"Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas." Calvin Coolidge
Merry Christmas.
Christmas is originally a Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus, but it is now the largest annual economic stimulus for many nations in the world. Christmas is no longer Christmas, but a season for gift exchange.
Is it because of Santa Claus? Or is it because of marketing? But then is there any relationship between Santa Claus and marketing? Is Santa Claus another marketing tool created by marketers?
Why consumers need an excuse to buy? Why everyone needs Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Thanksgiving, Easter and other festivals to show others that he/she cares about them?
Love does not need a reason.
“Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking.
It is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails.”
I Corinthians 13:4-8
Happy New Year. May the best of your past be the worst of your future.
_________
The article is also available on www.customerthink.com/blog/merry_christmas.
Showing posts with label CustomerThink. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CustomerThink. Show all posts
25 December 2007
21 December 2007
Do You Really Know How To Sell?
"Sales are contingent upon the attitude of the salesman - not the attitude of the prospect." W Clement Stone
Everyone sells.
Leaders sell visions. Managers sell execution plans. Staff sell abilities.
But, does everyone know how to sell?
Sure everyone does. Selling happens every second in every part of the world. (Even this article is selling an idea to whoever is reading it now!)
But, what is selling?
Selling is an act of persuading someone that an idea is a good one and likely to be successful.
If selling is so important, how effective does everyone sell?
That is the key question.
Rudyard Kipling developed 5W1H to help trigger ideas and solve problems, and this method can also apply to sales approach. The trick is the sequence of 5W1H.
The first step of every sales cycle is to identify the right person, or WHO. It is a waste of resources to discover halfway that the contact person is not the person-in-charge, or decision maker.
The second step is WHY. Why the customer should listen to you, but not someone else given the fact that the functional aspects of all deliverables are actually homogenous. The differentiation lies only in the emotional side.
The third step is to evaluate the values that are being offered to the customer, or WHAT. Values can only be maximized by listening to and discovering customer’s needs.
The fourth step is to find a way to implement the solution effectively and efficiently, or HOW, which then includes WHEN, WHERE, and the lost honest serving man, HOW MUCH.
Although there is no best practice, "well begun, half done."
_________
The article is also available on www.customerthink.com/blog/do_you_really_know_how_sell.
Everyone sells.
Leaders sell visions. Managers sell execution plans. Staff sell abilities.
But, does everyone know how to sell?
Sure everyone does. Selling happens every second in every part of the world. (Even this article is selling an idea to whoever is reading it now!)
But, what is selling?
Selling is an act of persuading someone that an idea is a good one and likely to be successful.
If selling is so important, how effective does everyone sell?
That is the key question.
Rudyard Kipling developed 5W1H to help trigger ideas and solve problems, and this method can also apply to sales approach. The trick is the sequence of 5W1H.
The first step of every sales cycle is to identify the right person, or WHO. It is a waste of resources to discover halfway that the contact person is not the person-in-charge, or decision maker.
The second step is WHY. Why the customer should listen to you, but not someone else given the fact that the functional aspects of all deliverables are actually homogenous. The differentiation lies only in the emotional side.
The third step is to evaluate the values that are being offered to the customer, or WHAT. Values can only be maximized by listening to and discovering customer’s needs.
The fourth step is to find a way to implement the solution effectively and efficiently, or HOW, which then includes WHEN, WHERE, and the lost honest serving man, HOW MUCH.
Although there is no best practice, "well begun, half done."
_________
The article is also available on www.customerthink.com/blog/do_you_really_know_how_sell.
20 December 2007
How Well Do You Listen?
"The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn't being said." Peter Drucker
Everything is about give and take. Takers cannot take forever without giving, because givers expect return. When takers take things for granted, and have no intention to produce any return, givers will quit. This is true in almost every situation, in particular, sales.
In every sale, salespeople usually talk more and listen less. But, talking is giving, and listening is taking. If people have the tendency to take rather than give, then salespeople should actually listen more and talk less. After all, everyone has two ears and one mouth; everyone should listen twice as much as he/she speaks. It goes against nature that salespeople talk more than they listen.
