• A well known product, already experienced by the entire market.
• It’s had many re-introductions in different forms, packages, and industry verticals.
• Fully commoditized.
• The market may be emotionally attached to the original version so the new version may be potentially undesirable.

We must agree that under such a scenario new value-add, demand and certainly loyalty would be difficult to achieve.

However, if we are willing to look beyond our paradigms, and if we know our customers well enough to offer them something they never knew they wanted,
then, maybe we have a chance to lead.

Take a look:

What is special about this video?
Knowing your customer is the key to adding unforeseen value.

Rudy Vidal
Committed to XCL

Brilliant !
Here is a good example of the overwhelmingly powerful effect of experiences in creating customer behavior and loyalty.
The new product is clearly less effective than the alternative, yet customers prefer it 66% after the addition of the experiential component.

Suggestion:  Reduce your costs by dropping features and re-invest in adding experience.  The results are evident.
take a look:

Thank you  Volkswagen for the vision to undertake this project.

Rudy Vidal
Committed to XCL

Friends,

Some of you may remember this posting from over a year ago.

As the need to differentiate becomes more and more critical, I thought I would have Johnny remind us
how its done.

This is a perfect example of the importance of the experience and the value of differentiation.

Enjoy.

Click for Johnny’s Video

Thank you.

Imagine if sales organizations understood that the signing of a contract was only half the revenue and value, and that the other half came as a result of our alignment and authenticity to our purpose as a company, as people.

Imagine if sales organizations considered the lifetime value of a customer the true goal.

Imagine if sales organizations saw themselves as the conduit to future value for the customer, the matchmakers for a long term relationship.  Many do.  But we usually don’t pay them for that, we certainly don’t measure that.

Imagine if sales organizations and service organizations were on the same team.

When was the last time you were happy to see a sales person from a company you didn’t know.

Imagine.

Thank you for your post Mr. Enderle.

Dell Buys Perot Systems: The Hidden Benefits | Blogs | ITBusinessEdge.com

When do you say good-bye?

My opinion is; unless the customer has blatantly abused someone, Never ever ever.

The scenario du jour:

Special order and handling was required, which meant a little research on my part. When I was making a call for our Special Customer (profile above), one of my team members took notice of the research I was involved in, heard my questions – and even some aggresive negotiating tactics on behalf of our customer.

He asked me, “How can you still be trying so hard for this guy? He’s not very nice!” The answer was so clear to me, that I thought I should start sending money to the XCS founder, because clearly something is catching on. What I mean to say is, “there was a time when… ”

This person is OUR customer, a fee paying bank customer.

We have to be careful to exude the same level of enthusiasm in our work for the engaging, warm and pleasant people who buy our products and use our services as we do for those who can tend to drain us. They should be viewed as the same, even when this is something of an effort.

Ed Vallorani’s posting is a great example (see here).

The key is to understand your customers’ pain points and needs, then its possible.

Committed to XCS !

1. Are you dissatisfied, satisfied or Extremely Satisfied with the brand of your last purchase?
and
2. Will you definitely, without a doubt, buy this SAME brand again when you need a similar product?

Although the sample size of 25 is limited (too few of you like to take surveys), I still think its worthwhile sharing. Participants purchased a wide variety of products from beer to cars (hopefully not at the same time).

The results were interesting but not surprising, although I think most of those taking the survey must have already drank the XCS cool-aid:

Buy again?
Dissatisfied = 4 = 16% 0%
Satisfied = 17 = 68% 6%
X-Satisfied = 4 = 16% 94%

I think the first portion regarding how satisfied you were with the brand of your last purchase says much about a well balanced marketplace, where the vast majority (68%) were satisfied with the their purchase. An equally balanced 16% on each side were Dissatisfied and Extremely Satisfied, the two limits.

What is more interesting is that in this case (probably due to the small sample), none of the dissatisfied and only 6% of the satisfied participants said they were loyal to the brand as a result of their experience.

