“You can’t read the label from inside the bottle.”
An oft-repeated trope?
Perhaps.
A core truth of business?
Absolutely.
I like to think of it as nature’s way of weeding out the tyrants.
Anyone who refuses to hear the words of others will inevitably make more and more self-defeating decisions until…well…nature runs its course.
*Implosion*
This happens in government. It happens in relationships. And it happens in business. Since we’re business-focused here, let’s talk about the latter.
Are you listening to your customers? Are you reading the reviews, both good and bad? Are you talking to your people who handle the complaint calls?
It could be easy to dismiss – especially the complaint calls – since you are the expert in your field. They don’t really understand how it works in this business. You do. And after all, people just want to get one over on you. They always want more and more for less and less. The stupid masses.
*Implosion*
WAIT! It doesn’t have to be like that. It’s not you vs. the customers. The best businesses create a harmonious relationship. Where the customer acts in your best interest and you act in theirs. It’s possible. It happens every day. And it starts with getting to know your customers’ needs and wants.
You do know what your customers need and want, don’t you?
Know the best way to find that out?
Ask them.
An easy place to start asking is with a well-crafted survey that avoids the pitfalls of bias so the responses aren’t skewed. A survey that lets you quickly get to the heart of what’s actually important to the customer.
I don’t actually know how to craft a survey like that – yet. My friend, Lena, though is an expert in the science of User Experience and how to craft surveys.
Companies and institutions like Texas A&M, Shell, ExxonMobil, Immuta, Google Fiber, Retail and Construction giants, and NASA seek her out and pay absurd amounts of money for scraps of her time.
Fortunately for me and you, [tag], she’s an alum of Wizard Academy and has made time to teach us how to create a survey.
Her class is called UX 101 – How to Leverage Surveys and she’s teaching it via zoom on August 15th. (here’s your signup link)
I’m taking the class and I can’t wait. But look, I’ll make you a deal. If for some reason you can’t make that class, I’ll take my best notes and bring you highlights here in the VC’s Corner.
But, you know, it won’t be the same as getting it firsthand.
So, click here because you’re not a tyrant.
And may nature weed out our competitors.
– Zac Smith, VC