So, why salespeople have difficulties listening? First, people tend to think faster than they listen. Second, they believe that they are offering values to customers by doing 80% of the talking. However, without a thorough understanding of what the customers want, how is it possible for the salespeople to come up with solutions that cater to their actual needs, emotionally and rationally?
Top salespeople know how to control when and what to talk.
How to crack Drucker’s code? How to hear what isn’t being said?
Learn to listen, the vital and necessary skill for success.
When was the last time you listened, but not heard?
_________
The article is also available on www.customerthink.com/blog/how_well_do_you_listen.
Everything is about give and take. Takers cannot take forever without giving, because givers expect return. When takers take things for granted, and have no intention to produce any return, givers will quit. This is true in almost every situation, in particular, sales.
In every sale, salespeople usually talk more and listen less. But, talking is giving, and listening is taking. If people have the tendency to take rather than give, then salespeople should actually listen more and talk less. After all, everyone has two ears and one mouth; everyone should listen twice as much as he/she speaks. It goes against nature that salespeople talk more than they listen.
So, why salespeople have difficulties listening? First, people tend to think faster than they listen. Second, they believe that they are offering values to customers by doing 80% of the talking. However, without a thorough understanding of what the customers want, how is it possible for the salespeople to come up with solutions that cater to their actual needs, emotionally and rationally?
Top salespeople know how to control when and what to talk.
How to crack Drucker’s code? How to hear what isn’t being said?
Learn to listen, the vital and necessary skill for success.
When was the last time you listened, but not heard?
_________
The article is also available on www.customerthink.com/blog/how_well_do_you_listen.
17 November 2007
The Death of Relationship
What gets measured gets managed, but why? If something cannot be measured, then it cannot be managed? And if it cannot be managed, then how are results going to be measured? What about things that cannot be measured but still have to be managed, such as relationship?
Relationship is intangible, and therefore cannot be measured. Can it be managed? CRM says it can. But how? By software? Can something intangible be quantified? What exactly is relationship?
Positive relationship is a result of satisfaction, but satisfaction won't guarantee loyalty. Loyalty comes from consistent positive relationship. The major difference between satisfaction and loyalty is "consistency."
But still, knowing the difference between satisfaction and loyalty won't help any firm manage relationship. So again, what is relationship?
This relationship thing has been the talk of the town in the Western world for many years. In China, relationship has always been important, for many thousand years already. The Chinese has a different terminology for relationship, and it is known as Guanxi. But still, how is relationship measured?
Before trying to find out how relationship can possibly be measured, it is important to understand how relationship is developed.
Relationship is made up of touchpoints. The more the touchpoint, the stronger the relationship. Whether the relationship is positive or not depends on each touchpoint experience.
Managing relationship without managing the touchpoint is not managing relationship. Relationship is no longer the critical success factor.
Relationship is then, touchpoint is now.
_________
The article is also available on www.customerthink.com/blog/death_relationship.
Relationship is intangible, and therefore cannot be measured. Can it be managed? CRM says it can. But how? By software? Can something intangible be quantified? What exactly is relationship?
Positive relationship is a result of satisfaction, but satisfaction won't guarantee loyalty. Loyalty comes from consistent positive relationship. The major difference between satisfaction and loyalty is "consistency."
But still, knowing the difference between satisfaction and loyalty won't help any firm manage relationship. So again, what is relationship?
This relationship thing has been the talk of the town in the Western world for many years. In China, relationship has always been important, for many thousand years already. The Chinese has a different terminology for relationship, and it is known as Guanxi. But still, how is relationship measured?
Before trying to find out how relationship can possibly be measured, it is important to understand how relationship is developed.
Relationship is made up of touchpoints. The more the touchpoint, the stronger the relationship. Whether the relationship is positive or not depends on each touchpoint experience.
Managing relationship without managing the touchpoint is not managing relationship. Relationship is no longer the critical success factor.
Relationship is then, touchpoint is now.
