The Intuitive Customer - Helping You Improve Your Customer Experience To Gain Growth

My client is disappointed with their results. Their experience improvement efforts have been successful, but not as wildly successful as they had hoped.  When my client shared this with me on a recent call, I was neither surprised nor perplexed about what was going on with them. Getting the whole organization to embrace the customer requires more than most organizations think.  You see, when you start an improvement program, you want some quick wins. So, you address the most obvious areas first, fixing problems and enhancing interactions by defining how you want customers to feel about you when it’s over. These elementary steps are necessary, important to prioritize, and, to many companies’ chagrins, just the beginning of the process.  Every department in the organization plays a role in the Customer Experience. However, not every department realizes it. Some of them think their insular role inside operations puts a big barrier between them and how the customer feels about the organizations. But it doesn’t; in fact, that barrier doesn’t exist.  In this episode we explore the steps you take to get these internal departments to look past the non-existent barrier they think is there and understand how what they do affects the experience. We explain how you can then leverage their buy in to get to the outstanding results that you expected but are still waiting to realize. Here are some other key moments in the discussion: 06:33  Colin explains what he plans to do to address this problem, starting with first step, which might surprise you in its simplicity. 09:07  We explain the many ways that Human Resources plays a significant role in the Customer Experience and embracing customer-centricity.  13:21  Ryan explains that first-ordered thinking might be getting in the way of your efforts to help other departments see the effects of their actions on the experience and what you can do about it.      18:40  We discuss the ways that finance is essential to the experience, and, spoiler alert, it has to do with $$$$. 23:33  Colin makes a point that Legal, which definitively needs to protect the company, also needs to be customer centric and how they can be without getting disbarred.  26:31  We share the last example of how IT has become one of the most essential parts of the experience, especially when you consider the importance of managing the organization’s online presence and technology integrations. _________________________________________________________________ Did you know we have a YouTube Channel too? Check it out here. Follow Colin on LinkedIn HERE.

Regret is a powerful emotion. One might not think it has a place in a marketer’s messaging toolbox. However, you might be surprised to learn that in addition to being a powerful emotion, it can also be a powerful tool. The reason we regret things depends on the situation. We can regret a purchase we made. We can regret a purchase we didn’t, too. What we regret and how we respond to it requires understanding how regret happens.  Inside each of our minds, we have three selves. There is the Actual Self, the one we are despite any notions we might have. There is also the Ought Self. This self is the one with obligations and responsibilities. Then, there is the Ideal Self, which is who we want to be. Regret is often a conflict between the Actual Self and one of the other two.  What we regret and who we blame has a lot to do with comparisons between these selves internally. Also, these comparisons might differ depending upon the customer segment to which the individual belongs. Therefore, to use regret as a marketing tool, it is essential to understand what comparison your customers are making and to what standard or value they hold.   In this episode, we explain the psychology of regret, how it drives our future behavior, and what to do about it if it happens to your customers after buying your product or service. We also discuss how you can use it to create improved experiences with no regrets for your customers.  Here are some other key moments in the discussion: 01:49  Colin explains how he was once a Sony Superfan and how it led to one of the purchases he regrets nearly every day.  03:49   Ryan explains how Colin’s perception of self plays a role in his purchase regret regarding the television by explaining the different selves we each have. 10:23  We get into the idea that how much regret we feel has a lot to do with how much control we think we had regarding the decisions made.       14:53  We discuss the impact of regret in customer experience settings and start a discussion about how an organization could respond. 19:04  Ryan explains that people regret different things in the short term vs. the long term.  25:46  We both share our final thoughts on the key takeaways a marketer should have about how to leverage regret in their messaging. _________________________________________________________________ Did you know we have a YouTube Channel too? Check it out here. Follow Colin on LinkedIn HERE.

