Turning Feedback Into Action

It is at this time of year where many conversations start to center around fantasy football. In fact, you are probably in the minority if you don’t have contact with fantasy football, either directly or through someone you know.   Just think if the amount of time and energy that went into research and making decisions for a fantasy football team could be channeled into taking action on voice of the customer!

What it is about fantasy football that draws people in? It makes football even more fun to watch - especially if you are watching a game with no vested interested in either team – because you are rooting for your fantasy team’s players. It also taps into the competitive spirit in all of us. It is fun to engage in friendly competition with friends, family members, and strangers all with the goal of coming out on top.

There are applications here that can apply to voice of the customer programs. Sales organizations are famously competitive, so think of ways that the competitive nature of your sales teams can be levered to drive action. For example, reward and recognize those sales teams who provide the most contact names or who are first to complete close the loop activities. Many companies use a “wall of shame” approach to encourage superior performance across all teams…no one wants to be at the bottom of a performance list. Also think of ways in which fun can be incorporated into these competitive elements. Creating some excitement around the voice of the customer program is a great way to motivate people to participate, and prevent them from viewing this as "just one more thing to do."