Satrix Solutions  
Quarterly Newsletter                                                     May  2013

Vol. 3, Issue 2       

 

Satrix Solutions Customer Feedback Programs

Greetings!

    

I am always fascinated by stories highlighting the success (and failure) of prominent businesses. Many times there are lessons to be learned and I try to think about ways to apply those "learnings" to my business. Often, the management team's understanding of the needs of their customers drives a company's success. Likewise, when a business or strategy fails, it can frequently be tied to a lack of appreciation for what customers really value.

One story of the latter widely covered last month was the ouster of JC Penny's CEO, Ron Johnson.  In 2010, when the retail giant announced the unorthodox turnaround strategy by its newly appointed CEO, some business analysts predicted failure. It turns out they were right. His downfall, unfortunately, is a perfect example of what happens when you don't understand or listen to your core customers.

As voice-of-the customer champions, we can't stress enough the importance of listening to customers. Coincidentally, I recently participated in an article called "Loyalty Takes Listening" for Direct Marketing News. One big take away - not all customer feedback requires action but it should be acknowledged and not undervalued. In the case of Johnson, his actions and strategy definitely showed a lack of appreciation for JC Penney's core customers.

How can you learn from JC Penney's mistake? First, create a culture in which understanding customers' needs - at every stage - is part of your organizational DNA. Second, use data-driven customer insights to improve the customer experience and foster customer loyalty. The key to success not only includes acquiring new customers, but making operational improvements that will have a lasting influence on customer loyalty.

And, let's hope the next big business story we hear is more like this: http://bit.ly/ZlvvWj

NPSConfSix Valuable Insights for Improving Sales Close Rates     

Get to the heart of the decision making process with Sales Win/Loss Insights 

As business leaders we're constantly seeking opportunities to increase sales effectiveness or learn how to better convey the value proposition of our products or services. There are many factors involved in the sales process and they typically go well beyond the frequent pricing or budget objections.  Using subjective feedback from the sales team or forming our own theories often fails to establish the true factors leading to a purchase decision.

 

For gathering actionable intelligence to improve sales results, the Sales Win/Loss Analysis is one of the most enlightening activities you can undertake. By leveraging deep insights into decision drivers, you can confidently duplicate successes and learn from missteps and, in the process, discover vital industry trends. Take for example the valuable insights our one-on-one interviews with key decision have uncovered for our clients. In one circumstance a client discovered they failed to win a lucrative deal because the prospect wasn't aware of their full product portfolio. In another case, it was revealed that target customers consistently believed the company was "too big" as a result of overselling their work with larger brands in pitch presentations.

 

How can a Sales Win/Loss Analysis help transform your sales organization?

 

Continue reading...

Are You Fully Capitalizing on Your NPS� Promoters?
Three simple ways you can channel brand evangelists to fuel growth.

It's easy to get caught up in responding to negative feedback. After all, when we see an unenthusiastic response or a client rank us poorly in our Net Promoter Score� (NPS) Survey, we justifiably focus our efforts on taking immediate action in the hopes of converting them from the dreaded Detractor to a faithful Promoter. However, it is just as critical to not lose sight of your most loyal advocates by keeping them satisfied and primed for growth opportunities.

 

Promoters are clients identified by your Net Promoter Score survey as individuals who would highly recommend you to a friend or colleague. These are loyal advocates who can serve as an extension of your sales team. Even better, the recommendation is more credible because it's coming from a third party, and there's no cost to you. With so many different ways you can benefit from the passion Promoters have for your organization, our advice for utilizing them is simple...

 

Satrix Solutions Update
What are the customer satisfaction metrics that matter most? This past February I was asked to be an expert panelist for the Customer Experience Professional Association webinar series - Challenges customer experience professionals face in the B2B environment. My webinar track focused on the customer-related key performance indicators most important for business-to-business organizations to measure. I talked at length on the various KPIs derived from surveys such as response and retention rates; the financial and operational KPIs such as revenue and profitability; and the trending and benchmarking KPIs including percent improvement and year-over-year change. I also spoke about how metrics are only useful if there is a shared commitment around embracing customer input to guide priorities. Luckily, our clients are pretty good at this. However, I think this serves as a great reminder that you must have unwavering support across the organization in order to flourish.

As one of only a handful of Net Promoter� Loyalty Partners in the U.S., I am sometimes asked to share my expertise on this rapidly growing methodology. This was the case in March when I spoke at the annual Quality Service Contractor Member Meeting in San Diego. I truly enjoy educating business leaders on the Net Promoter Score discipline. I'm confident that the conference attendees are now better positioned to align their company around the essential activities that promote a customer-centric culture - and outperform the competition.

Finally, it's hard to believe that our newsletter turns two this month! From day one my goal was to use the newsletter as a guide for operational improvement. We've called on our expertise in the field of voice-of-the-customer research to help you successfully drive process improvement initiatives. Our own real world customer experience stories have also spawned lots of great practical advice columns designed to help you learn from the mistakes and successes of others. This project is certainly a labor of love. Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,


Evan Klein
Founder & President
Satrix Solutions
evan@satrixsolutions.com 

Direct: 480-773-6120

Cell: 623-229-1414
www.SatrixSolutions.com 

 

�Net Promoter, Net Promoter Score and NPS are registered trademarks of Bain & Company, Inc., Satmetrix Systems, Inc., and Fred Reichheld

 

In This Issue
Six Valuable Insights For Improving Sales Close Rates
Are You Fully Capitalizing On Your NPS® Promoters?
Satrix Solutions Update

Previous Articles 

Harness the Power of Happy and Engaged Employees

The Importance of Memorable Customer Experiences

Net Promoter Adoption Continues to Grow


 

Check Out Our Recent Tweets:  

 

A wonderful story on discovering the importance of delivering memorable customer experiences early on: http://linkd.in/15CAOE7

Wow! A great compliment from our client: "Satrix Solutions is by far the best partner I have worked with at any company, in any capacity."

 Yes, involve HR! Customer feedback can be used to train, educate, reinforce & reward specific behaviors: http://huff.to/ZH9deL      


 ClientNews

In the News:
 
Contractor Magazine: What is Your Net Promoter Score�? Satrix Solutions founder and president, Evan Klein, shares NPS best practices:
http://bit.ly/ZSG8MN

 

 

Direct Marketing News: Loyalty Takes Listening.

Satrix Solutions founder and president, Evan Klein, discusses the importance of listening and acting on customer feedback:

http://bit.ly/10rXLoE   


 

EffectiveUI and Satrix Solutions Partner to Expand Customer Feedback Efforts:
http://prn.to/XZQzD5 

 

   

Volume 9 Conducts Inaugural Net Promoter Score� (NPS) Survey:    

http://bit.ly/16mM5Hp         





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