This week, we’re changing things up a bit! In this “POV” episode, we join marketers James Ricks and Joseph Lewin to revisit "Ep. 21 Ryan Gibson - Customer Research Drives Revenue Growth''. We’ll explore even deeper insights in the realm of customer research.

EP. HIGHLIGHTS: APPLY KEY LEARNINGS

• It’s important to NEVER conflate assumptions about customers with systematic, empirically-based, customer research.
  • If you’re not hearing directly from the customer, you’re operating based on assumptions and guesswork. Can you say waste of time and money?!
  • Don’t know what a customer means? ASK THEM TO CLARIFY. This is such a simple strategy but is still shockingly underutilized. “Tell me more about that.”

• Don’t just ask your customers WHAT they think, but WHY they think it!
• Every customer delivers helpful insights in their own way.
  • Every customer interview is unique and should be treated as such, before, during and after engagement.

• Use customer interviews to tailor and then incorporate specific, data-driven language in your copywriting.

• A little thesaurus never hurt anybody! Beware of overutilized industry “buzzwords” in your marketing language:
  • “Comradery”, “storytelling”, “optimize”, “pipeline”
  • Customers see right through these and have a harder time connecting with you when they feel you are not being organic or genuine with them.

• Make sure that by the end of every customer interview, you have actual ACTIONABLE items and that you can move on, NOT just vague highlights or data patterns.
  • How to achieve this? Prep for interviews by creating a list of specific objectives to adhere to.

• Don’t underestimate the value of follow-up interviews! Multi-layered and multi-step interviews with customers tend to reveal insights that are more robust and much further-reaching in their impact.

• When doing customer interviews, make sure to weave in questions that elicit emotional responses as well as fact-based responses.
  • Asking a customer to clarify how they feel about a particular aspect of their business or project can also round out insights.

• AVOID use of “double-barreled” questions:
  • These are more common than you’d think! These are questions that, despite leaving room for only one answer, are asked in such a way that they touch on multiple issues.

Learn more about James & Joseph:

• James’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricksjrr/
• Joseph’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-lewin/

Connect with Mike & Gaby @ Proofpoint Marketing:

• Mike’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikegrinberg/
• Gaby’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriellaisrael/
• LinkedIn Company Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/company/proofpoint-marketing-llc
• Proofpoint YouTube Channel: http://bit.ly/ProofpointonYouTube
• Proofpoint Marketing Website: www.proofpoint.marketing