B2B start-up or scale-up? You can afford a Voice of Customer program. In fact, you can’t afford to not have one
Think you can’t afford a Voice of Customer (VOC) program because you can’t dedicate resources or invest in new technology? By adapting processes and using existing tools you can establish the basics and start benefitting now, then expand the program as you grow.
There’s little debate about the benefits of VOC programs to gather customer feedback on needs, expectations and feelings about products and services. Most executives understand VoC programs can improve customer experience, portfolio development, GTM strategy, and customer loyalty and retention.
In fact, most companies already gather an enormous amount of customer feedback and operational data in real time and at critical points in the customer journey.
But gathering data does not a VOC program make. The value of a VOC program comes from stitching the data together so that insights can be drawn, and then sharing those with teams that can apply insights to strategic and tactical plans.
Even large companies with dedicated VOC teams and technology are challenged with making decisions based on insights, integrating systems and engaging teams across the organisation.
If you’re in start-up or scale-up mode, barriers are greater due to lack of people and budget resources. With limited resources, you need to ensure they’re focused where they’ll most likely succeed. So, the question should not be whether you can afford to have a VOC program, it should be whether you can afford to not have one.
The good news is that there are ways around those barriers until you can invest. Most relate to process change so require little, if any, cost.
Make VOC a cross-functional responsibility with the executive team regularly reviewing insights together, and all teams understanding how they play a role in capturing, analysing and applying data.
Align VOC objectives to company strategy to ensure you ask the right questions of the right audiences so each business function gets the insight needed for its planning.
Gather feedback in central locations for analysis, which can often be done with existing tools, such as a CRM or marketing operations application. Even tools like Excel or Confluence can work if that's only what's available.
Create a working group with cross-functional representation and support from Operations to analyse feedback and operational data and draw out insights.
Adapt existing planning processes and reports to include insights and capture how they are being applied, and review this in the executive team regularly.
It may take several months, but with an executive team committed to putting customers at the centre of strategy and open to feedback (even uncomfortable), a VOC program can start providing value quickly.
If you'd like to discuss how you can make a start on a VOC program, or how Customer Advisory Boards and Customer Communities support VOC, reach out for a chat.