I had the privilege of attending a great CXPA (Customer Experience Professionals Association) event in Indianapolis last week hosted by the Indianapolis chapter of the CXPA and Wild Birds Unlimited. The CXPA is the premier global non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement and cultivation of the Customer Experience profession. Wild Birds Unlimited (WBU) is the original and largest franchise system of backyard bird feeding and nature specialty stores with more than 300 locations throughout the United States and Canada.
The purpose of the event was to get a glimpse into the story of the WBU business and their founder, Jim Carpenter. WBU has become a shining example of a company that embraces the value and importance of delivering a great experience.
Over that past couple of years I have been working to learn customer experience best practices from B2C organizations while looking for opportunities to apply those best practices to B2B. There was one key lesson for me at the event as I listened to store manager, Gina Jannazzo, talk about how she ensures her staff is delivering a world class customer experience. Gina pointed out that her staff is instructed to “always talk about the birds” when a customer visits the store. She does this because she wants her staff to go out of their way to connect with customers on the subject matter that is most important to them…the birds and the experiences they are having with the birds. When this happens customers open up, connections are made and bonding occurs.
This might seem obvious, but I think we would all agree that connecting with the individual (customer) and taking the time to talk about what they want to talk about is often times easier said than done. I think there is a key lesson here for B2B. So often we get mired in the daily tasks of our job and we can forget why our customers are investing their time and money in the relationship. It is critical that we do whatever we can to connect with our customers on a level that is meaningful to them as individuals.
It is critical that we do whatever we can to connect with our customers on a level that is meaningful to them as individuals.
This starts with understanding as much about the people behind the logos, their goals and doing whatever it takes to help them achieve their goals. We must understand that serving our customers is the fastest path to developing healthy and long standing relationships that will bear fruit over time. If we can be mindful of what matters most to the customer every time we have an interaction and consider it within the context of their ultimate goals, we will earn the right to keep and grow the customer over the long term.
My advice, always talk about the birds.
