Mask Up: Stay Connected with Your Customers as You Move Up

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The higher you move up in an organization, the more out of
touch you become with the customer. This is a challenge all leaders face. And while many accept it and do nothing, it doesn’t have to be this way.

How can you overcome that risk?  Well, you could lean on a few well-trusted advisors, or your internal management information system (MIS). You could also commission surveys or focus groups. All of these options, while worthwhile, have an inherent bias. The advisors might have a hidden agenda, or pet project to promote. The MIS system has no bias, but the data is only as good as the program. If the data is too “big” you have a different challenge of how to analyze the data. Surveys and focus groups are only as good as the people conducting them, and the participants still have good reasons to present themselves in a positive light. So, what is a caring, customer-centric C-level professional supposed to do?

Put on a costume or disguise and masquerade as a customer. That’s right—put yourself in your customer’s steel-toed boots. People often don’t recognize others when taken out of context, and that can work to your advantage. See how you are treated when you walk into the counter or call the local office. You will learn a lot about how your customers are experiencing your culture, your priorities, and your strategic pillars. It will also tell you if your team is putting all of that into action.

Aside from firsthand experience as a customer, what additional details do you need? You need data directly from a customer. Having unfiltered feedback really is a gift. What you do with it is up to you. That said, if customers are confident that you listen to them and act on their feedback, they will trust you, and most importantly, you will continue to receive honest feedback. It can be hard for a senior leader to communicate that he or she is happy to talk to customers directly, but the return is worth the investment. Be honest and open with customers and staff and let them know you welcome their input.

The most significant challenge, however, is dealing with customers who do not communicate their thoughts and opinions. They just walk away and stop buying. You’ve been ghosted!  This is where your Customer Relationship Management system comes into play. A good CRM system tracks recency, frequency, and average order size, and sends an alert when the customer pattern changes for the worse. The data offers an opportunity to make an outbound phone call. 

The script goes something like this:  

“Customer, I notice you haven’t been in lately, and your purchases of widgets have stopped. Have we done something to disappoint you? If so, I’d like to know what it is and how to fix it.”  

It’s easier to take immediate action than it is to lose the customer entirely. Also, data shows that it costs 5-7 times more to find a new customer than it does to keep an existing customer.

At a minimum, have a customer advisory council. Best practices include having a skilled third-party facilitator who can aggregate data and pull honest information about you, your competitors, and the market in general from your customers. It also helps you build deeper partnerships with your customers and stay engaged with them, despite your lofty corner office perch

If the senior leadership team fails to set a positive example by demonstrating concern for customer opinions, it is unlikely that any other individuals within the organization will do so. Leaders, this is your opportunity to lead. Leave your desk and your office and get out there—visit the job site, the factory floor, or wherever the customer is. Don’t forget to visit your locations, preferably in stealth mode. Unfiltered feedback is a gift. Use it to become even better. 



Desirée Grace is a coach, advisor, consultant, and mentor with 30+ years as a senior leader in the electrical distribution and manufacturing sectors. She builds brands, grows revenue and motivates teams, facilitates strategy and execution, and offers special expertise in helping offshore companies enter the North American market. An experienced professional who enables win-win outcomes for organizations and their partners, find her on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/desireecgrace.



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