One of my clients confessed this week about the clock in her clinic. It is missing the number 11. But why?
To the casual observer, one may not notice, but to the people who are anxious and / or have attention to detail, it could be of the first things they notice… and it is something these customers will talk about as they walk to the consultation room! If you have or have not noticed the clock tells the clinician something about you before you have!!
For example from her experience, the ones who notice the clock are likely to need more information, and have more questions. By observing this the clinicians can establish rapport and respond more personally without being too intrusive. The clues help them give a customer the best care from the outset (if you did or did not notice the clock!).
Waiting rooms can be a source of stress for many patients so the clock is just one of the tools she has found valuable to learn more about her customers as they are approaching their consultation.
Understanding the way your customers think and respond to stimulus is vital to establishing effective relationships and ultimately making sales. In a face to face environment or on-line, the information you have available, your visual displays, processes and service flow provide opportunities for you to engage effectively with prospects.
For example – if you sell clothes on-line some people do not need a lot of information so will be happy with a photo and brief product description. Others need more details such as fabrics, washing instructions, where the item is made etc. To solve the needs of both these customers you can have the brief description attached to a photo with the option to click through for further product details. If you’ve undertaken a recent analysis of your website you should have an idea about what the majority needs are of your customers.
As I often say – your customers will tell you all you you need to know about ways to strengthen your business if you have ways of listening to them (eg. analytics, research, clocks on the wall!).
Have you created unique ways of finding out more about your customers?