Quick Tip: Talk to Real People and Act on What They Say

It’s easy to focus on the opinions of experts and executives.

But unless the end users of your product or service are primarily experts and executives, you need to break out of the Circle of Authority.

No one can tell you what’s right and what’s wrong like the people who actually use the services.

Surveys and focus groups are good, but don’t limit yourself. If you chance upon a customer, ask them some open-ended questions about their satisfaction, ease of use, and other things.

Don’t guide their comments away from criticism. You may not like to hear it, but you definitely need to hear it.

Some of the best research is done by average employees talking to average customers. It’s what you do with the results of that research that can help your organization improve.

See other Quick Tips.