customer focus ivan kravchenko, epam systems 2010 © epam systems
TRANSCRIPT
Customer Focus
Ivan Kravchenko, EPAM Systems
2010 © EPAM Systems
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I. Customers & Interests
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Customer focus – what’s this
about?
Identifying needs and interests
Acting accordingly
Making sure it’s visible properly
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Customer focus – why bother?
Trust
Comfort
Growth
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Who is our customer?
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Is it a VP who approves the
budget?
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… or a product manager?
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… or a technical lead?
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… or a peer engineer?
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All of them!
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What do they want?
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In general – us solving problems
without introducing new ones.
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Another generic need – peace of
mind.
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What can help to ensure these?
Reliability
Responsiveness
Cooperation
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Reliability – fire-and-forget:
Get things done
Get back if stuck
No surprises
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Responsiveness – never make
the customer to:
Wait
Inquire
Get anxious
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Cooperation – be on the same
wavelength:
Understand
Empathize
Try to help
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What else do customers want?
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Customer’s wants – what to look
for?
Requests and complaints
Specific interests
Bias and emotions
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Handling customer’s requests:
Understand what
Understand why
Decide on actions
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Make sure to understand
customer’s:
Targets
Manager’s expectations
Overall context
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Don’t forget: they are human
beings just like us.
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Being humans, they likely want
to:
Look good
Be right
Earn respect
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Focus on interests, not
positions!positions
interests
requirement
sreasons
ambitions
needs
goals
bias
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Which interests to focus on?
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Find a balance!
Yet favor the job.
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Different interests on different
levels – which to honor?
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Target more critical ones, yet
keep the good relationships.
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Use a proxy where practical.
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Any interests from our side?
Team comfort
Personal career
Technical excellence
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Team issues: share the concern.
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Personal targets: align with
customer needs.
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Perfection: speak customer
language.
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One and only vs. one among
many.
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Perception is reality!
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Bottom line:
Note and act on customer’s interests
Provide proactive and reliable service
Show understanding and care
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II. Situations
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Handling the conflict –
techniques:
Delegate the confrontation
Deflect the argument
Focus on issues
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Leave the dirty job to manager.
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Get out of the line of fire.
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Concentrate on specific
problems.
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Is it ok to disagree with a
customer?
Yes – for his own good!
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Arguments and corrections:
Hear opponent's reasons
Mind feelings and ambitions
Don’t get steamed up
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Staying positive: how to say
‘no’?
Say ‘yes’ first
‘We need … to do …’
Defer
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Show commitment to a common
goal.
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Be careful suggesting
alternatives.
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Considering disobedience?
Think twice!
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Responding to accusations:
Acknowledge
Alleviate
Prevent
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Hide your faults or report
openly?
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“Customer is not an
interruption in our work. He is
the purpose of it.”
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BTW, your managers are
customers to some extent…
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… just as your subordinates…
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Questions?
Comments?
Corrections?
Thanks for Your Attention
Customer FocusBy Ivan KravchenkoSenior Software Engineering Manager
EPAM Systems41 University Drive, Suite 202 | Newtown, PA 18940p: +1 267 759 9000 | f: +1 +1 267 759 8989 | e: [email protected] | w:
www.epam.com