to take one of their customers’ biggest anticipated blocks to purchase and transform it into a key piece of their product and brand. Nice going Sharam Fouladgar-Mercer and Hannah Russin! Any other companies you think really nailed this? 

#sundaystorytelling THE SINGLE BIGGEST PROBLEM IN COMMUNICATION IS THE ILLUSION THAT IT HAS TAKEN PLACE Over the years I’ve realized firsthand, what significant impact communications can have on customer service, reputation, and trust building. Recent examples of real- life exchanges heard/overheard: - Passenger: “When do you expect to start boarding?” - Gate agent: “When the flight crew informs me” - Customer: "Do you have this shirt in a medium?" - Salesperson: "All the sizes are out on the floor." - Patient: "My tongue looks black. Could this be a side effect of the new medication that the doctor prescribed?" - Nurse: "All side effects are listed on the label." - Customer: "Why is my bill so high this month?" - Representative: "Details of billing are provided in the terms and conditions." - Customer: "My computer isn't connecting to the internet. What should I do?" - Technician: "It could be a DHCP lease time issue with your router. You might need to release and renew your IP address via your command prompt." The information shared in all the abovementioned instances were technically correct, but rather unhelpful As they do a poor job of interpreting/answering the question that the customer really asked No one enjoys exchanges like that They are a reminder to improve our own communications when we are in a position to serve our own customers. 1. Empathize with the Customer: - First and foremost, we need to empathize with the customer and make sure we truly understand their query. We must acknowledge their question and reassure them that we care, and are willing to help. 2. Be Specific and Detailed: - We need to ensure that our responses are clear and provide detailed information. Instead of generic advice, we need to offer specific, step-by-step solutions, or direct them to resources who can provide the necessary assistance. 3. Use Customer-Friendly Language: - We should remember to avoid jargon and technical terms that the customer may not understand. Instead, we must remember to use simple, step by step, easy-to-understand language, to explain and guide the customer to solutions. 4. Provide Complete Information: - It’s important to give comprehensive answers that address all aspects of the customer’s query. The last thing we should do is leave them guessing or having to ask follow-up questions. 5. Go the extra mile: - Even when the issue at hand is complicated or does not have an obvious solution, it is our responsibility to prioritize proper communications. We should try to find effective ways to communicate progress/updates, and solicit feedback from the customer. Communications are incomplete until we close the loop. GOOD COMMUNICATION IS A BRIDGE BETWEEN CONFUSION AND CLARITY #customersatisfaction #buildtrust Picture: A very good boy providing feedback in his unique language to convey that his longing to be taken out on a long walk, was well understood and responded to 😊