The power of recommendation
We seldom discuss mediocre experiences with our friends. The ones which do get mentioned are the exceptional - both great and bad.
A bad experience is one where:
- My needs and desires are not provided for.
- The product itself doesn't deliver as promised or is confusing / hard to learn.
- The interaction (at POS and afterwards) is confusing, patronizing, inflexible, or unusable.
A great experience is one where:
- The concept is utterly relevant for me.
- The product itself exceeds expectations and allows me to focus on the task in hand.
- The interaction (at POS and afterwards) is simple, fast, accessible and structured appropriately for me.
Countless online communities & blogs have built up around recommendations and many ecommerce sites have integrated a recommendation network into their shopping experience e.g. Amazon. Many books have been written about the power of recommendation in marketing including The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell and Buzzmarketing by Mark Hughes. Terminologies have developed around the roles individuals play in such recommendation networks (Connectors, mavens & salesmen in the Tipping Point). If you want to know more you can get the books... suffice it to say that recommendations work best the closer the source is to you... or the most highly respected the source.
The power of a recommendation is undeniable - it creates buzz which is the marketing holy grail.
The first step in getting recommendations is to create outstanding experiences. In designing any product or service the 3 key questions are:
- Is the product/service relevant for the target market? Does it address the real needs and desires and will it fit effectively into the context in which it will be placed?
- Is the product/service marketed effectively to enable customers to fully understand its potential whilst retaining clarity? Is it intuitive, accessible and enjoyable?
- Do the sales and post sales processes support customers' behaviour? Will they allow them to engage in the optimal way to ensure a great experience?
As a producer of such experiences the only way to ensure you are getting this right is to involve the end users throughout the design process from concept development through functional specification and visual design to marketing and post sales. See the Flow case studies for numerous examples across different industries and product types.
It's great to hear people being positive about something which went right to such an extent that they make conversation of it. Let's learn from some of the positive experiences out there. Please add a line or two on your great experiences.
Thanks to Pierre Lenfestey for the use of his artwork.
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My positive words for the day are related to my new mortgage... yes you did read right... I AM recommending a type of mortgage.
I recently changed mine from a standard fixed rate repayment mortgage to a tracker one which offers me control. I can now make no penalty payments as I choose provided I pay the interest each month. The effect is remarkable... I can now see my mortgage in my online banking and I can manually try to reduce my interest payments by moving money in and out of it. I am now a participant in my mortgage - I feel in control.
Lots of banks provide similar products. I recommend them provided you are a control freak.
Last weekend I went to frame a canvas painting I had bought while travelling.
I popped into this shop in Stoke Newington that had a sticky door, smelled of woodchip and paint, had a dusty floor and workbench and a slightly round man with glasses on the end of his nose.
Reading your post I've wondered why that made me feel so reassured and I've realised it's because it gave me confidence this man knew what he was doing. The shop looked like somewhere where things happened and I wasn't expected to know what I wanted; he helped me understand what I needed.
I felt in safe, experienced hands and the price was extremely reasonable too!
I have tried to think of some good experiences but all I can recall is the bad.
I suspect that my expectations are higher when I think businesses should be trying even harder to keep my custom.
Equally I think that all individuals in organisations are under increased pressure. This may be because they want to keep their job, it may be because there are now fewer people covering the ground but this makes it all the more likely that mistakes will occur.
Steve - imagine how vocal you will be when you do find a good experience... the rarity will make it even more noteworthy.
It is certainly true that bad experiences also get talked about - with damaging results. All the more reason why providers should be extra careful.
Some careful customer focused actions can transform a bad experience into a great one. That could make the difference between failure and success for providers at the moment.