_________
The article is also available on www.customerthink.com/blog/death_relationship.
09 August 2007
The Origin of Winning Part III
Experience is a personal and unique feeling that an individual senses at every touchpoint.
Experience is personal. Even the exact same event will deliver different experience to different individual due to different background. Experience is unique, because no experience is the same. It is like a river: "upon those who step into the same rivers, different and again different waters flow." Heraclitus says that nobody can step into the same river twice. This applies to everything, especially experience.
Every touchpoint makes a difference, based on experience.
Positive experience is about consistent expectation breakthrough. It is not easy to deliver and maintain experience consistency due to expectation escalation. When the first touchpoint experience is positive, people expect better experience, if not the same, from the next touchpoint. If it cannot be maintained, then the next touchpoint experience will be negative, even when efforts put in second touchpoint is the same as that of first touchpoint. Consistent positive touchpoint experience leads to winning.
Neutral experience is about expectation breakeven. It happens when touchpoint does not yet exist, when expectation is just met, or when people have had enough negative touchpoint experience from the past and finally give up completely on the touchpoint chain. The opposite of love is not hate, but indifference. When the experience is indifferent due to complete disappointment with past negative touchpoint experience, the touchpoint chain is already terminated. The chance of chain re-activation is minimal.
Negative experience is about expectation breakdown. One negative touchpoint experience can ruin all previous efforts in building positive touchpoint chain, especially in the world of information rich and time poor. People show no mercy to even mildly negative touchpoint experience.
Relevance is an indispensible ingredient in creating the first touchpoint. Without relevance, it is almost impossible to initiate anything. Commonality makes irrelevant relevant, and it is built by understanding needs and wants. Understanding requires communication and empathy, and one critical component of communication and empathy is active listening, but not just hearing.
Relationship, or touchpoint chain, is built on consistent positive touchpoint experience.
_________
The article is also available on www.customerthink.com/blog/the_origin_of_winning_part_iii.
Experience is personal. Even the exact same event will deliver different experience to different individual due to different background. Experience is unique, because no experience is the same. It is like a river: "upon those who step into the same rivers, different and again different waters flow." Heraclitus says that nobody can step into the same river twice. This applies to everything, especially experience.
Every touchpoint makes a difference, based on experience.
Positive experience is about consistent expectation breakthrough. It is not easy to deliver and maintain experience consistency due to expectation escalation. When the first touchpoint experience is positive, people expect better experience, if not the same, from the next touchpoint. If it cannot be maintained, then the next touchpoint experience will be negative, even when efforts put in second touchpoint is the same as that of first touchpoint. Consistent positive touchpoint experience leads to winning.
Neutral experience is about expectation breakeven. It happens when touchpoint does not yet exist, when expectation is just met, or when people have had enough negative touchpoint experience from the past and finally give up completely on the touchpoint chain. The opposite of love is not hate, but indifference. When the experience is indifferent due to complete disappointment with past negative touchpoint experience, the touchpoint chain is already terminated. The chance of chain re-activation is minimal.
Negative experience is about expectation breakdown. One negative touchpoint experience can ruin all previous efforts in building positive touchpoint chain, especially in the world of information rich and time poor. People show no mercy to even mildly negative touchpoint experience.
Relevance is an indispensible ingredient in creating the first touchpoint. Without relevance, it is almost impossible to initiate anything. Commonality makes irrelevant relevant, and it is built by understanding needs and wants. Understanding requires communication and empathy, and one critical component of communication and empathy is active listening, but not just hearing.
Relationship, or touchpoint chain, is built on consistent positive touchpoint experience.
_________
The article is also available on www.customerthink.com/blog/the_origin_of_winning_part_iii.
17 June 2007
Feedback to CustomerThink 02
Below is a comment I made for a blog written by Sampson Lee at www.customerthink.com. His blog can be viewed at www.customerthink.com/blog/the_paradox_of_happiness.