It’s pickle time again here on the podcast. This time John has a pickle with his new business. He wants to know some ways that he can get other people to help him sell his products and services. We knew several ways, eight in fact, and they might help you, too.  One thing to consider when you listen to this list is how each of the tactics gets you what you want. In some cases, you might discover that our suggestion doesn’t. Or at least it doesn’t get you what you want right now. Later, once you have worked your way down the “to-dos” with your marketing and sales, one of the ones that didn’t work then would now. For example, with Beyond Philosophy, Colin didn’t like the first tactic, Affiliated Marketing. He felt that by getting into a relationship where he was contractually bound to suggest a specific company might compromise his integrity to his clients. So, Colin has carefully avoided that one.  However, that might not be the same for your business vertical or philosophy. It’s these goals for the communication or tactic that should drive these decisions for which ways work best for your business. In this episode, we help John with his business pickle—and some of you, too—with our eight suggestions for what you can do to get other people to sell for you.  Are you “in a pickle” at your firm, too? Tells us about here and we might feature your pickle on an episode of the podcast.  Here are some other key moments in the discussion: 06:09  We share the first tactic, Affiliated Marketing, which allows you to recruit others to present and close your product on your behalf.  10:03  The second tactic, Referral Programs, is another way you can leverage the relationships you have to make new ones.  17:48  We discuss Joint Ventures, including some that worked well and some that didn’t. 21:07  We encourage John to sponsor a sports stadium, or at least a local soccer team, because sponsorships are a great way to build awareness. 26:09  Ryan and Colin share final thoughts about how John’s new business can use these tactics to get other entities selling for him. _________________________________________________________________ Did you know we have a YouTube Channel too? Check it out here. Follow Colin on LinkedIn HERE.

Colin sometimes struggles with a glass-half-empty disposition. He blames it on being born British. He felt it keenly when gathering the following 14 statistics for this episode. There are a mix of game-changing opportunities, including missed ones, and some acute risks facing organizations next year.  Ryan is American, a population Colin characterizes with as a glass-half-full disposition. He hopes by sharing these numbers gathered from reputable sources, that his American cohost might view these numbers with a bit more positivity.  Will Colin be disappointed? Maybe, maybe not.  For example, one statistic says by applying certain principles, organizations can expect 85 percent increase in sales growth and more than 25 percent in gross margins. It sounds great because it is.  However, another statistic shows that only 30 percent of organizations have improved their experiences enough to satisfy customers over the last ten-plus years, and it’s getting worse not better. It does not sound great because it isn’t.  This episode explores 14 statistics from reputable sources that present some compelling numbers regarding the whole Customer Experience movement—and what can happen if you ignore it or focus your efforts on less impactful components. From opportunities to risk, don’t miss out on this episode before you start planning your next year.  Here are some other key moments in the discussion: 05:31  We get into the first statistic from Gallup and how it can really sell the experience program to the revenue-oriented and a second from them about the emotional nature of deciding. 11:53  Colin shares his statistic from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) regarding how 70 percent of organizations remained flat or decreased customer satisfaction and that the index is at its lowest point since 2006. 19:14  We discuss the merits of growing existing customers versus recruiting new ones, but that 44% percent of companies still focus on customer acquisition, even though the probability of selling to an existing is 60 percent.   23:06  Colin shares a statistic from Emplify that explains why customers will pay a higher price to buy from you.  27:52  We discuss the last stat from Zendesk which explains how quickly you can lose a customer and what these stats revealed about Customer Experiences. _________________________________________________________________ Did you know we have a YouTube Channel too? Check it out here. Follow Colin on LinkedIn HERE.

When a Stanford professor brings snacks to class, it’s fun. But you can bet it’s also an experiment, and he’s probably testing how people make choices for today and for todays that will come in the future. It turns out, that timing matters a lot when it comes to the decisions we make.  The professor we are referring to is Professor Itamar Simonson, marketing professor at Stanford University and his research surrounding customer decision-making. He learned that students who chose their snack at each class tended to choose the same one. However, students that chose a snack on one day for three future classes tended to have more variety.  Why the difference? It turns out that people like to make the same decisions over and over, especially about things like what to eat for a snack or dinner. But we are much more optimistic about how much our future selves will want something different.  What about new choices? People do make them, particularly when they are for the future, but most times we are content to make the same choice over and over again.  In this episode, we discuss why we are like this, why we sometimes think we won’t be like this someday, when we are better person, and why you should understand how to accommodate this customer behavior in your experience.  Here are some other key moments in the discussion: 02:22  Ryan shares the example from Professor Simonson and how people chose differently when it is for that day of class or for future classes.  08:12  Colin brings up the famous marshmallow test that researchers did by convincing children not to eat a marshmallow right away so they could get two; few kids made it, though.  14:42  We discuss how when it comes to things like breakfast or food in general, we tend to make the same choices, but other times we don’t, but usually for the future, when a better version of ourselves exists.      22:08  Ryan shares what can happen if people continue to make choices to buy things they don’t use and how it can backfire on your experience.    25:40 We share practical advice about what you can do with this information to provide the proper experience for the future selves your customers want to be and the actual selves they are today. _________________________________________________________________ Did you know we have a YouTube Channel too? Check it out here. Follow Colin on LinkedIn HERE.

