building emotional connections (how to beat your competitors forever and ever)

Evan HamiltonHead of Community, UserVoice

Wednesday, August 21, 13

How to Beat Your Competitors Forever

and Ever


Success=


Success=

1) Fantastic product


Success=

1) Fantastic product2) Fantastic support


Success=

1) Fantastic product2) Fantastic support3) Emotional connection


Success=

1) Fantastic product2) Fantastic support3) Emotional connection

+ luck


BS?


BS?•Users generate your money, so let’s agree you need to keep them (happy).



•#1 cause of social media crises is unhappy customers - Altimeter



•#1 cause of social media crises is unhappy customers - Altimeter

•Foursquare, SEOmoz, Zappos


BS?•This study from UserVoice:


1) Fantastic Product


1) Fantastic Product

What you’re already doing + community


Data lies


People are wrong


Data + Stories


Feedback Process


Feedback Process1) Review ideas


Feedback Process1) Review ideas2) Discuss ideas



3) ACT2) Discuss ideas



4) Respond3) ACT2) Discuss ideas


2) Fantastic Support


2) Fantastic SupportNot really that hard!



•Make support a priority



•Make support a priority•Use great tools (cough cough)




•Hire empathetic support staff•Use great tools (cough cough)




•Hire empathetic support staff•Take care of them

•Use great tools (cough cough)





•Respond quickly






•Respond quickly

•Empower support to solve & delight, not triage & silence






•Respond quickly

•Empower support to solve & delight, not triage & silence

•Don’t hide your contact info!



2) Fantastic SupportResource-intensive? Yes, but not as much as you think.



40%+ support tickets answered here



Fix It Twice.


3) Emotional Connection



In short: be MORE than a product.



Be the local, helpful hardware store owner, not Home Depot.


Best Practices


Transparency


Personal Emotional Connection (PEC)



•“Hi, Dave,” not “Hello,”




•“How are you?” ...then pay attention to the response!




•Mention kids? Send ‘em a toy.

•“How are you?” ...then pay attention to the response!


Create a Cause

People don’t rally around losing their money...they rally

around a CAUSE.


Create a CauseSEO as a serious profession


Create a CauseConquering BYOD


Create a CauseWeb Standards & Open Source


Create a CauseCelebrating & Furthering Exceptional

Support


3. ??? 4. Profit


How?


How?•Find a burgeoning cause that lacks leadership



•Provide REAL value




•Connect people to each OTHER




•Connect people to each OTHER

•Put THEM first


In Conclusion


In Conclusion•Data+Stories = Great Product




•Put customers first





•Be transparent





•Be transparent

•Build PEC





•Be transparent

•Build PEC

•Champion a cause





•Be transparent

•Build PEC

•Champion a cause

•Give a #%*&


Thank you.

@evanhamiltonwww.evanhamilton.comWednesday, August 21, 13

http://www.evanhamilton.com

http://www.evanhamilton.com

building emotional connections (how to beat your competitors forever and ever)

Technology

fantastic support

empathetic support sta

fantastic product

great tools cough cough

review ideas

feedback process

data stories

unhappy customers altimeter