"Our Take" - One Thing

(Past Editions by: Date, Title, Topic)

 
About "Our Take" 
"Our Take" is a collection of daily vignettes covering a wide range of CRM topics. It's an attempt to add our own spin to the world of CRM. We will use the column to share our perspectives, opinions, epiphanies, web nuggets, or quite frankly anything that moves us. Get ready to expect the unexpected. And, don't be shy about sharing your thoughts.
 
 
2/19/08 - That One Thing
Jack Palance played tough cowboy named Curly Washburn in the 1991 movie "City Slickers. If you saw the movie and remember the character, you probably remember the scene where he gives Mitch (the city slicker) advice. It goes like this:
 
Curly: Do you know what the secret of life is?
Curly: This. [holds up one finger]
Mitch: Your finger?
Curly: One thing. Just one thing. You stick to that and the rest don't mean anything.
Mitch: But what is the "one thing?"
Curly: [smiles] That's what you have to find out.

 
What does that have to do with the buy versus build discussion? Simply this. Figure out that one thing that makes your company unique and make sure you uniquely take advantage of it. That may mean using off-the-shelf software in a way no one else does or building technology that supports your "one thing." Or your “one thing” could be totally different.
 
Gary Lemke, Publisher
(Share your thoughts)
 
2/20/08 - Figuring Out "One Thing"
I had a bit of fun yesterday sharing a "City Slicker" movie scene about the importance of that one thing.
 
Beyond suggesting there is one thing, the character says it is up to us to figure out that one thing. In the complicated world we live in, or perhaps more appropriately the one we create, we often feel many things contribute to the situation. Indeed, there are likely many contributors. But there is only "one thing." Have you figured out that "one thing" for your business?
 
Consider the customer experience you provide. What is the "one thing" that should make that experience better or unique? Can you reduce your list to one thing?
 
Gary Lemke, Publisher
(Share your thoughts)
 
2/21/08 - A List of One
Yesterday, I suggested it was up to you to figure out the one thing that constitutes the secret of your customer experience.
 
And it is one thing. Yes, just one. Not two or three, or a list of contributing factors. Just one thing. Figuring out what one thing makes the difference is a great exercise in focus. It is a matter of separating the wheat from the chaff. Everything that really matters is embodied in "one thing."
 
The list of secrets to your customer experience is a list of one. It is just that simple.
 
Gary Lemke, Publisher
(Share your thoughts)
 
2/22/08 - Our One Thing
It is only fair that if I challenge you to figure out the one thing that makes your company's customer experience unique, I should likewise challenge myself. Shouldn’t I figure out what "one thing" makes this email newsletter a better experience than the other emails that bombard your electronic in-tray?
 
I know it is up to me to figure out that secret. However, that doesn't mean I couldn't use a little help. In fact, it would be crazy to suggest that I didn't get input from you.
 
Today, this column is my focus group. And you are a part of it. Tell me what you think CRMAdvocate's "one thing" is or what you think it should be. Don't pull any punches. Curly wouldn't have.
 
Gary Lemke, Publisher
(Share your thoughts)
 
2/25/08 - Our One Thing - Part II
I'm going to continue my quest for the one thing that matters with regard to the experience we create for you.
 
Last week, I asked you to share what you believe to be our "one thing." In the spirit of that request, consider these three follow-up questions:
 
What do you like best about CRMAdvocate? What do you like least? And, what would you like to see us do that we are not doing now?
 
Gary Lemke, Publisher
(Share your thoughts)
 
2/26/08 - If You Were President
I've been having a bit of fun with the movie "City Slickers" and the scene about learning what one thing will give meaning to your customer experiences. First, I want to thank all of you that have taken the time to respond with ideas on how we can improve CRMAdvocate. (There is still time to provide your input.)
 
Just as I asked you for "one thing" we could do to improve this newsletter, my input was solicited in such a manner. I thought I would share the story.
 
I was captive on a ski lift with a marketing guy asking me questions about how I felt about the ski resort. Many of the standard questions - line lengths, friendliness of staff, cleanliness of bathrooms, etc. - filled the survey. But consider this last question: "If you owned this ski resort, what is the one thing you would change." What a feeling of empowerment!
 
