Helping the customer get organized with Audits

By Kordell Norton

Copyright 2006, All rights reserved – (330) 405-1950

 

I was introduced to customer audits in 1975 while selling Dale Carnegie programs.  The method used was five little 2” by 3” Formica tiles with one or two words on each, covering various concepts that Carnegie programs would address.  The five tiles would be put on the table in front of the customer and the question was, “If you were to rank these 5 qualities, which would you make number one?”  The customer would then stack rank “Communications”, or “Leadership” and the other remaining tiles.  Then we would ask, “Tell me why you ranked this item number one?”  Conversations would turn to stories of people in the customer’s company and the problems that were being created.  Once we had their issues and problems illustrated in stories for each of the five concepts, we knew exactly what capabilities to sell in the various programs we offered.  We would match up our features and benefits of a particular class because of its ability to build skills in employees in their problem areas.

 

Manipulative?  Perhaps a little.  Helpful?  I have used various versions of this concept with my customers over the years.  Today they seem to appreciate the insights and organization it brings to their thinking, more than ever.

 

With the speed of change today, problems are coming at us so fast that now more than ever, the customers needs help in getting organized. 

 

Enter, “The 90 Second Audit.”

 

Today you can use 90 Second Audits to get a quick read on where the customer’s problems are, and which areas are the highest concern.

 

Note that I use the term Audit and not Survey.  Surveys are associated with requests for big chunks of time.  They are also painfully present in the invasive telemarketer who interrupts the family dinner.  Do not use the term “survey”.  Also note the use of 90 seconds.  If you say a minute and a half survey, it sounds more lose than the succinct 90 seconds.  

 

The Audit is made up of a list of 8 to 15 items that represent various subsets of a bigger subject.  Leadership is made up of subset items of commutations, vision, humility, managing to the numbers, and various other aspects of leadership.  You then ask the customer to take 90 seconds and check the appropriate subset words to indicate which they feel will benefit them the most.

 

By following up with a telephone call (the audit gives a great excuse for having additional conversations with others in the customer’s organization if you are compiling a summary) and taking their responses with a numeric value, you put exact measurement to each item . . . in their opinion and judgment.  

 

For example, the Strategic Planning Audit (see http://www.kordellnorton.com/strategic_planning_audit.htm) would be filled out by the client on-line and the answers emailed to me by my web site.  I would then call the various executives who submitted an audit and ask them for a numeric value for each item checked.  If they give something less than a 7 or 8 value out of 10, then I would know that item was “hot”.  The higher the number, the more pain and frustration that item is causing.  I then focus my sales efforts on their biggest problems for better success and to expand my value-add to those areas of their business as well. 

 

These audits allow you to stay in charge of the sales process and also do the customer a favor at the same time.  Remember, they too are dealing with the fast pace of business today.  

 

About Kordell Norton - The Top Line Guy

Your organization has a strong interest in the "top line" for growth. As a consultant, speaker, author, Kordell Norton works with corporate, association, education and government organizations who want to focus on branding, sales, marketing, strategic planning/leadership, team building, and customer service.

Kordell was an executive with several multi-billion dollar corporations with executive suite positions in sales, HR, marketing and call centers. As a certified Graphic Facilitator, he uses highly visual processes, along with humor, and entertaining methods for powerful, high energy presentations.

Author of Throwing Gas on the Fire - creating drastic change in Sales and Marketing

He can be reached at (330) 405-1950 or at kordell@kordellnorton.com or at his website -  www.KordellNorton.com