I mean the following in the spirit of love.
Several of our own clients have gotten excited about these things, and it hurts my heart every time. I had one actually spend money last year to advertise it.
What’s “it”?
Sigh… “Best Of…” reader/listener/viewer surveys. Who’s got the best cheeseburger in town? The best ice cream? Who’s the best HVAC company? The best tax accountant? The best artisanal, left-handed hot yoga instructor?
You know the type, don’t you? They’re typically put on by a local media outlet as a (shameless) page-view/subscription grab, and it also gives that media outlet a great excuse opportunity to call on all the nominees that are, conveniently, all the businesses on said media outlet’s target list.
We all like to be liked.
It’s right there – smack in the middle of Maslow’s Hierarchy Of Needs – love/belonging – we all want to feel like we’re part of something special and that people like us. It’s natural.
But, by golly, isn’t there a better way to measure the success of your business than through some arbitrary money grab by a local media outlet?
I’m not arguing against measuring customer delight.
Lynn wrote about it well yesterday, and I spent two hours yesterday with a client working through how to do it.
In fact, the way we recommend is simple, short, inexpensive, and open-source. You can read about it right here. It’s also the way pretty much every company known for client delight measures it.
We always say you can improve what you measure and reward, but it has to be a true measure. And let’s face it…
Reader’s choice surveys aren’t measures; they’re pageants.
It’s a popularity contest no more accurate at measuring competency and customer delight than winning Popcorn Festival Queen. And hey, lots of people want to be Popcorn Festival Queen… and there’s nothing wrong with that!
Just be clear: When you spend money, time, energy, optimism, and enthusiasm on getting others to vote for you, you’re taking time away from actual efforts that either delight or measure the true delight of your customers.
So, please, I beg you… I know it’s award season, but don’t give into the “vote for me” trappings of inconsequential popularity contests and especially don’t pay your own hard-earned money to do it.
There are so many other effective ways to do it.
Oh! What’s that I hear? That local media outlet started the music to try and get me off the stage.
Guess that’s my cue. Thanks, everyone. You complete me.