{"id":7396,"date":"2024-06-27T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-06-27T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/?p=7396"},"modified":"2024-10-19T15:58:29","modified_gmt":"2024-10-19T19:58:29","slug":"voice-of-the-customer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/voice-of-the-customer\/","title":{"rendered":"How to use the voice of the customer methodology to build products customers love"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

People have dreamed about reading minds for ages. Wouldn’t that superpower make decisions, relationships, and life much easier?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What if you could know exactly what your customers think and need? That\u2019s what the voice of the customer (VoC) methodology helps you do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

VoC is about collecting and understanding what customers say about your product. It means listening to their feedback and using it to improve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“Understanding the voice of the customer directly influences how well we can meet and exceed our customer expectations.”<\/p>\nJulia Valade, customer success manager at Canny<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

When you truly listen to your customers, you can create products they love. VoC helps you build better products and make informed decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“It’s shocking how many product managers don’t talk to their customers. That should be your first conversation.”<\/p>\nMike Marriage, head of product at Bloomerang<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Talking to your customers helps you understand their needs and solve their problems. This makes them happier and more loyal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, nothing really new here, right? You’ve know how important feedback management is. So, we’ve decided to explore this framework from a mindset perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What if you didn’t just use<\/em> the voice of the customer methodology? What if you became<\/em> the voice of the customer?<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

The mindset of being<\/em> the voice of the customer<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Imagine if every product decision you made came from your customers’ thoughts. You’d only build products that people love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Until someone invents a mind-reading tool, we need a workaround. Many experts suggest using the voice of the customer framework to shape your mindset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“It is very critical that you look at every feature and problem you’re trying to solve from the customer’s perspective. Ultimately, you are the voice of the customer<\/em> in the organization.”<\/p>\nMike Marriage, head of product at Bloomerang<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Start with active listening<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“It’s important to actively listen and truly understand the deeper reasons behind their comments. This means not just hearing their words, but considering the context and what they’re trying to tell us.”<\/p>\nJulia Valade, customer success manager at Canny<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

This means not just hearing the words but grasping the underlying concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next, practice empathy<\/strong>. Put yourself in your customer’s shoes to better understand their needs and pain points. User feedback is instrumental here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“By analyzing user feedback, we identified that students felt overwhelmed integrating new information with their existing knowledge. This led us to develop specific features like mind mapping and spaced repetition systems (SRS). This resulted in a 30% increase in user engagement and customer retention within three months.”<\/p>\nDominic Zijlstra, founder of Traverse<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Dominic\u2019s story perfectly illustrates how listening to customers improves products. Being the voice of the customer means:<\/p>\n\n\n\n