“What do we want them to do?” “How do we want them to perceive us and our offerings?” “What do we want them to think?”
Everybody is bent on changing people’s perceptions and behaviors. And certainly, a great experience does change perceptions and behaviors — but is that necessarily the best way to think about the problem?
I like to bring things back to the concrete immediacy of personal relationships. In this domain, the direct approach isn’t always the best one. Personally, the minute I get the feeling someone is trying to control my actions, perceptions and beliefs, I become wary. Like many people, I don’t like feeling manipulated or controlled.
It’s not that I am unaware that a salesperson wants me to buy what he’s selling. It’s that this goal needs to be a secondary one.
The primary goal needs to at least appear to be the greatest mutual benefit. To the degree it doesn’t, the transaction feels icky.
The question I suggest as an alternative is this: “Where do we want to fit into this person’s life?” This question is followed by: “How do we earn the right to be there?”
Then we can ask: “What behaviors indicate we have earned a place in the customer’s life?”
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