Customer behavior gives you more information than asking questions May 31, 2007
Posted by Jeff in Client Value, Client retention, Communication, Decision-Making, Highest and Best Use.1 comment so far
My “buddy” Ankesh created a clever plug-in for WordPress blogs. It offers you the opportunity to donate a beer if you find value in a blog post. This isn’t the first time I’ve encountered this tactic. Ankesh has also included a feature that provides a non-alcoholic option. If I had my druthers, I would have a “baby needs a new pair of shoes” plug-in.
Our daughter is growing sooo fast!! 
.
She has already grown out of these shoes and another pair inside of two months.
In this particular post, Ankesh defends the plug-in’s value.
“It Helps You Know What People Like
If a few of your readers are willing to pay you $3 or $5 for a blog post, you can be pretty sure that many others will pay $10-100 for a more comprehensive report or an e-course.The beer plugin works as a signal – showing you which topics you should focus on more often.”
Here is the lesson
You may not be a tech-head or blogger, but if you want to have a better relationship with your clients, there is an important lesson here. The plug-in models “The Law of Two Feet.”
You can see the Law in action at a party. Imagine you walk into a large party. On one side of the room is the bar. On another is the band, with a dance floor in front. The food spread is on one wall. People playing board games are on another wall. (Hey, if I’m missing your favorite party activity just fill in the blank ).
Now, imagine if you are greeted by your host at the front door. He gives you one of two greetings:
- “Welcome, help yourself. Enjoy.”
- “What would you like to do first?”
What greeting is going to be easier to respond to?
As the party host, you never have to answer this. All you need to do is to see where people go. Clients take their two feet and walk themselves to the activity that interests them the most.
Behavior has a purpose: Need fulfillment
People behave to serve their needs. For your clients, acting on their needs and interests is much easier than answering questions. If you want to know how to frame a service for greater consumption or whether to offer a new product, provide your clients with options.
You will get much richer information than simply asking. And if you can charge for the option, that will make your market research that much more robust.
Case Study: Meeting Client Needs May 13, 2007
Posted by Jeff in Breast cancer research, Client Value, Client retention.add a comment
I’ve written previously on the power of removing a client’s worry. When you remove a worry from your client’s field of concern, you become indispensable. As an example, my daughter’s daycare would be very hard to be without. She never cries when I drop her off. She knows the teachers. She knows the other kids. I put her down and she is quickly off at play.
Meet a need, win a client
Consider your own needs. What competes with your mindspace? What would you give, what would pay, to gain precious piece of mind?
You and your client’s have something in common. They have needs that are begging to be met. They have a scarcity of mindspace and would dearly love to have their worries removed.
But, they also have needs that are much closer to their heart.
Your clients need to feel good about themselves
Your clients need to feel like they have made a difference in the world. They need to feel connected to others. They need to feel like they have made a difference.
What would it look like if you provided a service or product to your clients that removed a worry and made them feel better about themselves?
Combining the two needs in one product
A cousin of mine, Bill Cotton (our grandfathers were brothers, I guess that makes Bill a 3rd cousin, or is it 2nd? I could never keep the numbers straight 
), created a product that meets both needs. Sunglasses that support and promote breast cancer research.
The video is here. You will have to wade through a commercial or two.
Video and photo courtesy of 9news.com.
A portion of proceeds are donated to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, which leads the cause of finding a cure for breast cancer. The sunglasses, named after Bill’s mom, Toby (who succumbed to breast cancer in 2001, after 17 years fighting the disease), also display the pink ribbon.
How can you provide for both needs for your clients?
If you’d like, you can get your own set of Tobys. Tell ‘em cousin Jeff sent you?
Case Study: High Value Client Relationships: Nasal Strips May 8, 2007
Posted by Jeff in Client Value, Decision-Making, Highest and Best Use.add a comment
Sorry I’ve been so quiet lately. I caught a nasty virus that had me down for almost two weeks. Very rare for me. On the off occasion that I do get sick, it’s usually for just a day or two (not a week or two).
The last time I had a virus was a couple of years ago. At the time, there was this terrific little item: Breathe Right nasal strips with Vick’s VapoRub. The Vick’s was right in the nasal strip. How convenient!
Not only could I have my nasal passages held open, but I also had the blast of Vick’s. I always had the best sleep. Just what the doctor ordered when you are sick. I thought those little nasal strips were very helpful when I was recuperating.
It just wasn’t meant to be
For reasons that remain a mystery to me, this happy little marriage wasn’t meant to last.
The first thing I noticed is that they stopped making the nasal strips with Vick’s in large (my size). Anyone who thinks I could have squeezed my nose into the small/medium size the drug store had left on the counter has never come face-to-face (er nose) with my beak.
When I finally found the nasal strips with Vick’s, it was no longer Vick’s, but some mentholated substitute.
Sure, they are nasal strips. And, Yes, they are mentholated.
But, nothing beats the original.
I’ve spent the last two weeks doubling up on nasal strips and Vick’s so that I could get a good night of sleep.
A high value client relationship
Chris Garrett asked an excellent question on his blog, “Who is your blog for?” The point Chris came to is a valuable one whether you write for a blog or not.
What purpose does your work serve?
That purpose should be mutually beneficial. Beneficial for you. Beneficial for the client.
A case of lost value
The Breathe Right / Vick’s marriage had tremendous value. This was a case where a strategic alliance between two products produced value. Customer’s, like sick-ol’-me, reaped a benefit.
I can only infer that there was some loss of value for the folks at Breathe Right or Vick’s.
I’ve certainly experienced the impact on the quality of my life over the last two weeks.
Highest and Best Use
Another way to interpret Chris’s question is to challenge you to find your highest and best use. Your highest and best use is that place where your contribution to highly valuable client relationships is at its most optimal.
More on Highest and Best Use, and some of the unanticipated barriers to you achieving it.
