To learn more about her target market and to better understand an existing customer, one of my coaching clients took a deep breath, picked up the phone and inspired an amazing conversation by asking, “Why do you continue to work with me?”
What response did she receive to this question? And what is the impact on her business?
There’s no doubt that asking that question took courage. My client had to quiet those inner voices that muttered things like, “The customer will think that’s a stupid question,” or “They’ll think I don’t know what I’m doing and stop working with me,” or “The customer doesn’t have time for this.”
But her customer was pleased to schedule the call and devoted over 30 minutes to the phone conversation. My client learned, specifically, how she excels over much of her competition – and she learned about the competition that’s delivering and offering more.
She was given details about the structure of her customer’s company, how decisions are made, how many other teams might benefit from her services. And she learned there are multiple opportunities to do more work for this customer.
Amazing!
While it’s true my client could have created and sent out a survey, it would not have revealed the wealth of information shared in this real-time conversation. Tone of voice, language used, and the ability to ask questions and reply in the moment were all necessary to produce such valuable information.
For my client, this one call was transformative. She has a deeper understanding of her customer and knows exactly how to build a stronger relationship. She also knows how to build stronger relationships with similar customers. The value to her company’s growth and bottom line is immeasurable.
Perhaps it’s time you made this call?