Five Reason why Distributors Don’t Do Voice of Customer Surveys

“Customer intimacy is our stock and trade, our most valuable asset and the reason our supply partners select us as their channel to market…” was the message shared with Supply-Partners during conversations regarding the addition of new product lines, territory expansions and other relational interactions. I totally agree with the statement, but...

The question is, what are distributors doing to get a better picture of their customer’s interests? I believe not enough. For years I have encouraged distributors to take a deeper dive, to employ new techniques and look at their customers from a different angle. One way is to use a Voice of the Customer Survey as a tool. More progressive members of the distributor community have made the leap and the findings have been eye-opening. The question becomes why aren’t more using this time-tested tool?

Join me as we review the most common reasons why some DO NOT use survey techniques.

Reason One: We already know our customers.
With salespeople, sales managers and customer service reps interacting with customers on a regular and ongoing basis, distributors feel they have a pulse on their customers;

in some ways they do. But, the interactions trend toward immediate and transactional needs. When was the last time you heard one of your sellers ask about their customer's 3-5-year plan for e-commerce? What is the appropriate time to ask what new technologies require training? Or, for that matter, what products are on the customer’s radar for incorporating into existing processes? All of this is important information.

Looking further at the interaction with contacts at some of your very top accounts, how often does your seller schedule a call to the safety manager, product team or even plant management? Giving the benefit of the doubt, most sellers engage with these folks once or twice a year.

Reason Two: Customers don’t like to get surveys.
We live in a world of spam, junk mail and, yes- surveys. Your customers are bombarded with excess materials. Most of it comes from strangers and never actually sees the light of day; the delete key is good for that. At the same time, most of your customers want you to succeed. Many see their future success tied to your work. These are the people that matter.

When your sales team “promotes” the survey as a tool for helping your organization improve and plan for the longer-term future, customers respond. Providing scripting to send the right message might look like this:

“As distributors, we feel it our job to be ready when our customers need us. For example, there are technologies pushing their way into our environment which require training. If we are going to be able to provide the right services to you, it’s important we take the time to learn them perhaps even ahead of your team. If future workers within your organization need training, it takes time to line up the right experts and establish a curriculum. We are going to be gathering the thoughts of key customers like you via a very short survey. It should be arriving soon. Please consider helping us in our efforts to prepare by taking this survey."

Be honest about what you're doing, how you're doing it and why. 

Reason Three: We did a survey years ago and didn’t really learn anything significant.
Even if you feel previous surveys didn’t provide you with significant data, there could be a good reason for the poor results. Consider this: twenty years ago, modern survey technology didn’t exist. Instead, surveys were based on a call

center operator who knew nothing about our industry. Further, the time required to interact with the customers was much longer. Towards the end, your customers were probably struggling to pay attention.

When data was gathered, tools to search for trends and sort the information were mostly manual. Those analyzing the results were probably experts in surveying consumers but lacked a deep understanding of the unique situation of the Knowledge-based distributor.

Comparing the situation of the past, business models and customer demographics were more stable; rates of change were a fraction of today. After surveying hundreds of people, I can say with absolute certainty that every survey provided valuable pieces of strategic information.

Reason Four: Surveys are very expensive.
Early in my distribution career, I paid over $15,000 for a

customer survey. While I suffered sticker shock at first, looking back, the ideas gathered shaped my strategy and paid for the cost of the survey.  It was only through funding from a progressive Supply-partner that I was convinced to move ahead.

Technological breakthroughs have changed many things. One of them is the cost of conducting a meaningful survey. In real dollars, a survey today costs a fraction of the cost of the past. River Heights Consulting has harnessed the technology and developed a better way. Better results, fewer hassles and an investment that costs less than a modest golf outing.

Reason Five: Surveys distract our team from the real business of selling.
Surveys can be distracting; especially when done “in committee” meetings. Why? Everyone in the group has a couple of “personal hot buttons” they want to explore through the survey. The discussions get complicated with lots of side discussion tied to adding this or that series of questions to the survey; all this before question creation ever begins.

With the back and forth discussions, the prospective survey lingers on and on. Meetings, one-on-one conversations, and more meetings take place. Massive time is wasted. Sometimes the process runs for months. This is all before the mechanics of the survey have truly begun.

Someone on the team must learn or relearn how to use survey tools. Questions must be formulated in a clear and concise form with answers established for easy analysis and sorting. Once the survey data comes from customers, the meaningful work of analysis begins. Each bit of analysis is debated before, during and after the process.

Using a third party simplifies the work. Three to five strategic areas are developed via short phone conferences. Questions are designed with the maximum room for later analysis. The survey tools are configured by an individual with experience using the tools. 
Finally, in the case of River Heights Consulting, the analysis and reports are done by a leader in the field of Knowledge-based distribution. The whole process is easy on your team and massively impactful in determining customer perceptions.

Think about this
Now more than ever, distributors need to better understand their customers. Knowledge-based distributors live at the epicenter of a perfect storm. Demographic shifts, digitalization, technology expansions, skilled labor shortages, and global competition radically change our customer’s world every day.
If you are a sales manager, chances are your customers live and think differently than back in your days out in the field. Superimposing yesterday’s experiences on today are a recipe for disaster.

How River Heights Consulting can help.
River Heights Consulting has the know-how and experience to guide you through the Voice of Customer survey experience. We know the pitfalls and mistakes to avoid, as well as the best way to interpret the results. Without quality analysis, a survey is just a time-wasting exercise. River Heights Consulting’s focus on Knowledge-based Distribution sets them apart from others in the industry. 
Your business is different, the customer interaction is different. Why garner advise from someone who grew up selling phone service, water beds or real estate?

The icing on the cake
River Heights is offering a deal to qualified distributors. Get a survey and get a great deal.  Click here for our Mid-Year Survey Special.

Still not convinced?  Here are a couple more posts on the subject:

Mid-Year Customer Check Up for Greater Profits



12 Reasons Why Distributors Need to Amp-UP their Voice of the Customer Efforts










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