Listening to natural customer conversation...peak to tail
One of the main topics that has been consuming my time at work is the notion of capturing the voice of the customer in a way that will help product groups keep a pulse on what's driving conversations. We're not talking about customer surveys, forms that customers need to submit or focus groups. All of those have a specific, important purpose. But what I'm referring to is getting our head around the topics driving conversations in the vast IT Pro online community (blogs, newsgroups, forums) space on a day-to-day basis. Natural conversation...not provoked or lead by us in anyway. "Buzz analysis" in the sea of IT Pro communities talking about Windows Server and Management Solutions. What topics are driving those conversations? Product issues? Response to new releases?
Of course I can't help but think of this in terms of the Long Tail model. The biggest opportunity with this "buzz analysis" project is figuring out how to effectively tap into the diverse conversations taking place along the "tail." We have many established listening channels at the front of the curve that have served us well and continue to serve us in terms of capturing actionable feedback on products and services. But to consider those channels of feedback PLUS the broader conversations happening "along the tail" (which arguably represents a larger set of customers) is the true mission of this project. We're making some progress on efforts kicked off a few months ago...can't wait to share some stories. And of course I'm always interested in hearing how others are effectively listening to customers "peak to tail."