_________
Relationship is made up of touchpoints. Positive relationship is then made up of positive touchpoints along the touchpoint chain. One negative touchpoint experience can ruin all previous efforts in building positive relationship, especially in the world of information rich and time poor. People simply show no mercy to even little negative touchpoint experience. It is unrealistic to hope that creating negative now will deliver positive in the future. Fact is, negative now will usually result in zero immediately.
Daryl Choy, the founder of WisdomBoom and Touchpoint eXperience Management, helps firms make a difference at every touchpoint. Choy can be reached at http://wisdomboom.blogspot.com.
_________
Relationship is made up of touchpoints. Positive relationship is then made up of positive touchpoints along the touchpoint chain. One negative touchpoint experience can ruin all previous efforts in building positive relationship, especially in the world of information rich and time poor. People simply show no mercy to even little negative touchpoint experience. It is unrealistic to hope that creating negative now will deliver positive in the future. Fact is, negative now will usually result in zero immediately.
Daryl Choy, the founder of WisdomBoom and Touchpoint eXperience Management, helps firms make a difference at every touchpoint. Choy can be reached at http://wisdomboom.blogspot.com.
16 June 2007
The Origin of Winning Part II
Touchpoint is every point of interaction, internal and external, seen and unseen. Although touchpoint is countless, it can be grouped under three categories: People (P), Information (I) and Deliverables (D). Why three, but neither less nor more? There is a natural relationship among people, information, and deliverables: people produce/hire deliverables based on information available.
Of the three core touchpoints, people are always the most important, but only if they have the right attitude. While positive attitude alone won't guarantee positive touchpoint experience, the absence of one will almost certainly turn every positive touchpoint experience into negative. When touchpoint experience is negative, it becomes difficult to turn everything downside up. Positive attitude is about WATER: water gives life to everything yet does not ask anything in return.
People make informed decisions based on relevant information, the lifeblood. Without it, there would be no touchpoint. When there is no touchpoint, there would be no deliverables. Although information is the enabler of competitive advantage, information overload becomes an impediment to producing deliverables. Too much information is just as bad as too little. Too many creates confusion, and too little hinders progress.
Deliverables are the end results. Deliverables without value deliver negative deliverables experience. Value is not about what the deliverables do but what they offer, which means value is only defined by people who hire the deliverables. Positive deliverables experience extends touchpoint chain.
Touchpoint is in the eye of the beholder. No touchpoint is more significant than others. It all depends on which touchpoint matters most to people who do the hiring.
In Overpromise and Overdeliver, Rick Barrera mentions three types of touchpoint: Human, System and Product. Barrera's touchpoint system is external-focus, and may not be able to apply to internal business settings. Since touchpoint is defined as every point of interaction, the touchpoint system should not only be external-focus but also internal-focus. Customer-centric initiative is necessary, but it should not be achieved without balancing internal experience.
In Service-Profit Chain, Heskett points out that "successful CEOs spend a great deal of time with customers and employees, experiencing their companies' service processes while listening to employees for suggestions for improvement." There is a direct relationship between internal quality and external result. The stronger the internal quality, the better the external result.
Balance, as in yin-yang, is the key to stability. With stability comes success. Without comes chaos. Chaos brings inefficiency, damages efforts, and eventually results in negative touchpoint experience.
In internal organization, people refer to staff, managers, and leaders. Deliverables are produced by informed people. People get informed through different communication channels. Effective communication should be 360-degree, meaning the communication flow should be top-down, side-side, and bottom-up. Since information directly affects execution quality, information collected should be relevant to producing the right deliverables which suit market needs. Information should be market-driven, as information serving only internal needs is junk. Without specific information, deliverables produced will be irrelevant to both internal and external needs. Lose-lose is the usual outcome.
In external market, people refer to customers, suppliers and competitors. Customers hire deliverables based on information made available to them through different communication channels. Information may not serve any purpose when there is no market need, however, it
has to be at least made available to facilitate hiring decision once need is being created.
The more the touchpoint, the deeper the relationship; or else, out of sight, out of mind. Relationship is positive if experience throughout touchpoint chain is positive; or else, negative.
