Can anything really replace a good face-to-face customer meeting?
By Saeed Khan
Recently I managed to get out for a few days to meet with some customers. I talk to customers every month, but the vast majority of those discussions are by phone/webinar. And while a fair number of those calls are informative, it’s easy to forget what you lose in a conversation, when the other person (or people) are simply disembodied voices traveling across the phone line.
Meeting across the table vs. across the Web
One of the people I met with on the trip (let’s call her Sachiko) was someone with whom I’ve been communicating for about 18 months. We’ve had quite a few calls over that period of time discussing how she was using our products. She’s provided some great feedback over the last year and a half, and has introduced me to other members of her team. And I’ve had a couple of calls with a couple of them as well.
Having said that, there was a certain dynamic in the meeting that was clearly different than any of our phone-based discussions. As we were talking, the people in the meeting — Sachiko and a couple of her cow0rkers — provided details of company initiatives and issues we’d never discussed previously. They also opened up about some product issues, previously unmentioned. It was a great discussion.
As I wrote up my notes that evening, I wondered why they’d never mentioned these things before. It seems there was a level of openness (or maybe trust?) that existed in the face-to-face meeting that wasn’t there over the phone. Perhaps actually seeing the person you’re speaking with and shaking their hand and greeting them in person changes our mindset about the person we are speaking to.
User Group Therapy?
The next day, I attended a local user group meeting. In this meeting, there were about 20 local area customers who came out to a hotel for a day of education, discussion and networking. I love going to user group meetings because I always end up getting into great discussions with customers. Sometimes these are over lunch, or out in a hallway, or during some planned round-table sessions.
What’s surprising in these meetings, even though there are people from many companies there, honestly and openness abounds. Now I have to do a bit of initial prying to get people to open up, but once they do, and they feel comfortable, the discussion blossoms. And there I am, the Product Manager, trying to figure out the best way to answer their questions, and at the same time get the input and opinions of almost two dozen customers seated right in front of me. How valuable is that?
Over the years, I’ve come to realize that if I’d taken some basic human psychology classes in university, they would have benefited me greatly in my current career. Although we spend a lot of time figuring out the best ways to manipulate technology to deliver great products, the real value we can deliver is to truly understand the people who we call our customers and prospects.
Face -to-face customer meetings are an investment, not an expense
And while I completely understand that given current economic conditions force us to be prudent with how we spend money — and air travel, hotels etc. can be quite costly — having face to face meetings that have NO sales agenda, should be seen as an investment with a huge payoff. Aside from the obvious additional insight gains, meeting people face-to-face strengthens whatever relationship you have with them. It’s basic human nature.
We are social creatures, but the huge irony of communication technology, and “social media” is that they claim to increase “connection” and “engagement” while simultaneously minimizing human contact. Sounds to me like a problem, not a solution.
What do you think? How important are face-to-face customer meetings in helping gain insight into your customers’ or prospects’ needs?
Saeed
Tweet this: New Post: Can anything really replace a good face-to-face customer meeting? http://wp.me/pXBON-2Z3 #prodmgmt #research
Related posts:
- How to hold a Kickass Virtual Customer Meeting (part 1)
- How to Hold a Kickass Virtual Customer Meeting (Part 2)
- (How) do you measure customer satisfaction?
- Why Social Media is insufficient if you want to truly ‘engage’ with customers
- Why customer needs don’t always matter
This article struck as something we should think about to as we use focus groups. I’m guilty here, so I’m just going to throw out an idea to see what you think. With many of the companies I’ve engaged with in the past for focus groups do a great job in finding members, qualifying them, and even do a great job seeking qualitative insights. Many are even patient with us as we send in numerous questions to the moderator. However, I always have this urge to bust in and start a discussion with the focus group members.
That said, do you think it would be good for PM’s to let the focus group companies do their job (respecting their professional skills), but then immediately lead these people into another room to talk directly with the observers? It seems like a great opportunity for some real dialogue.
I know this is a tangent from the above, just looking for thoughts.
Jeremy
I think the choice is yours to make. I don’t see anything wrong with letting the focus group run it’s course, and then have a follow up conversation right after, perhaps touching on points made or diving into other areas.
I’ve unfortunately seen cases where executives decide to take the focus group over and, whether intentionally or not, ask leading questions and drive the discussion to a conclusion they want or expect. It’s sad to see and a complete waste of time and money for all involved.
I don’t think focus groups are as effective as meeting customers in their offices or at user groups.
I’m sure focus groups are useful in some fields but for software, I have found the best product input comes from
- meeting several people from one customer, understanding what their company is doing and how that affects the ways different people in that company use your software and so what their needs are
- ad hoc meetings at user groups, with input from multiple companies. You know all the people are focused on using your software (otherwise they would not be there) I find you can get some useful insights when they echo, amplify what each other is saying
Forums are great for getting detailed input
But the main problem for most software companies is that the decision makers in a software vendor are focussed on sales, market perception, and strategy. They don’t meet real users often enough, they spend too much time in the office, and they don’t understand enough about the realities of implementing/using their own software
Giles, thanks for the comment. One observation is that even in those companies where executives do get out and meet with customers, the conversations they have — and the people they speak with — are very different than who I (as a PM) typically speak with. The discussions that a CEO has with a customer CIO will have a very different purpose and tone than any conversation I have.
