Online Voice of the Customer (VoC) qualitative research is known for giving brands an inside view of end-user perceptions. But there’s another bonus of VoC research. Just by virtue of implementing a VoC program, and listening to the customer’s voice, you create an opportunity to listen to the internal voice of your own company.
When Digsite clients implement their first VoC community, they notice how naturally it brings the heads and hands of their organization together. How it creates company-wide excitement and collaboration. How it gets diverse company functions listening, responding, and problem-solving their way through the research feedback.
In other words, just by working with the resulting data, a VoC program can become the catalyst that fuels your internal collaborative process. The experience can become the glue that gets everyone to share ideas, invest in your larger vision, and move forward.
By separately logging onto VoC research, you connect the whole team
To collaborate, our teams have to connect. But digital tools isolate us from each other, right? Not necessarily.
Smartphones and apps can be distracting toys. But the right collaborative online research tool can bring us together, closer than ever before. Consider the community tools you use everyday to streamline your business (i.e., GoToMeeting, GoogleDocs).
These tools work well because, well, two (or more) heads are better than one. And they always will be. But exactly how does a Voice of the Customer community bring your organization together? And what’s in it for your company?
Whether you're a marketer, researcher, or part of a lean ad agency team that’s trying to boost collaborative and creative productivity, here’s a litany of benefits that may open your eyes to the value of engaging with VoC programs:
Listening to VoC takes group effort
The larger the corporation, the more challenging it is to get diverse departments to drink the kool-aid (think Sales versus Marketing, or Creative versus Accounting). Cross-pollinating in a small marketing firm is no walk in the park either.
Sometimes we force our collaborative vision with a day of rock climbing (i.e., team building). That can work, but it’s by no means the only way to promote collaborative spirit (and how many work days do you climb rocks, anyway?).
One beautiful aspect of VoC programs is how naturally the process brings different functions wearing different hats together (and without breaking anyone’s leg).
One VoC feature that makes this possible is the accessibility of online communities. Getting people to tune into and engage in the online data is as natural as logging onto Facebook. Even your busiest execs and workaholics can find time to do that.
Plus, your VoC program is happening over a longer period of time than the typical two-hour focus group. So many employees can participate for longer periods (not just the handful that can squeeze into a dark room with a two-way mirror).
In fact, with online VoC programs, clients can spend days, weeks or months listening to customer feedback. Clients like having more opportunities for more team members to listen to more feedback. It makes the most of their marketing dollars and energies.
You no longer need to juggle schedules just to arrange that one-shot focus group. Instead, you virtually have all the research time in the world, that is, if you want or need it.
Monitoring feedback triggers action
Let’s state the obvious here: when customers share their opinions with your organization, they expect you to listen and take action steps (cause/effect). A VoC program automatically creates customer expectations and thus, a sense of urgency, so you had better be ready to internally communicate, collaborate and respond.
But don’t worry so much. When your stakeholders listen in to the ongoing VoC conversation online, things start to happen. Employees become aware of customer expectations and perceptions, and they naturally respond.
For example, let’s say team leader Darcy formulates an opinion about a research comment or insight. Then Darcy seeks out co-worker Dan to see what he thinks of the same VoC comment. If Dan missed that piece of the ongoing customer conversation, he simply logs on to catch up on that part of the research. Then Dan formulates his own thoughts, engages someone else and, before you know it, your whole team is engaged in your VoC initiative.
When you think of it, a VoC program is like having an ideal employee training program. And it’s not static learning, but active learning derived from ongoing iterative insights. The end result is communication which leads to cooperation which, in turn, leads to collaborative innovative thinking.
Building individual respect adds up to company-wide momentum
Here may be the biggest payoff of your VoC program.
As you listen to what your VoC community is saying, you are — in a subtle way — inviting the voice of your own employees, too. It’s a smart way to bring your team together, whether your business is large or small. Being inclusive and listening is a leadership strategy that can earn the respect and cooperation of your entire staff.
Feedback is so crucial to any creative business. VoC programs generate feedback, from customers and from employees. Without feedback you have no creative process or innovation. With feedback, you trigger responses which, in turn, triggers creative actions.
Your VoC program lets every voice be heard, from customers to employees. Of course, that doesn’t mean everyone one in your organization gets their way. I once heard an account of a PTA meeting. To calm the crowd the meeting leader simply said, “Not everyone will get their way here tonight, but everyone will get their say.” Welcoming the voice of your employees in this manner will boost company morale, and your ability to motivate and innovate.
Want to lead your industry? Just keep listening to the voice of your customer — and to your employees’ responses to VoC data — because all those voices can make good things happen for your organization.
Digsite is one of the VoC online research tools that can help keep your company collaborating, communicating and innovating.
See Digsite in action and discover how if it fits your needs-join us for an interactive demo webcast!