_________
The article is also available on www.customerthink.com/blog/the_origin_of_winning_part_ii.
Of the three core touchpoints, people are always the most important, but only if they have the right attitude. While positive attitude alone won't guarantee positive touchpoint experience, the absence of one will almost certainly turn every positive touchpoint experience into negative. When touchpoint experience is negative, it becomes difficult to turn everything downside up. Positive attitude is about WATER: water gives life to everything yet does not ask anything in return.
People make informed decisions based on relevant information, the lifeblood. Without it, there would be no touchpoint. When there is no touchpoint, there would be no deliverables. Although information is the enabler of competitive advantage, information overload becomes an impediment to producing deliverables. Too much information is just as bad as too little. Too many creates confusion, and too little hinders progress.
Deliverables are the end results. Deliverables without value deliver negative deliverables experience. Value is not about what the deliverables do but what they offer, which means value is only defined by people who hire the deliverables. Positive deliverables experience extends touchpoint chain.
Touchpoint is in the eye of the beholder. No touchpoint is more significant than others. It all depends on which touchpoint matters most to people who do the hiring.
In Overpromise and Overdeliver, Rick Barrera mentions three types of touchpoint: Human, System and Product. Barrera's touchpoint system is external-focus, and may not be able to apply to internal business settings. Since touchpoint is defined as every point of interaction, the touchpoint system should not only be external-focus but also internal-focus. Customer-centric initiative is necessary, but it should not be achieved without balancing internal experience.
In Service-Profit Chain, Heskett points out that "successful CEOs spend a great deal of time with customers and employees, experiencing their companies' service processes while listening to employees for suggestions for improvement." There is a direct relationship between internal quality and external result. The stronger the internal quality, the better the external result.
Balance, as in yin-yang, is the key to stability. With stability comes success. Without comes chaos. Chaos brings inefficiency, damages efforts, and eventually results in negative touchpoint experience.
In internal organization, people refer to staff, managers, and leaders. Deliverables are produced by informed people. People get informed through different communication channels. Effective communication should be 360-degree, meaning the communication flow should be top-down, side-side, and bottom-up. Since information directly affects execution quality, information collected should be relevant to producing the right deliverables which suit market needs. Information should be market-driven, as information serving only internal needs is junk. Without specific information, deliverables produced will be irrelevant to both internal and external needs. Lose-lose is the usual outcome.
In external market, people refer to customers, suppliers and competitors. Customers hire deliverables based on information made available to them through different communication channels. Information may not serve any purpose when there is no market need, however, it
has to be at least made available to facilitate hiring decision once need is being created.
The more the touchpoint, the deeper the relationship; or else, out of sight, out of mind. Relationship is positive if experience throughout touchpoint chain is positive; or else, negative.
_________
The article is also available on www.customerthink.com/blog/the_origin_of_winning_part_ii.
02 June 2007
The Origin of Winning Part I
Relationship rules – this is a simple fact that every firm knows but very few firms really act on it.
Profit-maximizing firm focuses on profit above all else, and always wants to win first and fast, even at the expense of positive relationship. Only when firm secures winning will market be given the opportunity to win second. Win-win is not fair, because the second win is controlled by firm. When empathy is absent in relationship, true win-win is unlikely.
Winning firm understands the importance of positive relationship, and is willing to do whatever is necessary to build and sustain this fundamental factor leading to success. But, relationship cannot be measured, how can it be managed? If it cannot be managed, how can firm measure success? To quantify or not to quantify, that is the question.
Relationship is made up of touchpoints. Point is countable, and therefore can be managed. In order to build positive relationship and loyalty effortlessly, winning firm manages touchpoint to deliver positive experience consistently. Managing touchpoint experience thus results in true win-win, where both market and firm get an equal share of the winning outcome. True win-win is not about the sequence, but mutual gain in the long-run.
