Why Adding Friction Early in the Customer Experience Can Create Investment

Bite-Sized Delight From the Episode:

• How adding friction early in the customer experience can get customers to invest in the relationship.
• The keys to making an excellent introduction.
• A close look at how you can tap into the feedback loop that gets customers engaged.
• Why every industry needs to worry about disruption.

THIS JUST HAPPENED: Proper Introductions [01:06-14:43]

Joey shares his tips for the best way to make an introduction that provides an outstanding experience for everyone involved. It starts with a double opt-in, so you ask each person independently if they feel they would enjoy connecting. From there, there are five more steps: connect them via email, introduce the junior person to the senior person, tell each person a little about the other, include relevant links, and leave it up to them to take the conversation wherever they’d like.

Tweetable Quotes

I am a big believer in the double opt-in introduction. #CX Click To Tweet
'Social media’ contains two words: the media part, and the social part. #CX Click To Tweet
Check with both parties first before you make an introduction. #CX Click To Tweet

Takeaways

• Check with both parties first before you make an introduction.
• Follow the six-step process to make an exceptional introduction: double opt-in, connect them via email, introduce the junior person to the senior person, tell each person a little about the other, include relevant links, and leave it up to them to take the conversation wherever they’d like.
• Make introductions; they’re a great way to expand and deliver value to your network that will come back around to you.

CX PRESS: Brain Onboarding [14:45-24:27]

This week we’re looking at Nir Eyal’s piece, “This is Your Brain On Boarding: How to Turn Visitors Into Users.” Nir looks at how you can build an onramp to using your product or service, which can serve as the foundation for creating strong user habits. The four-step process—trigger, action, reward, and investment—is a great way to get users habitually working with you. The right kind of friction is key to this loop, and Nir dives into it more in his book, Hooked.

Tweetable Quotes

All the research shows that exerting effort makes customers value the outcome even more. #CX Click To Tweet
We may not like how the brain works, but it does work in very specific ways. #CX Click To Tweet
Building an on-ramp for your product or service is critical for any industry. #CX Click To Tweet
The onboarding process can serve as the foundation for creating strong user habits. #CX Click To Tweet

Takeaways

• Check out Nir Eyal’s book, Hooked, a great, quick read that dives deeper into this methodology.
• Keep the four-step hook model in mind: a trigger, an action, and a reward that includes a little bit of investment on the customer’s part to lead them back to another trigger.
• Always be iterating: your customers are evolving, and you should be evolving too.

DISSECTING THE EXPERIENCE: Creating Friction [24:28-30:15]

Recently Robbie Richman, an expert in creating cultures for companies all over the world, started a conversation with Joey about creating friction early in the customer experience as a way to get customers to buy in. Just like with Nir Eyal’s book, the idea is that a little bit of work creates an investment that helps your customer buy-in, and he describes an experience with a VA firm he recently had to illustrate that point.

Tweetable Quotes

You want the customer to put a little investment into the relationship to get them to buy in. #CX Click To Tweet
Friction can be good if it serves a higher goal. #CX Click To Tweet
Don’t be afraid to own your friction, everything doesn’t have to be a walk in the park. #CX Click To Tweet
What are the little things you can get them to do so they’ll do the big things you want them to do? #CX Click To Tweet

Takeaways

• Friction can be good if it serves a higher goal.
• Create micro-commitments and mini-victories to allow your customers to buy into your product or service faster.
• Don’t be afraid to own your friction; everything doesn’t have to be a walk in the park.

CHECK OUT THIS NUMBER: 55% [30:17-32:41]

55% of CX professionals believe their company will face disruption from more nimble competitors. There are still plenty of industries that have not faced it yet, so if you think you’re safe, you’re probably next.

Tweetable Quotes

55% of CX professionals believe their company will face disruption from more nimble competitors. #CX Click To Tweet
Nimble competitors are probably the biggest fear of large companies. #CX Click To Tweet

Takeaways

• There is not an industry on the planet that isn’t going to be dramatically disrupted in the next ten years.

Be a Part of the Show!

We’d love to hear about your great customer experiences, which segments you like, and your ideas for future episodes!

Are You Looking for Things We Referenced?

• “This is Your Brain On Boarding: How to Turn Visitors Into Users” by Nir Eyal
• “Adding Friction to Onboard Customers and Employees” by Robert Richman
• Smarter CX by Oracle
• The Oracle CX Assessment Tool

See you next week!