Simple is Best
By Kurt Konow
Data Center Segment Marketing Manager
Ricoh Americas' Production Printing Business Group (PPBG)
When was the last time you threatened to throw your electronic organizer into the nearest lake, or run your cell phone over with your car, or de-install your email system? Maybe it was last month, a couple of days ago, or just a few minutes ago. Let's face it – sometimes life just gets too busy and the “simple” life would be a welcomed change.
Have you ever stopped to think about the overly complex communications you’re sending to your customers? The customers that also want to throw their electronic organizers into the nearest lake, or de-install their email systems. Your customers play in the same complex world you’re in, and the last thing they want to do is call customer service to have questions answered regarding their latest invoice, statement or health care document. And the last thing you want is a confused customer that doesn’t respond to your marketing offer, or worse - doesn’t pay their bill on time because the amount due wasn’t clear or the remit address was missing. Maybe it’s time you evaluate your customer communications and start thinking simple – because simple is best.
Why is Simple So Hard to Do?
Sometimes we just get caught up in all of the “important stuff” that we think our customers need to know. Therefore, we tell them about every last detail, and unfortunately confuse or frustrate them. Critical document information must be communicated to customers, but it can be done in a simpler way. For example, think about your 401K statement for a moment. When a 401K statement is opened the first thing your customer wants to know is their current balance, and how well their total portfolio performed compared to the last statement: essentially, did they gain or loose money. Unfortunately, when many consumers open their 401K statement they end up looking for the secret clues required to find this seemingly simple and critical data. An alternative to information overload on the first few pages of the statement is to prepare a simple summary page. The summary page should contain key information elegantly presented with a pie chart, supporting statements and a legend that describes each of the subsequent pages.
Simple can be Scary
Have you ever had a chat with a CFO, or a CMO, about their corporate goals, objectives and responsibilities? If you have, you might have a better understanding as to why the billing statement is riddled with overly complex statements and prose, describing the financial obligations, terms and conditions that the CFO insists must appear on every financial document. Maybe after a conversation with the CMO you have a clearer picture as to why the monthly credit card statement is littered with images and offers of vacation getaways or platinum customer services. Unfortunately, besides the CFO and CMO, you may be the only other person that understands the monthly communications. Work with the document stakeholders and come up with alternative methods to communicate the same information - but in simplier, easy-to-understand terms.
The Customer Perspective
Each communication should be reviewed from your customer’s point-of-view. Specifically, what does the customer need and want to be informed of first, second, third and so on. The customer has a certain experience every time a communication is opened. Have you ever opened up a document and simply folded it back up and said you would look at it later because it was too confusing, or overwhelming to digest at the moment? Think for a minute about the method in which people learn new concepts or languages. The first chapter of a book or manual isn’t 500 pages long and filled with complex diagrams, and industry specific abbreviations, jargon and symbols. Instead, the first chapter is an introduction to the basic ideas and concepts and each subsequent chapter builds from the prior until a complete and logical learning experience has occurred. Customer communications should be designed and created using the same learning concepts. Start with a summary page, communicate the important, “must-know” information first, and then build the document with more detail and depth as needed. Then there will be logical places to insert marketing campaigns, color and white space to enhance the customer encounter rather than strain the experience.
Yes – Simple can be hard to do. Yes – Simple can be scary. But – Simple is Best.
Kurt Konow
Data Center Segment Marketing Manager
Ricoh Americas' Production Printing Business Group (PPBG)
A veteran to the high-volume transactional print market, Kurt Konow is responsible for Data Center marketing for Ricoh Americas' Production Printing Business Group. Kurt brings many years of hardware and software solution experience to his appointment as Data Center Segment Marketing Manager for PPBG. Kurt can be reached at kurt.konow@ricoh-usa.com or at 630-335-4453. |
