3 key elements to think about in your processes

Psychology studies show there are 3 key elements to consider when designing business processes. They can help you work out where and how the customer will get most value and where you will get most sales!

The first relates to cognitive processing of information. It’s a bit of a mouthful, but all it means is how easy is it for the customer to do what they want to. Whether that is to get information or buy your product for example. The key things customers look for are:

• How easy is it to find their way around your website
• How easy is it to compare products and services
• If they phone, how long does it take to answer the call and how knowledgeable is the person answering the phone. Top tip: If you have a call centre, never measure the staff on the length of a call. Measure first time resolution. That’s the percentage of calls where they provide a full answer for the customer. Nothing  annoys customers more than having to call back or going from person to person to try and get an answer!

The second is emotional rather than functional. People will forget what you said or did, but they never forget how you made them feel! Your processes need to engage customers. It’s the little things that count. Even how you package your products is important. When customers have a great experience, they start to use emotional words such as love or great.  They tell more people about your business in a way that paints a clear picture and gives you extra sales.

Finally, you need to consider likely customer behaviours following their experience. For example, they may choose to follow you on social media or post an online review. By anticipating what they are likely to do, you can make it easy for them to do it. This helps to deepen the relationship with your customer and increases their loyalty. It also means you know what people are saying about your business. That helps you resolve any issues, get to know what works well and what else you need to do.

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