How many times have you used that phrase or something like it? I tend to use it a lot. Sadly, it seems I use it more and more these days. What if everyone did business with that phrase in mind?
When you sit down to develop the marketing strategy for a show or event, you need to get into your customers head. What will they think? How will they perceive my message? What will make them buy? You have to put on your customers hat. Remember, you may not be your own customer. Just because you think they will see your message, doesn’t mean they will. For example, if you plan to buy out of home advertising, where are the best locations for your customer to see it? I once had a boss who wanted billboards placed along the route he took. He said his customers take the same route. Our marketing research did not gel with his thought process. We saw no increase in sales. Maybe he just wanted to see his own billboards.
The phrase “put yourself in my shoes” gets used the most when it comes to customer service. I tend to use it all the time with customer “no” service people on the phone. When you put your policies and procedures together for the customer experience, do you think about how the customer will deal with it? If you answer “who gives a crap” then you are not putting yourself in their shoes. Just because it looks good on paper doesn’t make it so. Listening to our customers is what sells. Next time you want to cut something that will affect your customers experience, put yourself in their shoes.
