The NPS Conference Re-Charged My Batteries - Alan Woollam

info@netpromoter.com — Thu, 08 May 2008 19:06:01 GMT

There are times during the year when convincing folk to take their first loyalty steps can seem almost as tough as trying to solve world hunger. So I was delighted to see so many companies eating well at the Net Promoter Conference in London. I was particularly encouraged to see more focus on leveraging promotors this year. Some companies get so embroiled in identifying and acting upon the root causes of detraction that they forget about leveraging their promotors. Aon highlighted major wins from referrals, saying, we are never too shy to ask for referrals. Creating communities is also a growing tactic to tap into a wealth of information promotors are only too willing to share, and they feel more valued as a result.

B2B Relationship Management - There were plenty of lively contributions during the roundtable sessions.

Several key themes emerged that can make or break a B2B loyalty programme in its first year.

Selecting the right clients -- Start small, do not rely on CRM databases for contacts and qualify through the account teams. Ask the principle customer contact to nominate additional key stakeholders within their company. Just asking accounts for a contact list can in itself uncover shortcomings. Account managers on top of their game can turn a request around within the week. The ones who procrastinate may not have the right relationships in place.
Stand in your customers shoes -- Getting the account teams to take the survey first (as the client), can yield very different ratings and a reality check!
Incentivise -- Reward account teams for participation and closing the loop with customers.
Can you deploy to clients where you have no relationship? Absolutely -- Deploying a Net Promotor programme into either a new account or an existing account with a new account manager is a great opportunity to assess the relationship opportunity and enter into new dialogue to feed the account planning process.

I'm back at the same venue this week participating at the Net Promoter Certification Course, and London weather is being kind to us this week, thankfully.

Click here to download the presentation.

European Conference Blog 2008

The NPS Conference Re-Charged My Batteries - Alan Woollam