Sunday 22 November 2009

Developing a Customer Conversation

whisper Building customer loyalty and engagement - essentially creating a relationship - is much like having a conversation, just over an extended period of time.

Whoever initiates it, whether it is the brand through communications or the customer through a first interaction, the aim is to continue the conversation.

The last thing you want as a brand is to be viewed as socially inept – a social bore - with customers looking to get away at the first instance.

American novelist Edgar Watson Howe famously said of having a conversation:-

No man would listen to you talk if he didn’t know it would be his turn next

The trick with loyalty communications is to get the customer to know it’s their turn to respond and this means creating relevant, engaging communications which demand a response – an interaction.

In order to get a response you first need to listen - no one likes to be talked at or talked over.

In a marketing sense customers are talking to you all the time – feedback in what they buy and what they don’t; when they complain, when they ask questions – in every interaction. If you’re not listening to this and simply send them the next “mass message” (or no message at all) why be surprised when 95% simply give up the conversation.

Even when you listen and respond back with something relevant, you need to consider how to keep the conversation going.

Within a normal conversation, if you answer the question “Where are you from?” with a one word answer such as “Northampton”, don’t expect much more from the conversation. People need something to build upon to keep a conversation going – giving them a reason to respond and letting them know it is their turn next.

If they’ve never heard of Northampton they will struggle to move the conversation forward and likewise for a brand if you, for example, simply say “Thank You” after a purchase, the customer will have no reason to continue the conversation.

Look at conversation experts Amazon – they lead you up to the purchase with wish lists and recommendations and after purchase make further suggestions that fit with your purchase and then ask you to review the purchase. Always looking to extend the conversation – letting you know it’s your turn.

In a white paper by Bazaar Voice they call the development of this conversation the Participation Chain, going on to say:-

[the] “participation chain” – [is] a way of cultivating user involvement so that each action builds upon the one before, building value along the way.

Going on to recommend that you “look for participation dead ends, such as thank you pages that lead nowhere [and] consider possible ways to follow up.”

This doesn’t just apply to e-commerce sites. Think about an individual you’ve spoken to who always relates the same story when you meet – would you be keen to seek out this person at a social function… probably not.

From a brand perspective, if every time someone comes to your site they see the same content do you really think they’ll want to continue the conversation? Are you actually enabling them to have a conversation or simply talking over them every time they come with the same old message (or a message you want to talk about regardless)

Building a conversation with customers is critical to building engagement; and increased engagement leads to increased customer value. As Bazaar Voice points out:-

Time and money are two sides of the same coin. In general, the more time a customer spends with you – assuming a positive experience – the more likely they are to spend money with you.

As a brand it might be worth brushing up on those social skills to develop a customer conversation – learning how to be a social more, not a social bore.

12 comments:

Unknown said...

cheap uggs, http://www.uggboot.com.co
giuseppe zanotti outlet
nike free 5.0
real madrid jersey
hollister pas cher
michael kors outlet
ferragamo shoes
abercrombie and fitch
longchamp outlet
denver broncos jerseys
canada goose outlet
coach outlet, http://www.coachoutletonline-store.us.com/
gucci shoes
mizuno running
lacoste outlet
links of london
snapback hats
true religion outlet, http://www.truereligionjean.in.net
tory burch outlet
ralph lauren outlet
san antonio spurs jerseys
air jordan 4
celine outlet
ralph lauren, http://www.poloralphlaurenoutlet.it/
timberland boots
mont blanc outlet
adidas wings
lacoste shirts
mac cosmetics
cheap mlb jerseys
2015910caihuali

柯云 said...

2016-05-30keyun
jordan retro 11
michael kors outlet
true religion jeans
nike running shoes for men
michael kors outlet
michael kors outlet
coach factory outlet
air jordan femme
michael kors purses
coach outlet online
gucci handbags
toms
oakley sunglasses
the north face jackets
polo ralph lauren
christian louboutin shoes
michael kors outlet online
ray ban sunglasses uk
adidas factory outlet
kate spade handbags
tiffany & co
ray bans
adidas originals
michael kors outlet
ray ban sunglasses outlet
louis vuitton outlet
coach factory outlet online
cheap toms shoes
michael kors outlet
air jordan shoes
cheap ray ban sunglasses
michael kors outlet
coach outlet
ralph lauren outlet
louis vuitton bags
burberry sale
toms outlet
louis vuitton outlet stores

xumeiqing said...

