Mr. Curious Always Knows What To Do
There is a cottage industry developing right now. I call it the “I am now a recession expert because my usual business tanked” market. I was just on a website this morning that wanted to charge me $399 for a report on the “Secret Tactics Successful Companies Use To Grow During A Recession.” I will suspend my cynicism for a moment to tell you something far too simple for anyone to make money on. The best guidance for you right now is not from a website or high-dollar research service, but the people right in front of you. I know this is painfully obvious, yet I am surprised at how few companies actually ask their customers meaningful questions that could result in adjustments that assure results. As your new CMOO(Chief Master of the Obvious Officer), I propose this simple 90-second take away:
Ninety Seconds take away:
Select a sample of each group of people important to your business to take a short survey and/or interview. Make sure you only ask questions that will give you answers you can act upon. Keep it simple, use a combination of personal one-on-one discussions with quantitative surveys that will help you understand your customers’ priorities. Use inexpensive survey tools like Survey Monkey, ask current customers, prospects and lost customers to build a clear picture of their world, from their point of view. The marketing decisions you make that really work will be the ones you make standing in their shoes (not yours). I did not buy the “Big Recession Secrets” $399 report, but my guess is this idea was in it. It is now yours for whatever amount of cash you would like to send your new CMOO.