Along the touchpoint chain, the first touchpoint, or better known as first impression, is usually the most important, as it sets expectations for subsequent touchpoints. However, first impression is usually wrong. In order to gain trust and not to let others down, people make more efforts to deliver positive experience during the first few touchpoints . Once relationship is built, they start to take things for granted, and lack motivation to maintain. They fail to realize that trust building is not a one-time activity, but rather a continuous process. Relationship that was positive in the past can turn negative when there is discrepancy between first impression and touchpoints thereafter. Consistency is therefore paramount to positive touchpoint experience.
Winning firm keeps negative touchpoint to a minimum in order to maximize the opportunity for positive relationship. One negative touchpoint experience can be very costly. All previous efforts in building positive touchpoint chain can go to waste. The old saying "once burned, twice shy" definitely applies.
Every touchpoint makes a difference, and that difference has significant impact on experience.
_________
The article is also available on www.customerthink.com/blog/the_origin_of_winning_part_i.
Profit-maximizing firm focuses on profit above all else, and always wants to win first and fast, even at the expense of positive relationship. Only when firm secures winning will market be given the opportunity to win second. Win-win is not fair, because the second win is controlled by firm. When empathy is absent in relationship, true win-win is unlikely.
Winning firm understands the importance of positive relationship, and is willing to do whatever is necessary to build and sustain this fundamental factor leading to success. But, relationship cannot be measured, how can it be managed? If it cannot be managed, how can firm measure success? To quantify or not to quantify, that is the question.
Relationship is made up of touchpoints. Point is countable, and therefore can be managed. In order to build positive relationship and loyalty effortlessly, winning firm manages touchpoint to deliver positive experience consistently. Managing touchpoint experience thus results in true win-win, where both market and firm get an equal share of the winning outcome. True win-win is not about the sequence, but mutual gain in the long-run.
Along the touchpoint chain, the first touchpoint, or better known as first impression, is usually the most important, as it sets expectations for subsequent touchpoints. However, first impression is usually wrong. In order to gain trust and not to let others down, people make more efforts to deliver positive experience during the first few touchpoints . Once relationship is built, they start to take things for granted, and lack motivation to maintain. They fail to realize that trust building is not a one-time activity, but rather a continuous process. Relationship that was positive in the past can turn negative when there is discrepancy between first impression and touchpoints thereafter. Consistency is therefore paramount to positive touchpoint experience.
Winning firm keeps negative touchpoint to a minimum in order to maximize the opportunity for positive relationship. One negative touchpoint experience can be very costly. All previous efforts in building positive touchpoint chain can go to waste. The old saying "once burned, twice shy" definitely applies.
Every touchpoint makes a difference, and that difference has significant impact on experience.
_________
The article is also available on www.customerthink.com/blog/the_origin_of_winning_part_i.
22 May 2007
Feedback to CustomerThink 01
Below is a comment I made for a blog written by Graham Hill at www.customerthink.com. His blog can be viewed at www.customerthink.com/blog/experience_mumbo_jumbo.
_________
Graham, I like your thinking.
Although touchpoint is usually "too short", it is always the little things that count. One simple touchpoint experience can have significant impact on an individual's total perception of an episode.
If finding a trolley is not an enjoyable experience, then the customer can have two choices. He or she can either continue finding the trolley, or just leave the premise and visit another shopping mall nearby. That "finding a trolley" process is then the little thing, and that little thing can already provide either positive or negative experience to customer.
Touchpoint is mutual, because it is an interaction. Persons involved can control where and when the touchpoint takes place. But experience is personal and unique. It is beyond everyone's control.
Berndt Schmitt's "Customer Experience Management" is a good book. He talks a lot about how to deliver experience, but it's more important to know what and where to deliver experience. I suggested earlier the idea of managing "People, Information and Deliverables" to deliver experience. That's the what.
Last but not least, in the HBR article "Putting the Service Profit Chain to Work," Heskett suggests that "profitability depends not only on placing hard values on soft measures but also on linking those individual measures together into a comprehensive service picture." Focusing on Customer Experience alone no longer ensures succuess. Winning requires an optimal balance between internal organization (yin) and external market (yang).
