When you were a kid, did you do physics experiments?
I did. Even now, I can still remember how thrilled I was to see how stuff worked. But you know how it is: when you grow up, you seem to lose interest in such "childish games".
But it was a physics experiment that made me think about business in a completely different way.
I was trying to explain my son about friction. As you know, friction exists when an object moves on a surface. The object and the surface both grind and drag against each other. The moving object loses energy and speed, and is forced to stop eventually.
To demonstrate this, I took a small wooden disc, and skid it on a (sort of) rough surface. As was to be expected, because of the friction between the disc and the surface, it soon grinded to a halt.
Then it was my son’s turn to skid the disc, but now over a smooth surface.
Naturally, the disc traveled a much larger distance.
I told him how the drag was actually keeping the disc from moving forward. And two surfaces that are smooth have much less friction than two rough surfaces. I even showed him how friction is producing heat, proving that energy was taken from the movement.
He understood. I could tell, because he told me that a much bigger driving force was needed to skid the disc the same distance over a rough surface as over a smooth surface.
Then it hit me.
I suddenly realized how this simple truth applies not only to the physical world, but also to business in general.
How this applies to your business
When a (potential) customer comes in contact to your business, she may experience a smooth ride or a rough one.
If your customer meets a friendly and curteous sales person, receives to the point information, and has an overall pleasant experience, she's much more likely to buy. In effect, the customer travels further, completing the transaction with ease.
In contrast, when the sales person is pushy, little or no information is available on products, many customers will walk away. Some may travel the distance, but usually a much bigger drive is needed. For example, the customer gets the lowest possible price. Or a unique product they just must have.The problem here is that a low price is just too easily met. And you may think your product is unique, but does your customer? So where does that leave you?
To maximize your chances of getting the sale, getting the customer and ultimately keeping the customer, your goal must be to supply a smooth surface for the customer to skid on.
If the customer has a smooth experience every step of the way, they will slide more easily into the sale.
Go all-out for that smooth customer experience or, as I like to call it?br />
The "effortless experience"
Imagine that the customer is not subjected to any friction; everything is going as smooth as possible. What would this mean for your business?
More sales? Yes!Happy customers? Very!Repeat customers? You bet!
Unfortunately, there is no world without friction. There is no "perpetual movement".
You simply cannot control all aspects of the customer’s experience. Maybe the connection at her end is extremely slow. Or she’s having a “bad hair day? Or there just is little drive towards your (type of) products.
But, there is still a lot you can do to make it easier for your customer and deliver an effortless experience.
Reducing the friction
The big question now is: what can you do to reduce the friction?
Know your customer (different customers may “slide?better on one surface versus another).Anticipate her needs and wants.Prepare to fulfill it as needed.
This is why I call this process "from the Outside In". You look at your business from the outside, from the customer’s viewpoint, and adjust or define your internal processes to produce what is needed on the outside.
In other words, begin with the end in mind.
Now, remember my little physics experiment? Friction can only occur when two "objects" touch. To reduce friction, you must first identify at which points your customer touches your business.
What are your business's Customer Connection Points? And what can be done to reduce friction there?
Marjan Steneker is a customer service enthusiast and webmaster of the website on good customer service http://www.customerservicepoint.com, and editor of the free monthly newsletter "Customer Servings".