{"id":1340,"date":"2019-05-08T09:49:36","date_gmt":"2019-05-08T13:49:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog3.canny.io\/wordpress\/?p=1340"},"modified":"2024-04-18T14:25:35","modified_gmt":"2024-04-18T18:25:35","slug":"customer-focused-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/customer-focused-business\/","title":{"rendered":"How to start making your business customer focused"},"content":{"rendered":"

The phrase \u201ccustomer focused\u201d gets thrown around a lot.<\/p>\n

Many companies don\u2019t even think when they use it. They just do it because \u201cobviously\u201d every company needs to be \u201ccustomer focused\u201d.<\/p>\n

This term is being used so much and so mindlessly that it\u2019s lost all meaning. It\u2019s floating out there with other buzzwords like \u201cbest in class\u201d and \u201cresults driven\u201d.<\/p>\n

What does being \u201ccustomer focused\u201d even entail anymore?<\/p>\n

The definitions of the phrase can vary between different companies. Google doesn\u2019t really help with its millions of results.<\/p>\n\"The\n

Sadly, the real answer is everyone\u2019s favorite word\u2014\u201ddepends\u201d.<\/p>\n

There is no right or wrong answer. It depends on who your customers are, what your company does, and what your values are. Eventually, you\u2019ll have to create your own definition, specifically for your business.<\/p>\n

You might think you already have it figured out. However, if you\u2019re just starting out, it\u2019s a vision more than reality. It\u2019s not a bad thing to think about early on, but don\u2019t get too attached to it.<\/p>\n

Figuring out what it means for you is a long process. It requires a lot of time and experience. It also changes over time, as your business and customer base changes, too.<\/p>\n

There are still a couple of \u201cuniversal\u201d things to start doing now to make sure that you\u2019re not just talking the talk. Things that will get you started with being mindfully \u201ccustomer focused\u201d\u2014and then you can go from there.<\/p>\n

The many definitions of \u201ccustomer focused\u201d<\/h2>\n

There\u2019s no \u201cofficial\u201d definition of being \u201ccustomer focused\u201d. Most companies who put genuine thought into it have made up their own.<\/p>\n

There are a few overlapping thoughts in every definition out there, but the weight of each part depends on the company behind it.<\/p>\n

Here are two definitions we like and strongly agree with.<\/p>\n

1) HubSpot’s definition<\/a>:<\/p>\n\"Hubspot's\n

2) Helpscout’s definition (Shep Hyken)<\/a>:<\/p>\n\"Help\n

Here are the main takeaways from both definitions:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \u201cAll facets of the business prioritize customer satisfaction as the primary concern.\u201d<\/li>\n
  2. \u201cDevelop close relationships with their customer base.\u201d<\/li>\n
  3. \u201cYou must start on the inside, with your employees. What\u2019s happening on the inside is felt on the outside by customers.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Based on these, here are three things to do to start making your company customer focused.<\/p>\n

    Being customer focused is about building relationships<\/h2>\n

    What\u2019s the first requirement of building any relationship?<\/p>\n

    It\u2019s getting to know each other.<\/p>\n

    Your customers shouldn\u2019t be nameless and faceless entities that just exist out there and hand you money. To build a relationship with them, you have to get to know them, one by one.<\/p>\n

    Really getting to know your customers is easy at the beginning, when you don\u2019t have too many. Every new sign up is exciting. You go and learn about them out of sheer curiosity. It\u2019s also much easier to reach out personally and connect on a deeper level.<\/p>\n\"Being\n

    When you start getting more customers, keeping this curiosity becomes harder. You don\u2019t have time to go and learn about every new customer individually.<\/p>\n

    Don\u2019t let that stop you from building relationships and getting to know them.
    \nHere are three tips to do this at any stage.<\/p>\n

    Ask questions<\/h4>\n

    When your customers come on board, ask them a question. This question aims to give you more insight into what their relationship with you means.<\/p>\n