On the other hand, 94% of the XCS’d participants would be loyal to the brand based on their experience.

For at least 25 of you Extremely Satisfied may be the line that has to be crossed for loyalty to be reached.

[Please note that although fun to look at and discuss, you should not use this survey as a source of difinitive market tendencies due to its limited sample size and lack of industry segmentations].

Committed to XCS !

As I write this post, I’m in the middle of a customer visiting caravan. A six week-long stint of airport hopping and fast food that takes a lot of time and doesn’t help the efficiency of handling day to day issues. However, at the end, the most productive and important six weeks I could ever spend.

So far in the last few weeks I have been reminded of many of the issues that are truly important to my customers and as such, I feel empowered with clarity and energy to make things better.

I think much of our delay to action comes from a lack of clarity, at times, caused by high levels of complexity in our attempt to implement perfect, all encompassing solutions.

Because we have experience and know what our customers need, we feel that we can act on their behalf.

Most of the time, this is true, but at times our efforts become mired in internal considerations, seemingly equally worthy of attention. The result rarely exceeds the customer’s expectations.

The voice of the customer has a way of simplifying and focusing us on those things that really matter.

This may sound like common sense, but my experience is that we don’t listen to the customer enough.

Talk to some customers today, especially if the complexity of your solutions seem to be increasing. You’ll gain clarity, a sense of empowerment and purpose.

]]> http://rudyvidal.net/2008/05/the-voice-of-the-customer-brings-me-clarity/feed/ 2 http://rudyvidal.net/2008/04/have-we-what-it-takes-to-be-like-johnny/ http://rudyvidal.net/2008/04/have-we-what-it-takes-to-be-like-johnny/#comments Fri, 18 Apr 2008 07:11:08 +0000 Rudy Vidal http://willtheybuyagain.wordpress.com/?p=298

Friends,

Today a colleague sent me this video which I think is not only inspiring but revolutionary in its simplicity and effectiveness to present the essence of XCS.

Please view it, it will make a difference.

Johnny’s video

Thank you.

Rudy Vidal
Committed to XCS !

Not usually a big Taco Bell fan, but this is an excellent example of XCS at work!

My daughter (24) and I (29) were moving on Saturday. It was very hot in So Cal (99 degrees in Brea, CA.). We decided fast food was for us; but where?

We agreed on Taco Bell, drove up and Stacey orders a #1. My turn – I’d like a Tostada – hold the sauce; a Burrito, hold the onion – and a Small Pepsi -hold the … Pep? He laughs, and says, “This isn’t Burger King, but you can still have it your way!” then suggests we add Hot Sauce to the Pepsi to make it “A Bloody Mary” – Ha, funny. Coincidentally, the store is about 100 yards from The Brea Improv, so, just before he gives us our total, I ask him if he escaped from the Improv. “What Improv?”

We turn the corner approaching the Window, and there, waiting for us, is a hand stretched out holding a Soft Drink and a Straw. When we pull up, he says, “What took you so long?” then, as I pick up my empty water bottle from the cupholder, he gestures to take it from me (for the trash). My usual experience is that the attendant looks at me funny and points to the trash receptacle at the end of the drive – as if to say, “There’s the trash…. ” – Mr. Taco Bell, however, says, “Yes, I’ll take that from you! That is how I Trash the Competition!“.

He’s right – He made every effort to make our fast food lunch enjoyable. I told him we’d be coming back for dinner. Then, embarrassed, he said, “Not so fast, I need some cash”; In all the fun, I had forgotten to pay him – oops. My daughter laughed, and said she thought he was asking for a tip, well deserved.

As we drove away with smiles on our faces, Stacey summed it up perfectly, “Mom, you’d think he was the Owner …”

Moral of the story:

• Extreme Customer Satisfaction and thus, Loyalty is FREE.
• Choose employees that are capable of having the “mind of an owner”.