Poor Irene Beard. She is in a pickle, and she needs our help. A strong believer in brand, Beard is starting a new company and asked us for help getting people to take away what she wants them to about her company’s brand. Beard’s question brings up some interesting concepts regarding brands, their origins, their evolution, and their existence for organizations today.  Before we get into any of that, it is essential to remember that your brand is a tactic. It communicates the value you provide customers. Brand is a tool in your toolkit that can adjust your strategy and deliver the experience that wins over the hearts and minds of customers and keeps them coming back for more.  Today, branding is all about the value you provide customers. What that value is varies by organization. Some brands offer value by doing one thing really well. Others deliver value in several areas.  The success of your brand isn’t whether it provides one value or many; success depends on understanding what your customers value and delivering that.  In this episode, we explore the areas of value a brand usually provides and what an organization can do to ensure that their brand delivers the right ones to customers.  Are you “in a pickle” at your company, too? Tells us about here and we might feature your pickle on an episode of the podcast.  Here are some other key moments in the discussion: 01:34  We discuss Beard’s business pickle and why branding is an excellent focus for anyone in business today. 03:23  Ryan explains how he appreciates that Beard is already on the right path by concerning herself what customer think, because that is key for branding. 08:00  We believe in frameworks to organize thinking, and begin the discussion about ours, which has four parts. 15:42  Colin shares a story about spending way too much on athletic shoes given the level of play of his ten-year-old on the pitch, and how branding made it happen.  19:55 We explore brands that have done a good job with branding and why, as well as the differences one should expect in brand strategy depending upon the type of brand it is.  27:33  We get into the practical takeaways for Beard, and anyone else struggling in this area, to get the right branding for her new company.  _________________________________________________________________ Did you know we have a YouTube Channel too? Check it out here. Follow Colin on LinkedIn HERE.

So, you think the sale is in the bag. The customer signed the paperwork and everything. However, when you log in the next day to email, there is a cancellation. You think, what happened? People change their minds all the time for a lot of different reasons. Sometimes, it is about something they ordered or bought; sometimes, it is about paint color or springing for the upgrades. Why they change their mind has a lot of influences, and understanding how a customer’s mind works can help you manage these situations to the best possible outcome.  The customer’s mind is a complicated thing. We think of ourselves as unitary, meaning the only version of ourselves. However, psychology shows we have multiple versions of ourselves that activate under different circumstances. These versions might not always agree on the decisions made, so once a new version gets control, it might reverse a previous version’s decision.  Plus, these versions of us also have two ways of thinking. There is the fast and automatic thinking provided by our Intuitive System and the slow and deliberate thinking employed by the Rational System. The outcome could be quite different depending on which system controls the decision. Moreover, sometimes the Rational System will come in and overrule the Intuitive System later, which can be the impetus behind that cancellation you just saw.  In this episode, we explore why customers change their minds and how you can build into your experience ways to manage this. So, go ahead and listen; the future version of yourself will thank you for it.  Here are some other critical moments in the discussion: 03:50  We introduce the concept that we have multiple versions of ourselves and multiple thinking systems that influence decision-making and mind-changing.   07:50  Ryan shares a story about research showing how one can reach different decisions and sometimes less-than-optimal results.  11:05  Colin explains how the two systems of thinking work off each other about decisions, and Ryan explains how wish lists on purchases rarely come to fruition.       16:55  We share a practical example of customers changing their minds in the real world on a buying decision and how the company responded to manage this change.  20:40   We talk about Cognitive Depletion and how it affects customer behavior. 26:35  We share practical tips and suggestions that can help you manage customers’ changing minds in the future.  _________________________________________________________________ Did you know we have a YouTube Channel too? Check it out here. Follow Colin on LinkedIn HERE.

For many of us, planning can be an area of opportunity. We underestimate how much time something will take and how much time we will have available for something, particularly regarding project completion. However, Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky explained why we do this, and we will tell you what we can do about it.  Kahneman and Tversky call this phenomenon the Planning Fallacy. Our optimism about our future selves and the abilities and resources available causes it. For this reason, it rarely occurs on a tight timeline; we are far less optimistic about our right-now selves. We know we can’t do it right now. There are a few reasons besides optimism that cause this problem, too. For example, we tend to focus on certain details and ignore others (Focalism). Or we might be wishful thinking. We want to finish the project by then, so why not pick that date? In this episode, we explore why so many of us are victims of the Planning Fallacy and what we can do about it in our own work and the work of our organizations. If you listen to this podcast, your future self will thank you.  Here are some other key moments in the discussion: 04:02  We introduce the idea of the Planning Fallacy and explain what it is and how it affects us.  08:15  We discuss why it’s different when considering something with a short timeline, meaning an imminent due date.  11:10  Colin shares an example he frequently encounters on Emotional Signature projects, and why it isn’t his fault they miss their optimistic deadlines.  19:36  Colin points out that different departments organizationally can contribute to the problem and that these departments should learn The Power of Saying NO. 21:29  Ryan shares more contributing factors to why we victimize our future selves with the Planning Fallacy. 29:42  We share practical advice about what you can do to ensure that your past self doesn’t get your future self in a bind.  _________________________________________________________________ Did you know we have a YouTube Channel too? Check it out here. Follow Colin on LinkedIn HERE.

