The 'interesting' phenomena

If you are a customer strategist chances are you've encountered the "interesting" phenomena at some point in your career. It generally goes something like this:

Best PracticesYou are in the midst of presenting the latest customer satisfaction and loyalty research. You have all of the data to support your recommendations and would describe the anticipated ROI as "one that can't be ignored." You are confident, and already starting to plan follow-up meetings.

At some point during the presentation one of the executives says, "that's interesting." You think, "This is good. She's engaged. I'll get the resources I need to drive change."

It isn't until after the presentation that you realize, "interesting" just isn't good enough. No follow-up actions have taken place and there are few signs that suggest action will happen.

The next time you share customer satisfaction and loyalty insights, avoid the "interesting" phenomena with the following.

  • Identify the key next steps and seek agreement before the presentation.
  • Wrap up the presentation with the list of next steps. Since most should be aware of these in advance, the intention is to seek agreement, not input.
  • Send a summary of the next steps after the meeting.
  • Don't let too much time pass before sending the group an update.

Photo credit: Snopes.

Comments for: The 'interesting' phenomena

Leave a comment