Your Survey Results Don't Matter
As we said in part one, there's only one question that matters.
It's the opinion of your customer about your business that matters.
People don't respond well to surveys and they're typically asking
the wrong questions anyway.
According to a Forrester's survey, consumers trust the opinions
of friends about products or services more than any other source,
including published reviews, television commercials, or reviews
from people they have never met. But a survey seems hardly
necessary. All you have to do is ask yourself: How much do you
trust the opinions of your friends and family? How do those
opinions affect your purchase decisions?
According to Reichheld, a company's net promoter score (NPS) is
the percentage of promoters minus the percentage of
detractors. It's an important number for any business, if not
the only number that really matters. The average company in the
United States has an NPS of less than 10%. This is dismal news. Or
it's good news, depending on perception, because the potential to
raise your NPS and be performing far above the average is high. So
how do companies achieve this?
Your customers will be prepared to recommend your business when
they feel good about doing business with you. To achieve this level
of satisfaction for your customers, you must reach them on two
levels:
- Logically: Your customers know they're getting a great value.
Whether the value is the price, features, quality and ease of use,
or a combination, the value is obvious .
- Emotionally: Your customers are loyal to you. They feel that
your brand understands them, values them, listens to them and acts
accordingly.
When both the head and the heart are invested, your customers
will enthusiastically recommend your company to friends and
colleagues. Your NPS score will soar and growth will follow.
What do you do with your detractors? That's part 3…