I've been studying touchpoint experience for almost 10 years. The more I read, the more I realize how little I know about touchpoint experience. I hope I am not in your list of confusing mumbo jumbo.
Daryl Choy, the founder of WisdomBoom and Touchpoint eXperience Management, helps firms make a difference at every touchpoint. Choy can be reached at http://wisdomboom.blogspot.com.
_________
Graham, I like your thinking.
Although touchpoint is usually "too short", it is always the little things that count. One simple touchpoint experience can have significant impact on an individual's total perception of an episode.
If finding a trolley is not an enjoyable experience, then the customer can have two choices. He or she can either continue finding the trolley, or just leave the premise and visit another shopping mall nearby. That "finding a trolley" process is then the little thing, and that little thing can already provide either positive or negative experience to customer.
Touchpoint is mutual, because it is an interaction. Persons involved can control where and when the touchpoint takes place. But experience is personal and unique. It is beyond everyone's control.
Berndt Schmitt's "Customer Experience Management" is a good book. He talks a lot about how to deliver experience, but it's more important to know what and where to deliver experience. I suggested earlier the idea of managing "People, Information and Deliverables" to deliver experience. That's the what.
Last but not least, in the HBR article "Putting the Service Profit Chain to Work," Heskett suggests that "profitability depends not only on placing hard values on soft measures but also on linking those individual measures together into a comprehensive service picture." Focusing on Customer Experience alone no longer ensures succuess. Winning requires an optimal balance between internal organization (yin) and external market (yang).
I've been studying touchpoint experience for almost 10 years. The more I read, the more I realize how little I know about touchpoint experience. I hope I am not in your list of confusing mumbo jumbo.
Daryl Choy, the founder of WisdomBoom and Touchpoint eXperience Management, helps firms make a difference at every touchpoint. Choy can be reached at http://wisdomboom.blogspot.com.
06 May 2007
Touchpoint Redefined Beta
Touchpoint is every point of interaction, internal and external, seen and unseen. Although touchpoint is countless, it can grouped under three categories: People (P), Information (I) and Deliverables (D). Why three, but neither less nor more? There is a natural relationship among people, information, and deliverables: people produce/hire deliverables based on information available.
In Overpromise and Overdeliver, Rick Barrera mentions three types of touchpoint: Human, System and Product. Barrera's touchpoint system is external-focus, and may not be able to apply to internal business settings. If touchpoint is every point of interaction, then there are both internal and external touchpoints.
In an internal organization, people refer to leaders, managers, and staff. Staff deliver results based on instructions given by superiors. Without such information, whatever staff produce will be irrelevant to both internal and external needs. When needs are not met, it will usually result in lose-lose outcome. Information also affects execution quality. People are always the most important asset. People without the right attitude will never get anything done. Even if the deliverables are produced, they are going to deliver negative experience.
In an external market, people refer to customers, suppliers and competitors. Customers hire deliverables based on information available to them, either via marcom or word-of-mouth. Of course, without needs, everything means nothing. The advertisement may not serve any purpose at all when there are no needs, but it has to be at least there to facilitate the hiring process. Needs can be created after all. Seller also has to be able to discover the needs. That is the most important piece of information.
The more the touchpoint, the deeper the relationship.
_________
The original article is available on www.customerthink.com/blog/touchpoint_is.
In Overpromise and Overdeliver, Rick Barrera mentions three types of touchpoint: Human, System and Product. Barrera's touchpoint system is external-focus, and may not be able to apply to internal business settings. If touchpoint is every point of interaction, then there are both internal and external touchpoints.
In an internal organization, people refer to leaders, managers, and staff. Staff deliver results based on instructions given by superiors. Without such information, whatever staff produce will be irrelevant to both internal and external needs. When needs are not met, it will usually result in lose-lose outcome. Information also affects execution quality. People are always the most important asset. People without the right attitude will never get anything done. Even if the deliverables are produced, they are going to deliver negative experience.
