As if by rule, consumer electronics companies don’t talk to their customers. Not really talk. When I say talk, I don’t mean focus groups or surveys or anything else that’s done with multiple consumers at once. I mean detailed, qualitative conversations. One-on-one, preferably with one of your executives conducting each interview. Here are five questions you can ask (out of 100 or more):
- How do you use our product? (To get at your most and least valuable features.)
- When you talk about our product to friends and family, what do you say? (To get at powerful language for your marketing.)
- What would your mom say about our device? (To perfect mainstream messaging.)
- What have you heard about us? (To understand what, if any, effect your outgoing communications is having.)
- If you were us, what three things would you be sure to say about this product? (Features, language and priorities in mainstream marketing.)
This is the fastest, cheapest, and most powerful way to improve your marketing dramatically. Why aren’t you having 20 to 30 minute conversations, one-on-one, with your customers?