Every day our customers give us clues about what’s important to them and what they really want. Often we ignore them. Questions like the one asked of a running shoe manufacturer, which was followed up with this response:

“Thank you for your email regarding shoes for a mud run.
Unfortunately, we don’t stock a shoe that is suitable for the mud run.
I have been advised by a work colleague that the best thing to do is to wear an old pair of shoes you will be willing to throw away afterwards as they are usually unsalvageable.”

These kinds of questions and responses are the stuff of lost opportunity, not just to increase revenue or market share, but to better serve our customers. For the record 2+ million people have taken part in Tough Mudder, an obstacle race “built to test your mental grit, camaraderie and all-around physical fitness.” and to give you a story to tell.

While there may not be much that the shoe company can do at the moment to solve the customer’s problem without a product to sell, there is an opportunity to learn from the question. All too often these questions are responded to and the lost in the busyness of our day-to-day.

What do you do with your customer’s questions?
Do you see them as a task, hassle or an opportunity?

Registration for The Story Strategy Course is now open.

Image by The Colectivity.