Gary Lemke, Publisher
(Share your thoughts)
 
2/27/08 - The Risk of Asking
"If you owned this business, what is the one thing you would change?" That was the question I was recently asked during a customer satisfaction survey while on the ski lift at a resort.
 
As a frequent visitor to the resort, I knew right away what one thing I would do to improve the joint. I felt such a feeling of empowerment. At least for the moment. However, I don't own the ski resort and my input is but one among dozens, hundreds, or thousands. What is the chance my input would result in action?
 
I don't know the probability of my input being the "one thing." However, I know that I anxiously await my next visit to see. It is a powerful question. But maybe it is a dangerous question because if they don't do what I would like them to, is my loyalty to them a casualty? Is the risk in asking worth it? What do you think?
 
Gary Lemke, Publisher
(Share your thoughts)
 
2/29/08 - There's Always a Chance
Last time, I discussed the risk of empowerment - asking customers what one thing they would change if they owned the company. The risk is that if you don't do the one thing they ask, customers may feel you aren't listening.
 
One reader offered the following: "We often use this 'one thing' type of question in our consulting engagements but I call it 'Playing Buck Rogers' where money is no object and anything is possible. But we always mention that we can't guarantee that their request can be met, but many are. That lets them know that it is just a request from one person and it may or may not be possible, but at least we want to hear it and there is a chance it will be acted upon."
 
A simple matter of setting expectations. It's just that simple.
 
Gary Lemke, Publisher
(Share your thoughts)
 
3/3/08 - Still Working on that One Thing
For those of you that have ever taken the time to comment on something written in this column, thank you. Your input is more valuable that you will ever know.
 
As part of the one thing discussion, I asked what one thing we could do to improve this newsletter. We are still working through the comments to discern our "one thing" but there was a common comment that deserved immediate attention. It seems the form we use to ask for input was cumbersome to the point of discouraging input.
 
So we've simplified the share your thoughts page to make it easier for you to include your comments. If we put you off last time with our feedback form, can you take a moment to try again?
 
Gary Lemke, Publisher
(Share your thoughts)
 
3/4/08 - Great Idea, Wrong Question?
I still have so much input on the "one thing" question topic we've been covering in this column. For those of you playing "catch up," the questions is this: "If you were president of this company, what one thing would you change?"
 
One reader had the following perspective to consider: "Great question, but it is the wrong question. We, as business leaders, don't want to know 'what would you change,' but rather, we want to determine, what would change your behavior. Unfortunately we need to derive that answer because most individuals aren't able to answer it accurately. If you ask me what is the most important thing to me about flying, I would say landing safely. However, I don't make a buying decision based on airline safety records. Airlines should be figuring out what will change my behavior and make me a more satisfied and loyal customer."
 
Excellent point. There is often a large chasm between what people say and what they really mean. It is an easy trap to take act on the exact words. In doing so, one might scratch their head in bewilderment wondering why that "one thing" didn't change customer behavior. Do you agree?
 
Gary Lemke, Publisher
(Share your thoughts)
 
3/5/08 - It's Not the Question, Stupid
We continue today with more thoughts on the one thing to ask customers when looking to improve the customer experience. Yesterday, we discussed what the question should be. Today's reader input suggests that it isn't the question. Consider this:
 
"You wrote about the experience of meeting the marketing guy and the empowerment he gave by asking the question if you owned this resort what is the one thing you would change. I would suggest that the primary empowerment was not the specific question, but that he took the time to ask you, that you mattered. Its all about people. You can have the most wonderful hotel with every luxury and every potential facility, but what makes such a hotel truly special are the people who care for you during your stay. My belief is that what people ultimately remember in any customer experience is not the 'what' but the 'who.'"
 
I agree that people can make the difference. However, if I apply that back to my ski experience, the resort personnel could be awesome but I probably would not have had a good experience had the snow conditions been marginal. So the people side is necessary, but not sufficient. Do you agree?
 
Gary Lemke, Publisher
(Share your thoughts)