In an external market, people refer to customers, suppliers and competitors. Customers hire deliverables based on information available to them, either via marcom or word-of-mouth. Of course, without needs, everything means nothing. The advertisement may not serve any purpose at all when there are no needs, but it has to be at least there to facilitate the hiring process. Needs can be created after all. Seller also has to be able to discover the needs. That is the most important piece of information.
The more the touchpoint, the deeper the relationship.
_________
The original article is available on www.customerthink.com/blog/touchpoint_is.
01 May 2007
Back to Touchpoint... Beta
Relationship dictates. There is nothing new about this simple fact. But every now and then firm forgets about it. If relationship is fair, then every situation will automatically result in win-win outcome. There is simply no need to craft win-win solutions. Firm and market will both win fairly. By fair, it is not 80-20, but 50-50. Is it possible though? In the win-win formula, firm always likes to win first before giving an opportunity for market to experience satisfaction. 50-50? It is only possible when market is not loyal to firm.
If market is already loyal to firm unconsciously, who will care about customer loyalty? Firm will take loyalty for granted. Customer loyalty becomes important because firm never really cares about loyalty. If firm cares, then every touchpoint provided to market since day one will be positive thereby resulting in loyalty. Winning firm never has the need to create loyalty, because the notion of loyalty is already on the mind of every staff within the organization.
For firm who does not know what loyalty is all about, competition serves as a reminder. Competition exists not because competitors want to provide better services to market, but because competitors want to reap profits from competition. If profits are not yet affected adversely due to competition, firm won't care about loyalty. When empathy is absent in the relationship, win-win is impossible. Only when all market players start to realize the impact of competition, firm will consider taking action to protect profitability. Market usually benefits when there is competition.
If positive relationship drives loyalty, and loyalty is the critical success factor in sustaining business growth, then firm should allocate resources to manage relationship. What can be measured can be managed. Relationship is invisible. If relationship cannot be measured, how is it going to be managed?
Relationship is the summation of a chain of touchpoints. What is touchpoint? Touchpoint is every point of interaction, internal and external, seen and unseen. Point can be counted. Instead of managing relationship, it is more effective to manage touchpoint.
The first touchpoint is usually the most important, and is better known as "first impression." However, first impressions are usually wrong. People are good at covering up for the first few touchpoints. The truth will eventually be revealed. Managing touchpoint is about managing experience per touchpoint. Relationship will turn from positive to negative when there is discrepancy between first impression and the truth. Time proves. Consistency is the key word.
_________
The original article is available on http://www.customerthink.com/blog/back_to_touchpoint.
If market is already loyal to firm unconsciously, who will care about customer loyalty? Firm will take loyalty for granted. Customer loyalty becomes important because firm never really cares about loyalty. If firm cares, then every touchpoint provided to market since day one will be positive thereby resulting in loyalty. Winning firm never has the need to create loyalty, because the notion of loyalty is already on the mind of every staff within the organization.
For firm who does not know what loyalty is all about, competition serves as a reminder. Competition exists not because competitors want to provide better services to market, but because competitors want to reap profits from competition. If profits are not yet affected adversely due to competition, firm won't care about loyalty. When empathy is absent in the relationship, win-win is impossible. Only when all market players start to realize the impact of competition, firm will consider taking action to protect profitability. Market usually benefits when there is competition.
If positive relationship drives loyalty, and loyalty is the critical success factor in sustaining business growth, then firm should allocate resources to manage relationship. What can be measured can be managed. Relationship is invisible. If relationship cannot be measured, how is it going to be managed?
Relationship is the summation of a chain of touchpoints. What is touchpoint? Touchpoint is every point of interaction, internal and external, seen and unseen. Point can be counted. Instead of managing relationship, it is more effective to manage touchpoint.
The first touchpoint is usually the most important, and is better known as "first impression." However, first impressions are usually wrong. People are good at covering up for the first few touchpoints. The truth will eventually be revealed. Managing touchpoint is about managing experience per touchpoint. Relationship will turn from positive to negative when there is discrepancy between first impression and the truth. Time proves. Consistency is the key word.
_________
The original article is available on http://www.customerthink.com/blog/back_to_touchpoint.
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