Page 1 of 3
Getting to Know Your Customers
© Copyright 2005 Craig Cochran
Short feature for “What Works” section of Quality Digest
1. Author name: Craig Cochran
2. Author's organization: Georgia Institute of Technology, Center for International
Standards and Quality
3. Address, telephone numbers, and e-mail: 4705 Norman Dr NW, Kennesaw GA 301441318. Telephone: 678-494-9938. Email: cochran@gatech.edu
4. Article length: about 700 words, plus an example tool.
Dale Carnegie’s book, “How to Win Friends and Influence People,” had a
profound effect on me when I read it as a young adult. It made me realize that everybody
thinks that he or she is the most important person in the world. Isn’t that the way you
feel? Your troubles are the most pressing; your triumphs are the most tremendous; your
challenges the most daunting; your interests the most riveting; and your loved ones the
most special. These truths hold for your customers, as well. Your customers think that
what they are working on are the most critical tasks imaginable. They frankly don’t care
what you’re doing or what you’re interested in. Is this bad? No, it’s just human nature.
I was able to apply some of the concepts from Mr. Carnegie’s book when I took
my first customer service job around 1987. I set about to take a personal interest in every
customer and potential customer. In keeping with Carnegie’s guidelines, I did this with
sincerity, avoiding the appearance of being premeditated or false in my interest. In fact, I
went as far as to develop a tool to help me focus. I called it the Customer Profile Sheet.
This was nothing more than what it sounds: an up-to-date profile of the customer’s
projects, products, interests, hobbies, family details, and other salient details. Does this
sound like intrusive meddling? It shouldn’t. These were the issues that my customers
cared about, and they were happy I cared about them, also. I captured the information in a
Page 2 of 3
smooth, incremental manner, a little at a time. For instance, you may never learn about a
client’s children, but you may learn that this client is an avid fly fisherman. Capture
whatever details you can and revise the information as it changes. Over a period of
months, I had a database of information to help prompt me when conversing with the
customer.
Before I spoke to a customer, I always pulled up the Customer Profile Sheet and
remind myself of the thing that was on the customer’s mind the last time we spoke. I
would ask him about this—whether it was fly fishing, girl scouts, running, or
volunteering for charities—and I never failed to create a strong bond with the customer.
Of course, my interest was genuine. Hopelessly self centered or cynical people shouldn’t
attempt this human relations technique until they have overcome their own personality
quirks.
The Customer Profile Sheet has more practical benefits, too. Knowing your
customer’s projects, products, customers, location, and organizational philosophies will
help you guide them to the correct products and services. Empathize with your
customer’s challenges, and then propose solutions offered by your organization. You are
adding value to the customer interaction by bringing with you a deeper understanding of
your customer’s needs and expectations.
The components of the Customer Profile Sheet could comprise almost anything.
Here are some typical pieces of information that could be featured:

Company name

Location

Local sports teams
Page 3 of 3

Preferred method of contact (phone, email, fax)

Last products purchased

Special requests

Current projects/products

Current challenges and obstacles

Primary customers and applications

Primary contact person

Contact’s birthday

Spouse’s name

Children’s names

Pets, if any (especially for those without children)

Interests/hobbies
The Profile could be hardcopy or electronic, but there are distinct advantages to
an electronic tool (particularly related to fast and easy accessibility).
The only caveat I would offer related to using a Customer Profile Sheet is that the
person using it must have had prior contact with the customer, at least with regard to the
personal information. If a friend or acquaintance asks about daughter Judy, it’s touching
and thoughtful. If a stranger asks about Judy, it’s alarming and inappropriate (and maybe
a cause for contacting law enforcement). Use good sense with this tool. The best
application is to make individual employees responsible to maintaining the Profiles for
their regular customers, and strive to have these same employees tasked with using them.