We’ve all heard of “voice of the customer” feedback. What about “voice of the potential customer” targeting? One company was in an increasingly crowded and aggressive market, but had many long-standing loyal customers. They were doing something right to hold onto these beads. They wanted to capitalize on a bit of the goodwill they had built with a “friendly” customer to find shortcuts in their business development process. In this case study, at the end of the feedback interview, a long-time customer offered guidance to help one of his favorite vendors compete more effectively. He spoke frankly about what he expects from a salesperson asking for an audience.

This is one in a series of case studies highlighting “Key Questions and Course Fixes” drawn from 20 years of B2B customer awareness projects. All names are fictitious, but the situations are real. The case studies give an idea of ​​how important it is to know what your B2B customers think, but they do not say. These are real-world examples of how soliciting and acting on customer feedback has helped companies retain customers longer, grow relationships, and win new business faster.

Case Study: Orientation “The Voice of the Potential Customer”

Key question (posed to a senior vice president on a seven-figure account): “If they weren’t doing business with you yet and had no prior connection to your company, what would a vendor have to say or send to interest you in a meeting? ? “

Course correction appointment:

Senior Vice President: “If a supplier wants to schedule a meeting with me, they should bring me something that offers a benefit. For example, come with a sheet that lists ten topics for me to choose from. If they are a good match for my business, I will be interested in three of them. I know there will be a sales pitch at the end, but by then I’ve already realized value, so that’s okay. Remember, if a prospective supplier meets with a senior executive whose primary job is not the supplier’s specialty, that executive will probably you will not be up to date on the issues the vendor deals with all the time. The vendor may want to skew the list of topics to reflect what is relevant to that executive’s industry. I am impressed when someone has done their homework before approaching my “.

The customer’s dilemma:

All providers want to know how to clone their best accounts, but the winning formulas (and competitive scenarios) change over time. This provider wanted to know what would work today.

Conclution:

This “voice of the prospect” guide offers universal advice: Bring gifts. The strategy is strong too: Since most decision makers are bombarded with unsolicited requests to meet, ask your best clients what techniques work to win potential vendors a 15-minute meeting.

Bonus: A total of 10 senior executives offered advice during this project. Here’s what some suggested for successful cold calling approaches:

• “Leading with big names. It tells me you’re legit.” [Credibility]
• “Say up front what you can do to help us. It can’t be all about you.” [Relevance]
• “If you’ve piqued my interest by doing your homework about my situation and needs, ask me for an initial phone interview. Don’t expect to sit in my office for an hour.” [Brevity]

I classify projects as evaluations, investigations, scavenger hunts, or rescue missions. This project was a “treasure hunt”. The challenge was: “How can we get in front of more prospects?” Their loyal customers gave them advice from the buyer’s side of the table.