If you’ve ever been to a live show at Radio City Music Hall, a performance on Broadway, or an improv performance at a local comedy club, you’ve undoubtedly seen the different ways performers use their stage presence to connect with their audiences.
Great performers are masters at making each and every audience member feel special and appreciated. They do this by reading their audience – watching, listening, and taking cues from the feedback they receive. Some acknowledge the audience members for coming out to see them, interact with them by asking questions, or simply thanking them for their applause. Others work the stage, using movement and gestures to engage their audience.
All of this is possible because the performers are spending time on stage before live audiences.
Like great performers, brands that offer extraordinary customer experiences are masters at making each and every customer feel special and appreciated. I recently attended a customer experience forum in New York City (home of Radio City Music Hall) where one of the recurring themes was the importance of talking with customers.
Focus groups and surveys are two common market research tools used to understand customer needs, preferences, and motivations. However, they often fall short as predictors of customer behavior since participants and respondents do not always follow through on their stated intentions. As one presenter explained, “the only way to really know what your customers are thinking is to spend time talking with them.”
In short, spending time with your customers and talking with them is like performing before a live audience at Radio City Music Hall – not watching a scripted performance from behind a two-way mirror. Executives from the best brands are not afraid to engage customers (and their employees, for that matter) in an interactive setting and, as a result, will often uncover innovative ways to differentiate their brands with an extraordinary customer experience.
Photography Source: Flickr Ed Schipul
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