Listen to the voice of the customer

This is the exciting part of the project - the Plan. There are so many terms out there, and most of them are marketing jargon: “lead nurture”, “engagement planning”, “winback”, “activation”. As cringe-worthy as they are, they all get to something much bigger. These tactics add up to a more comprehensive strategy, the “Voice of the Customer” program (VoC). How do you take these insights and develop a long-term marketing plan that customers understand and that you can measure?

Effective VoC programs let you connect and engage with customers at key points in the customer journey, and if done right, they are all measurable. 

As for your brand, no matter the stage of the game, listening to the customer is a way to become an industry leader. If a customer likes and wants your product, you won’t need to work as hard to sell it. 

And again, this up-front work has great long-term value. A VoC program that is done right allows you to:

1. Customize your products, services and features to meet the needs and wants of your customers.
2. Identify and prioritize needs and wants across your touchpoints, products and brand.
3. Prioritize issues (touchpoint mapping is helpful here.)
4. Ask for feedback and evaluate new concepts, ideas, and solutions (ie, what people actually need or want - it’s much easier to get them interested and engaged when it fits into their lives).
5. And, of course, increase your company’s profits.

Listen, Measure and Build.

A lot has changed over the last few years, and doing things the familiar way is so much easier. “Let’s throw an idea at the wall and see if it sticks!” is one approach. But the chances of success are greatly increased when you have a solid, customer-focused measurement plan.