Walking and Talking

Building homes and designing communities make for interesting challenges. While other consumer products may have an emotional component, no other consumer product possesses the complexity and emotion packed into the very idea of “home”. Homes and communities hit or miss, by large or small degrees.

How customers feel in a space has enormous impact on value and purchase decisions. Developers and builders need to keep this foremost in their planning.

Want to know if you got it right, or fine-tune the details? Get your customers walking and talking with you.

Most of us need to stand in a space to know if we like it, to know if it’s right for us. And, nothing tells you more about how well you are doing than having customers, or prospective customers, tell you. Get your customers, or the people you hope to make your customers, and walk through. There’s something about walking through a home, a space or a neighborhood that changes the nature of the dialog. What you’ll learn is invaluable.

So, whatever the feedback you need from your customers, pick the location, invite your customers individually or, better still, in a group, offer refreshments, give them something to write on and with, guide them through, ask them what they do like, what they do not like, and what they would change if they could. Listen, take notes and make changes. Your home, service, or product will benefit tremendously from this easy direct interaction with your customers. The bottom line with benefit from paying this kind of attention to customers.

Tip: Have key team members follow the group, listen, take notes, and decide on the action plan immediately after the customers leave.

Have you tried this technique? Would you like to? Leave a comment and let me know your experience!