Presentation by Greg Ryan at SVPMA Monthly Event March 2013: Using Customer Research and Feedback Processes for existing and future Products and Services and using this information for Improvement or build new products

1. Build Better Products &
Services Through
“Optimal” Customer
Feedback
Greg Ryan
March 6, 2013
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2. GREG RYAN BACKGROUND
 Research Manager and Product Manager at Cisco
Systems
• Built a Customer Feedback Process which became “best
practices”
 Consultant at J.D. Power & Associates
 Research Manager at Nissan Motor Corporation
 Product Line Manager at Plantronics
 Product Manager at Schlage Lock
 New Products Manager at K2 Skis
 Forte is “actionable” research
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3. OBJECTIVES AND AGENDA OF THE
PRESENTATION
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4. THE “MARKETING CONCEPT”
“Determine the needs and wants of target markets and
delivering the desired satisfactions more effectively and
efficiently than competitors”
Philip Kotler
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5. Source: Winning at New Products
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6. RESULTS OF POOR RESEARCH OR INSUFFICIENT
RESEARCH
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7. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU BUILD AN
ASPARAGUS TRUCK VS. ICE CREAM TRUCK
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8. HIERARCHY
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9. Key Components for a Successful
Customer Feedback Process
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10. SELL THE BENEFITS OF GOOD CUSTOMER
FEEDBACK
• “Hit the target” on market requirements
• Avoid building poor products and “fixes”
• Improve product team efficiencies and priorities
• Increase customer & partner loyalty and repeat
business
• Maximize revenues
• Discover new products/services
• Increase “share of wallet” over the competition
• Portfolio penetration
• “Leap frog” the competition
• Better decision making
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11. SELECTING EXECUTIVE SPONSORS AND
CUSTOMER CHAMPIONS
 Those who are customer focused
 Likely candidates are close to the customer
(marketing/sales)
 Find champions in cross functional areas
 Those who have strong influence
 Will be supportive
DON’TS
 Recruit those who don’t have time
 Simply looking for exposure
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12. CUSTOMER LIFECYCLE
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13. PRE-INTRODUCTION PROCESS
Product Requirements Documents (PRD)
Market Requirements Documents (MRD)
Betas
Field Trials
Labs
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14. FEEDBACK FROM ALL MAJOR AREAS
 Include all of the following groups:
• Customers
• Partners
• Sales
• Marketing (Trade Shows, Web, Newsletters)
• Help Desk (TAC)
1) Gather input from above stakeholders
PLUS
2) Get their opinions on areas for improvement
 Use Secondary research
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15. METRICS AND GOALS
 “Overall measurement” plus areas in the customer
lifecycle
 Focus on known “pain points”
 Customer defined metrics
 Measurable and agreed to by stakeholders
 Set metrics which can be tied to compensation
 Use “Top 2” boxes vs. averages
 Use realistic goals (PPI - Percent of Possible Index)
 Metrics statistically sound
 Benchmark the competition
DON’TS
 Don’t force it
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16. COMPENSATION
 Tie compensation to metrics
 Agreed to by stakeholders
 Enough to motivate them
 Make it more of a “carrot” than a stick
 Sliding scale vs. “all or nothing”
 Tied to people who have a real impact
 Get executive pay tied to metrics
DON’TS
Don’t force it
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17. CLOSE THE LOOP WITH THE CUSTOMER &
EXECS
EXTERNALLY
Newsletter
Follow-up email
Trade shows, webinars, etc.
Only provide information that is non-sensitive and
confident of action
INTERNALLY
Track results and show Execs
Post results on a website, newsletters, email
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18. WHAT CAN YOU DO IF YOU DON’T
HAVE CUSTOMER FEEDBACK??
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19. RESEARCH PROJECT CONSIDERATIONS
 Methodology
- Qualitative vs. Quantitative (and method)
- Stated vs. Implied
- Numerous techniques
 Eliminate bias (e.g. blind surveys)
 Type of surveys (phone, online, panel)
 Sample size
 Screening of respondents
 Wording of questions
 Order of questions
 Scales to be Used
 Pricing
 Types of Data (e.g. Nominal, Ordinal, Interval, Ratio)
 Data Measurements (e.g. Mean, Median, Mode)
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20. WHAT INFORMATION SHOULD BE GATHERED?