    For example, when a customer onboards, we ask them what problem they\u2019re trying to solve with Canny:<\/p>\n\"\"\n

    This is an automated email, but the question is genuine, and we reply to everyone who responds. We make the first (easy and automated) step, and if the customer wants to chat more, we\u2019ll happily find time for it.<\/p>\n

    We\u2019ll also have this extra information for whenever the customer reaches out later. It\u2019s the first step of getting to know our new customer, and it\u2019s fairly low effort.<\/p>\n

    Store information and use it<\/h4>\n

    Keeping basic information on your customers is always necessary. Try to take a step further and collect any and all extra bits of info in the same place.<\/p>\n

    Having a section for free-hand notes on each customer allows you to do that. Whether you\u2019re having a live chat, emailing back and forth, or simply doing research, add anything interesting or valuable in there.<\/p>\n

    For example, we use Intercom, and they have a handy \u201ccompany notes\u201d section for this:<\/p>\n\"Being\n

    When a customer reaches out for support, look at this info before you respond. This way, you don\u2019t have to ask extra questions, and they don\u2019t have to answer any. You can also use interesting tidbits about them to warm up the conversation.<\/p>\n

    Knowing the customers’ background and remembering individual information makes them feel important. Well, they are important anyway, but might not feel like it. Give them that warm and fuzzy moment, and they\u2019ll open up much more easily.<\/p>\n

    Be human<\/h4>\n

    You\u2019re not a robot, and neither are your customers. There\u2019s nothing wrong with showing that. Let your personality shine through when talking to your customers.<\/p>\n

    If you\u2019re interested in something they do or say, tell them. If they seem to be in a fun mood, crack a joke. Again\u2014it\u2019s all about getting to know them and having a conversation beyond just talking business.<\/p>\n

    We\u2019ve had many Intercom conversations turn into completely random chats, with topics ranging from surfing to model planes to man flu.<\/p>\n\"\"\n

    All the above will help you build a relationship with your customers beyond business.<\/p>\n

    The more personal of a relationship you can build, the more loyal your customers will be. The more loyal your customers are, the easier it will be for you to find out what their real needs are.<\/p>\n

    Being customer focused means going from the inside out<\/h2>\n

    Like Shep from Help Scout said\u2014before working on your customers, you need to make sure you work on your own team.<\/p>\n

    It\u2019s hard to fake being customer centric as a part of your core values if it isn\u2019t true. Even if you try, it\u2019ll come off disingenuous.<\/p>\n

    There\u2019s two main aspects to making sure your customer centric attitude shines from the inside out.<\/p>\n

    Treating your employees well<\/h4>\n

    If your team is happy, nurtured, and valued, they\u2019ll be emotionally invested in the company. This means they\u2019ll care about what happens to it, rather than just being there to collect a paycheck.<\/p>\n

    \u201cHow to treat your employees well\u201d is a very complex topic, and pretty much requires a post of its own. Here<\/a> is a good one until we get around to writing one.<\/p>\n

    The basic idea is that when your team members feel good in your company, they want to stay there.<\/p>\n

    When they want to stay there, they\u2019ll care about how it\u2019s doing.<\/p>\n

    When they care about how the company is doing, they put their best foot forward in everything that concerns its public image. This includes customer communication.<\/p>\n

    This will help with creating those very important customer relationships we mentioned before.<\/p>\n

    Talking to your team about customers<\/h4>\n

    In small startups, pretty much everyone does support. In bigger ones, there are people who don\u2019t interact with customers at all.<\/p>\n

    That doesn\u2019t mean they shouldn\u2019t think about it at all.<\/p>\n

    Being customer focused is a part of your whole team\u2019s culture. Sit down with your team and talk about customers. It doesn\u2019t matter whether it\u2019s in a meeting, a call, or an async document.<\/p>\n

    Ask:<\/p>\n