How do consumers talk about your products?

Do you know?

This is not an option. You MUST know.

Not only do you have to know how they talk about your products as a group, you have to know consumers’ perceptions of EACH of your products.

If you don’t, you become Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, who spent his CES keynote talking about the living room computer. Either he doesn’t know that consumers don’t perceive a living room computer as a good investment (smart phones and laptops in the living room are much easier than a PC anchored to one spot), or he chooses not to adopt Microsoft’s strategy to what consumers want.

Both steps — knowing what consumers thing about your products, and appropriately adapting company strategy — are critical to success.

Here’s what you need to know when it comes to consumers and your technology. Remember, you should have answers to these questions for EACH of your products:

• How do people think about your products?
• How do people use your products?
• Which functionalities do they find most useful? Why?
• What words do people use when describing your products? Why do they use these words?
• What are people’s top three favorite aspects of your products?
• What are their biggest problems with your products?
• Knowing what they know now, would they buy the product again?
• Do they recommend it to their friends and family?
• What do they say about your products to friends and family?

Apple is the only company in consumer electronics that has attained the holy grail of our industry: Consumer Evangelist.

When it comes to Macs, iPhones and iPods, do you think Apple knows the answers to these questions?