How do you build that rapport with customers and ensure they stick by you? The secret, as Ruth Harrison discussed at our Year of Emotion event, is delivering products and experiences that solve a problem they have or which answer a burning question on their minds.
By piloting Minimal Viable Products (MVPs), businesses can test the bare bones of an idea before investing significantly in its development. In doing so, the ability to disrupt industries and delight customers is far more achievable. You may think you have hit upon the next big thing, but before you go ahead and invest significantly in its development, consider the following 7 reasons you should first ask for your customers’ opinion on your big idea.
1. You may be wrong
Your big idea may be a terrible idea. And that’s hard to swallow, because we humans are a sensitive bunch - we don’t like being told that we’re wrong.
Unfortunately, being wrong in business means unhappy customers and a damaged bottom line, so swallow a brave pill and always ask for their opinion on new product ideas to make sure you really are onto something.
2. You’ll avoid creating something that is superfluous
Chances are, the idea you’ve had is indeed brilliant, but if you forget to run it by your customers first, you’ll probably create something that may well be shiny, attractive and embezzled with a fancy name but that is, ultimately, superfluous.
Cast your net wide and approach a broad range of customers. As Harrison says, one size simply doesn’t fit all and until you understand the motivational factors of each type of customer, you’ll never deliver a product relevant for all.
3. It’ll improve customer connectivity
As Harrison noted during her talk, customers thrive on a sense of belonging and will keep searching until they find somewhere to belong. If your business treats its customers as an extension of its development team, that connection will be made quickly.
You should never treat your customers as a database. Sure, you’ve got 10,000 people in your database, but who are they? What do they think of your next product? Ask them and they’ll repay you with loyalty.
4. It’ll improve your public image
Customers now have more options than ever before when it comes to publicising their happiness or sadness and we all know that those who are discontented will rant far more intensely than those who want to rave.
If you build a company that involves its customers in product testing, good word will spread about your brand - fast.
5. You’ll build products for tribes, not crowds
A crowd is a tribe without a leader, and following the advice of a crowd by creating something that speaks only to their leader will ultimately fail, because the members of the crowd won’t necessarily share the leader’s wants and desires.
Smart organisations build products for tribes, the members of which they recognise as individuals. One of the most striking examples of this is pizza chain Domino’s and their ‘Pizza Mogul’ model which allows customers to design their own pizzas. It helped them disrupt an industry before anyone else could and netted them a 67% increase in profits.
6. It will improve company culture
Developing a human-centred approach is vitally important in business. If you take the lead with product development by involving customers throughout the design and testing process, you’ll help improve the organisation’s overall culture and desire to connect with its customers.
7. You’ll be able to see into the future
The more closely you work with your customers during the developmental stages of your products, the more you’ll become attuned to their wants and desires. You’ll build a picture of what makes them tick, and that’ll enable you to see into the future and deliver things they didn’t know they wanted. Ultimately, that will help you retain them for years to come.
Summary
Customers need a reason to belong to your company, and if you don’t deliver it, they’ll belong somewhere else. The 7 reasons above should have convinced you that testing new product ideas with your customers is the best way to ensure they become loyal brand advocates.
Understand what your customers want, define an MVP, explore its relevancy, and create something based on the feedback you receive. Remember - your final product should never represent the initial design.
If you're looking for inspiration on how you can obtain feedback from customers, take a look at our eBook 'How to Put the Fun Back into Customer Feedback'. There's no reason why organisations can't make customer feedback fun and this guide will help you engage with your audience so you can capture customer insight.
