Know your customers: some ideas to think from their point of view
Sometimes we think we know everything. For example, you may think you know your customers better than themselves and know exactly what they need. But no, that is hardly ever so.
However, the good news is that you are reading this article, because it shows that you have a genuine interest in getting to know your customers. And although this post does not contain the absolute truth either, at least we would like to offer you some ideas that may be useful to make you able to take their place and improve, even just a little, what you can offer them.
What are the steps to get to know your customers?
The first step to be able to think from someone else’s point of view is to get to know them better. In order to do it, you must approach them. Yet, as the relationship between a profesional enterprise and its users is anything but similar to the relationship that may be established in another context, such as at a bar or at the queue of a supermarket, you could use some advice about the strategies best suited to the context at hand.
– Direct questions
Although sometimes they may seem a little blunt, they are very effective if you choose the right moment and the right customer to make them. Have you had a customer for years with whom you feel comfortable and whose criteria you particularly appreciate? Choose the right moment and ask some key questions, such as what he would improve in your products or what he thinks about the way you manage issues. The information provided by his answers will be worthwhile.
– Surveys
On the one hand, they provide structured information and tend to be easy to fill out. On the other hand, as convenient as they might be, they are less direct and give no place to express further opinions, and you will not be able to have a proper conversation. However, they can also be very useful in certain situations.
– Market research
They often look into the customer’s needs, offer valuable information and in the end, help you know your customers. But, if you do not know how to make them yourself, you will have to hire specialized companies who are qualified to make them, which will imply an economic investment.
Think from their point of view: Empathy Map
The very process of using tools like the previous ones is the first step to think from your customer’s point of view. However, there are several approaches that will allow you to understand better their needs and motives, because those will force you to question some aspects that you probably had not considered before. One of them, is the empathy map.
The empathy map compels you to consider some questions about your customers that will allow you to know your customers and understand their motivations better. Before drawing it up, it will be convenient to select the type of client that you want to understand better, which will lead to different empathy maps (one for clients between the age of 18 and 35, for example, and another one for those between the age of 36 and 55, etc.)
The empathy map consists of, basically, putting yourself in your customers’ position by answering to some questions:
– What do they see?
What their environment is, the kind of problems that they face, and the kind of market offers they have access to, etc.
– What do they hear?
What kind of information they receive from their environment, the media, etc.
– What do they say? What do they do?
How they express themselves in public, the way they act, etc.
– What do they think and feel?
Here is where you will have to do your best, trying to put yourself in your customers’ shoes to know what is really important to them and what they want and need.
Out of these 4 questions, two more will come out and you must also try to answer them.
- What are their fears and frustrations?
- What are their motivations?
Once you have answered all these questions, you will feel closer to understanding your customers. But you cannot stop there, you have to make use of what you have learned. For example, when designing a product, you will have to take into account what you have learned thanks to the empathy map to try to satisfy your customers.
In any case, and regardless of the strategies that you use, remember that the main ingredient when it comes to knowing your customers and taking their place will always be doing so sincerely. Think about some questions such as: Do I want to improve my customers’ lives? Do I care about their problems? Do my products or services meet their needs?
By giving honest answers to such questions, you will know whether you and your customers are on the same page or whether, on the contrary, you should think more about them.
Get to know your customers through customer service
Finally, remember that whenever you provide a service to a certain user, you will have a great chance to get to know said customer better.
Because customer service is one of the occasions that involve a great deal of communication between the company and its users, it is a great opportunity where the needs and frustrations that you must find solutions to are highlighted. And being aware of what those needs and frustrations are and knowing how to satisfy them will be a wonderful opportunity to improve your company and the service you give to your customers.
At this point, we would love for you to take a few minutes to get to know Integria IMS. Integria IMS is a program that provides, among many other features, an issue management system (help desk software) based on tickets (ticketing) that can be useful for customer service management within enterprises and organizations.
Would you like to find out more about what Integria IMS ticketing tool can do? Click here: https://integriaims.com/en/product/help-desk-software/
Or you can also send us any questions you may have about Integria IMS, in a very simple way, thanks to the contact form which is located at the following address: https://integriaims.com/en/company/contact/
In addition, remember that Integria IMS includes other useful features, such as an inventory or a project management system, among others.
Do not hesitate to send us your queries. Our great Integria IMS team will be happy to help you!