Marketing Your #1 Customer

Assignment four.

Instructions

Marketing Your #1 Customer

Purpose:   To understand the importance of dyadic (two-person) relationships.  Practice a concrete technique/method to alter and possibly improve a dyadic relationship.  Understand how the Social Exchange Theory applies to our everyday lives in dyadic relationships.   (In plain every day English this means.   Sit and talk to another person who means a great deal to you.  Improve your relationship with that person by figuring out 3-5 things you can do on a daily/weekly schedule to make the relationship better.)

Watch this Ted Talk before you Market Your #1 Customer.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkrWneKlNwM

Skills/Knowledge used in this assignment:

Creating an environment/situation where two people can have a conversation about a serious topic.

Documenting, taking notes during a conversation.

Active listening skills.

Using positive body language.

Being honest and direct in a conversation.

Transcribing notes onto a Word document.

Knowledge/Skills gained:

Ability to listen to an example and then complete a similar interview.

Manipulate your environment to facilitate conversation.

Improve note taking skills while actively listening.

Honest/open communication.

Using handwritten notes to create a professional document.

Tasks:   Before interview

Identify your #1 Customer.

Make an appointment with your #1 Customer to have a conversation.

During Interview

Set up a suitable location to have the conversation.

Be prepared to actively listen to compliments and significant criticisms about yourself.

Take notes while encouraging your #1 Customer to keep speaking openly and honestly.

Use positive body language.

Ask probing questions.

After Interview

Transcribe all of your handwritten interview notes using Word.  12 font, Times New Roman, 1 inch margins.

Identify 3 things your Customer likes about you as a product.   Bold or underline these items in your transcription.

Select 3-5 issues/items your #1 Customer identified about you that you are willing to work on.  Rewrite a short description of each of these items and below each item describe items/tasks that you are going to actually DO in order to make yourself a better product to your #1 Customer.

Include why your #1Customer felt these 3-5 items were important?

Your final paragraph should be a reflection about the ideas/lessons you learned about yourself, communication, dyadic relationships or any other thoughts.

Turn in your transcribed final, Marketing Your #1 Customer assignment.

Participate in the discussion about, Marketing Your #1 Customer and how this assignment improved or changed your relationship and if you see a connection to Social Exchange Theory.

Some of you are still confused!

Pick a person in your life that is important to you.

Sit down and ask them these questions:

What do you like about me as a product/person?     Shut up and listen.

Write their answers down.  Be a scientist and listen.   Make no comments .

Probe deeper…   If they say, “you are a nice person”   You ask,  “Give me three examples of how I am a nice person.”   Write these answers down.

Do not let your #1 customer get away with shallow cheap, politically correct answers.   Dig!   Ask them why why why…

What is my best attribute?   Why?  Why ?   Give examples.

What can I do, as a product/person to be a better product/person?

Now comes the hard part.

Ask them these questions:

How can I be a better person/product in our relationship?      Ask for concrete examples.   If they say something sappy like, “Love me more”.   Ask them, “Give me three examples of how I can love you more?”   Then ask for more detail.  Real things.  If they say… be more romantic.   Ask them… what is romantic to you?

In the last 6 months how have I hurt our relationship?   Ask for examples…   I remind you.  Shut up and listen.  Make no comments.  Write down the answers.

When you have done all this write up your summary and turn it in.  From your interview decide upon 3-5 things you are actually going to change about yourself to have a better relationship with your #1 Customer. 

Participate in the discussion.

Reminder:

Shut up and listen.   Take notes.   Do not be offended by ANYTHING they say.  Be a scientist collecting data.