What Are Your Best Clients Saying When You Aren't In The Room?

Your customers are talking about your business to peers, colleagues, in Slack channels and text threads, and over lunch. They're recommending you (or perhaps even talking themselves out of recommending you) in conversations you will never be in.

So…what are they saying?

Here's a quick, yet helpful, exercise. It will take you less than 10 minutes, and it will be a worthy investment of your time. Ready? Let's go:

Think about your three best clients; the ones who've been with you longest and who you'd most want to clone. Now answer these questions as honestly as you can:

1. What specific words would they use to describe you to a peer who asked?

2. What would make them hesitate before giving that referral, even slightly?

3. What do they wish you offered that they've never asked for directly?

Most business owners can answer question one with reasonable confidence, but it gets harder to answer questions two and three. Don’t worry! It isn’t you; it’s a structural issue.

Your client most likely won’t tell you about their hesitation over a renewal call. They're not going to volunteer the service gap over coffee. Why? Because humans tend to personify brands. A study in The Journal of Marketing found that customers avoid sharing negative feedback because the warmth built in the relationship mirrors that of a friendship, and it could feel awkward to share negative feedback.

You've been working hard to build trusted relationships with your customers, and you should not stop. But recognize that the honesty you're actually looking for — the unfiltered, unguarded version — won't come through that relationship. It needs a different kind of conversation entirely.

Ready to hear the answers to those harder questions? That's exactly what ElucidCX is here to do! Reach out today to get started on your journey: jessica@elucidcx.com.