This is not a bad thing, but it’s important to keep in mind, especially if the executive makes decisions based large on those conversations. It’s important to have Product Management team that can assimilate all levels of input and put a cohesive and balanced plan together. Otherwise, you end up with skewed information leading to skewed decisions, plans and strategies.
New Post: Can anything really replace a good face-to-face customer meeting? http://t.co/JUFdGlZ7 #prodmgmt #research
RT @onpm: New Post: Can anything really replace a good face-to-face customer meeting? http://t.co/iN5pMwQ6 #prodmgmt #research
Can anything really replace a good face-to-face customer meeting? http://t.co/ye6OdNmp #PMBlog
“@onpm: Can anything really replace a good face-to-face customer meeting? http://t.co/PQ2jFH3d #prodmgmt #research” #in Spot-on assessment.
New Post: Can anything really replace a good face-to-face customer meeting? http://t.co/JUFdGlZ7 #prodmgmt #innovation #research
Agreed. However, to save on expenses we can use technology such as video conferencing.
Why having face-to-face customer meetings is good investment of time and money… http://t.co/nnGs7tqi
Yes, Software Product Teams Should Meet Customers In-Person http://t.co/ShNIzFhm #ProdMgmt #ProdMktg #EnSw
RT @SmartSoftMarket Yes, Software Product Teams Should Meet Customers In-Person http://t.co/gqJdCca8 #ProdMgmt #ProdMktg #EnSw
Can anything really replace a good face-to-face customer meeting? http://t.co/ximprcC4 #prodmgmt #research
Can anything really replace a good face-to-face customer meeting? http://t.co/ximprcC4 #prodmgmt #research
Can anything really replace a good face-to-face customer meeting? http://t.co/ximprcC4 #prodmgmt #research
RT @SmartSoftMarket: Yes, Software Product Teams Should Meet Customers In-Person http://t.co/hbw05VS7 #ProdMgmt #ProdMktg #EnSw
RT @onpm: Can anything really replace a good face-to-face customer meeting? http://t.co/vjXgAUVI
RT @SmartSoftMarket: Yes, Software Product Teams Should Meet Customers In-Person http://t.co/hbw05VS7 #ProdMgmt #ProdMktg #EnSw
Great post. The answer is NO! Can anything really replace a good face-to-face customer meeting? http://t.co/sySnTPL3 #prodmktg #prodmgmt
Hi Diego, Agree, absolutely NO, not focus groups either. Customers’ perspective is a necessary component to success here.
Great post. The answer is NO! Can anything really replace a good face-to-face customer meeting? http://t.co/sySnTPL3 #prodmktg #prodmgmt
New Post: Can anything really replace a good face-to-face customer meeting? http://t.co/yYhtTxDE #prodmgmt #research
New Post: Can anything really replace a good face-to-face customer meeting? http://t.co/JUFdGlZ7 #prodmgmt #innovation #research
I definitely agree – there is always so much more to a face-to-face meeting than there is over the phone or through webinar. Personally, I prefer the face-to-face not just for the trust and openness aspect, but for the fact that it also gives me a bit of insight, through observing their body signals, how the people I am meeting with are reacting to the message I am bringing them.
Hi Saeed – your article fits right in with Marty Cagan’s this morning… http://www.svpg.com/mvp-vs-product-vision/
To create products that serve customer needs, solve problems and are wanted by customers – gotta go to the customer, where they are, their watering holes. Go without the sales team.
I agree with Giles, focus groups are not a proxy for meeting customers. I remember Ken Westray saying “YOU are not the customer” – so true. Find your customers and meet them.
On Product Management – Can anything really replace a good face-to-face customer meeting? http://t.co/d8qZAn41
On Product Management – Can anything really replace a good face-to-face customer meeting? http://t.co/d8qZAn41
On Product Management – Can anything really replace a good face-to-face customer meeting? http://t.co/d8qZAn41
On Product Management – Can anything really replace a good face-to-face customer meeting? http://t.co/d8qZAn41
Can anything really replace good f2f customer meeting? http://t.co/cugzSolK #prodmgmt #innovation #prodmktg No not really
New Post: Can anything really replace a good face-to-face customer meeting? http://t.co/JUFdGlZ7 #prodmgmt #innovation #research
#EnSW Can anything really replace a good face-to-face customer meeting?: Face-to-face customer meetings are an… http://t.co/8si9yZ3k
Can anything really replace a good face-to-face customer meeting? http://t.co/g32E3PNP
Can anything really replace a good face-to-face customer meeting? http://t.co/zt6o12Sb
After a wk at #OTCW nothing better than f2f RT @onpm: Can anything really replace a good face-to-face customer meeting? http://t.co/YfYAw40v