Marketers flawed in listening to customers
When was the last time you listened to a customer?
When was the last time you spoke to a customer? Or let me rephrase that: when was the last time you listened to a customer?
Everyone knows you have to listen to your customers.
Practically the entire business of marketing revolves around customer insight.
The logic is simple: if we can understand them more clearly, then we can better connect with and serve them, with timely, relevant, useful and helpful information.
I love to use the word meaningful content, and so meaningful content is what is needed to connect with them.
Marketers are fooling themselves
Tell me honestly: when was the last time you really listened to customers?
I am not talking about a customer satisfaction survey, a net promoter score, a market research report. Not even a focus group session or formal ITIL “voice of the customer programs”. Read more 
Do you have a listening process ?
Photo by Melvin Gaal / Flickr
Yes I admit. Even in my personal life I pay attention to good and bad marketing. When I see a great advertisement, I think about how they did that. Or when I get a direct mailer, I pay attention to how they have written that text.
Some of these messages really give a reflection of great customer understanding.
Why is that ? Why do some brands seem to perfectly understand your needs, before you became a customer, and more impressive, they know what you want during your time as a customer of these brands ?