201606701meiqing
michael kors outlet online
air jordan uk
coach outlet online
stephen curry shoes
michael kors handbags outlet
fitflops sale clearance
ray ban sunglasses
prada outlet store
yeezy boost 350 balck
timberland outlet
louis vuitton outlet
louis vuitton factory outlet
cheap oakley sunglasses
michael kors outlet clearance
michael kors outlet clearance
air jordans
oakley sunglasses
louis vuitton outlet
nike huarache white
asics outlet
valentino shoes
nike roshe run women
michael kors outlet online
bottega veneta handbags
lacoste shoes
cheap jordans
true religion
kate spade outlet
ralph lauren pas cher
pandora charms
jordan shoes
kate spade outlet
reebok pump
converse uk

Unknown said...

michael kors outlet
coach outlet online
michael kors outlet clearance
kobe bryant shoes
nike free running
true religion outlet
timberland shoes
polo ralph lauren
coach outlet store
tory burch sandals
fitflops sale clearance
ghd hair straighteners
nike roshe run shoes
cheap nba jerseys
mac cosmetics sale
cazal outlet
kate spade uk
beats by dr dre
nike roshe
ralph lauren pas cher
cheap oakley sunglasses
nike air max 90
cartier uk
michael kors outlet online
michael kors handbags outlet
ugg boots
nike blazer pas cher
true religion outlet
michael kors outlet
true religion sale
coach outlet online
ray-ban sunglasses
michael kors factory outlet
cheap jordan shoes
0727jianxiang

Unknown said...

salomon boots
pandora uk
supra shoes
nike outlet store
karen millen
longchamp uk
canada gooses outlet
mac cosmetics
watches for men
converse pas cher
2017.11.15chenlixiang

Unknown said...

20180416
coach outlet online
coach outlet online coach factory outlet
michael kors uk
cheap jordans
coach outlet
michael kors outlet
ray ban sunglasses
bulls jerseys
nfl jerseys wholesale
ray ban sunglasses

jjjjjjjjjjjjj said...

nike zoom
nike air zoom
nike air force 1
nike air max
asics gel kayano
bape hoodie
oakley sunglasses
kobe basketball shoes
nike air force
ray ban sunglasses

56 said...

0806jejeLe jeu Air soldes basket asics femme Max Quarter et Air Max Pure sont également asics gel noosa tri 9 w femme des baskets de basket-ball Nike qui asics gel nimbus 18 Chaussures offrent les fonctionnalités de grande qualité nike air max 90 jacquard femme pour lesquelles Nike est célèbre. Une nike air jordan 1 retro high og carmine personne que je n'étais jamais prêt asics gel lyte iii kakishibu tan tan à faire était de prendre des suppléments avis sur chaussures asics illégaux ou tout type d'hormone de croissance. nike roshe run noir cdiscount

56 said...

0806jejeDans le cas 2015 nike air max huarache noir où vous avez l'intention d'habiller un favori, vous pourriez rapidement chaussure de skate nike sb étudier ces derniers sont tous partis depuis longtemps et air jordan pas cher boutique vous serez loin de la chance. Dernièrement, dans l'industrie asics gel lyte v homme noir du vêtement, il existe des possibilités illimitées Air Jordan 3 Baskets de choisir. À mon avis, ce sont certains des asics decathlon france meilleurs briquets à cigares là-bas pour votre argent durement adidas zx flux rouge et bleu gagné.

Unknown said...

balenciaga shoes
nike air max
adidas tubular
zx flux
yeezy boost 350
michael kors outlet handbags
yeezy boost 350
asics shoes
chrome hearts online
coach outlet store

moughez said...

straight from the source replica bags seoul basics replica kipling bags try this replica evening bags

smesmaez said...

i9q15t5h18 i1g71q5j20 x0i81a8s85 g4n76o5l73 k5u93i6t70 n9z05j1x93