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21. EXAMPLES OF INFORMATION FOR
“EXISTING” PRODUCTS & SERVICES
 “New” needs or features desired (plus importance and
benefits)
 Importance of “current” needs or features
 Changes and improvements
 Usage: what, by who, how (maybe awareness problem)
 Profile of customers across: demographics, geographies,
business segments, vertical markets, etc.
 Areas of satisfaction or dissatisfaction. Compare to
importance.
DON’T FOCUS ON PRODUCT – FOCUS ON SOLUTIONS
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22. EXAMPLES OF INFORMATION FOR
“EXISTING” PRODUCTS & SERVICES (cont.)
 Pricing, structure, willing to pay for, value
 Packaging/bundling, sold standalone
 How improve attach/renewal rates
 The “customer experience”
 Customer’s business needs
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23. EXAMPLES OF INFORMATION NEEDED FOR
“FUTURE” PRODUCTS OR SERVICES
 Customer Level
• Unfulfilled needs/pain points
• Future business needs/problems
• Company/industry changes
• Regulations
• Growth opportunities, etc.
 Market Level
• Strength of market importance
• Identify potential areas for revenue growth
• Price increases
• New products: who will buy it, how used and by who
• Prioritize features or desired needs
• Upgrade/upsell opportunities
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24. EXAMPLES OF “OTHER” INFORMATION
 Future technologies: new paradigms
 Beta or field trial feedback: Areas of
satisfaction/dissatisfaction, what needs to fixed and how
 Reseller/channel/sales feedback: areas of improvement,
revenue opportunities, upsell opportunities, pricing issues,
competitive issues, sales tools, marketing materials, etc.
 Competitive/Market analysis: competitive opportunities,
SWOT analysis, why are customers buying competitive
products, etc.
 Web or GUI feedback: changes or improvements to workflow,
features, response time, etc.
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25. GATHERING QUANTITATIVE DATA
 Search and review existing primary and secondary research data first !!!
 Set goals, objectives, target market etc.
 Methodology, respondent types, sample size, list source
 Get statement of work and costs
 Hold stakeholder meetings
 Screening respondents
 Build survey draft - get approvals
 Test skip patterns
 Pretest
 Send reminders
 Adequate sample size
 Clean data
 Analyze results – “slice and dice”
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26. DO’s OF QUANTITATIVE DATA
 Get research team early
 Get budget – including customer lists
 Determine who are stakeholders and implementers
 Target respondent list (e.g. segments, verticals, geographies)
 Reasonable expectations on data delivery
 Look at future list of research projects for synergies
 For each question ask yourself “how will we use this information”
 Agree to any metrics in advance
 Develop plan for implementation of results (before survey goes out )
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27. DON’TS OF QUANTITATIVE DATA
 Don’t initiate a project unless research
team engaged
 Don’t build actual survey yourself
 Don’t contact customers or partners for
research directly without researcher
 Don’t send out a survey without an
“opt-out” option
 Don’t solicit business in your survey
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28. COMMON TYPES OF PRIMARY RESEARCH
 Surveys
 Focus Groups
 1:1s/Interviews
 Conjoint/Adaptive Conjoint
 MaxDiff
 Van Westendorp
 Perceptual Mapping
 Factor Analysis
 Cluster Analysis
 Discriminant Analysis
 Regression Analysis
 Gap Analysis
 Kano, QSort
 Many, Many Others
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29. GATHERING ACCURATE QUALITATIVE DATA
 Train teams
 Have an approved discussion guide
 Be consistent with all customers
 Get a cross section of customers
Don’ts
 Create bias or lead the respondent
 Rely totally on qualitative data
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30. CUSTOMER PANELS AND SOCIAL MEDIA
 Provides “directional” information
 Qualitative information (usually)
 Generally not used for making decisions
 Screening of respondents difficult
Don’ts
Don’t rely on social media alone for conclusions
Don’t draw conclusions from customer panels with
small samples
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31. HOW TO LEAP FROG THE COMPETITION
Talk with customers about their:
• Current business problems and pain points
• Future business problems and pain points
• Future regulations and inefficiencies
• How you can save customers time and money
• Products they wished you would sell
• Companies they wished you would acquire
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34. QUESTIONS???
Contact Info:
ryan.greg@comcast.net
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