Sometimes it’s a “processing” fee. Sometimes it’s called an “admin” fee. We have even seen it labeled “convenience fee,” a refreshingly candid explanation for it. However, they are always additional fees, and if you have them in your pricing, they might have terrible implications for your customer experience.  However, they might not. Unfortunately, there isn’t a lot of scientific evidence that points to a definite negative effect on additional fees for a customer experience. For my part, it leaves a sour taste in my mouth when I get hit with one, so, my presumption is that I am not alone.  However, our listener Brian Williams wrote into us with a pickle. His company is facing rising costs and are debating the merit of raising prices over additional fees and vice versa. Unable to decide—or just wanting an outside perspective—they wrote to us to find out what we think.  It is a quite a pickle. Probably one that some of you are facing, too. There isn’t a clear-cut answer either. However, there are some important considerations that can guide a decision to go one way or the other.  In this episode, we explore these considerations, the possible fall out from them, and give our opinion on what Williams and his company should do.   Are you “in a pickle” at your firm, too? Tells us about here and we might feature your pickle on an episode of the podcast.  Here are some other key moments in the discussion: 01:48  We present Williams’ business pickle and why this is such an area of interest today, and for more than Ryan and his academic friends. 04:21  Colin shares a couple of instances where additional fees soured his experience. 07:57  Ryan gets into the theory behind what’s going on with additional fees and why they are so common in an era of inflation.       17:32  We introduce the topic of tipping and how it is a form of Two-Part Pricing also, and becoming too steep and too ubiquitous to sustain itself in the U.S. 26:24 We explore whether additional fees are a form of transparency, and what the fall out can be from listing out fees as line items in pricing bids.  29:23  We share our advice for Williams, and anyone else facing this same problem.  _________________________________________________________________ Did you know we have a YouTube Channel too? Check it out here. Follow Colin on LinkedIn HERE.

We can be grumpy about the restaurant experience. This self-awareness is key, especially when we realize that our behavior closely resembles the behavior of two grouchy Muppets heckling Kermit and Fozzie from the balcony. However, it’s easy to see that every business can learn from restaurants that bungle these moments of the experience.  We are aware this episode is a grumpy rant. Moreover, not everyone will agree with the things that we think restaurants do wrong. What drives us mad could be the very thing you love most. However, the fact we differ on these points demonstrates a critical overarching theme of this podcast: segmentation matters, and accommodation is key to deliver an excellent experience.  Restaurants that choose to ignore these criticisms have a right to do so. Moreover, if they prefer to cater to a specific segment of customer that prefers the way they do things, that is their prerogative. Some restaurants have been extremely successful by doing this and we do not fault them for it.  We don’t eat there either, but that’s beside the point.  In this episode, what we hope to achieve by airing our grievances is to point out how these moments in the restaurant experience demonstrate moments that every experience design could have.  For your business vertical, whatever it may be, we hope that the common experiences of dining out—or ordering to go—help illustrate these concepts and help you improve your experience.  Plus, it sometimes feels good to complain.  Here are some other key moments in the discussion: 03:41 Colin kicks off the complaints by pointing out that some restaurants do not understand the business they are  in, and therefore, do not send the right signals with their experience.  06:39  Ryan describes a restaurant experience that could use a little spruce up in the post-pandemic takeout vs. dine in experience.  11:32 We discuss the importance of managing the key interactions in an experience by properly training the team to put customers first so people remember that experiences can be time well-spent.      16:29  We remind our listeners that the little things add up and can burn you in the customer’s evaluation of how you did at the end of the experience.  19:17 Colin refers to an article out of Cornell that explains how what restaurants leave off the menu cause customers to spend more than they would have thought.  24:30  We summarize what we would change about these things that drive us mad at restaurants and that you can apply to your experience, too. _________________________________________________________________ Did you know we have a YouTube Channel too? Check it out here. Follow Colin on LinkedIn HERE.