VOC ensures that you have done your ground work before taking a plunge in to product development which cost time, money and resources. VOC program can be done for a variety of reason and at multiple points in product development process, but as product manager you should have objectives clearly defined, else the results could be disastrous. Most early level VOC is done to validate the hypotheses and identify audience. What differentiate a great product manager from a good one is the capability to identify the customer need and articulate it in a clear problem statement. Early stage VOC helps you identify a customer segment and gauge their NEEDS to define a crisp problem statement. In early stage of product Working directly with your target customers not only gives you information about their preferences an behaviors but also gives you insights in to your competition. This know-how will be more valuable than reading the manuals of your competitors product or run a quick benchmarking in a lab environment. You can also run VOC program to segment the available marketing and identify different marketing strategies for each target segment. One of the crucial step in VOC at this stage is to identify the FEATURES and FACTORS that will make your product THE BEST alternative to your competition.

1. Understanding
Customers [VOC]
RAHUL ARORA

2. Agenda
Concept of VOC
Different approaches to VOC
Tools and techniques to collect, process and analyze VOC data
2

3. Target Audience
Product Managers
Engineers
Entrepreneurs
Anybody who is interested in product development process
3

4. Tata Ace
4
• Mini truck to provide last
mile connectivity
• Takes on established 3
wheeler market
• Cost & Load factor
• Perceived prestige of the
owner

5. Low Cost ECG
5
• Portable & Cost effective
ECG for developing world
• Off the shelf components
• Usability

6. Tata Nano
6
• Perfect example of frugal
engineering
• Why drive 2 wheeler when
you can afford a car
• 31 Design & 37 technology
patents

7. Whirlpool Whitemagic
7
• Design and develop a new
line of fully automated
washing machines to meet
the needs of the Indian
market.
• Analyzed Ergonomic and
Maintainability of Washing
Machines for Indian Market

8. Air Deccan
8
• Fulfilled the dreams of
flying for the middle class
• Innovations for
Reach, Cost, Timeliness etc.

9. Your Verdict
9
Pass / Fail Pass / Fail Pass / Fail Pass / Fail Pass / Fail

10. Why do products fail
10
TechnicalProblems
TimetoMarket
RuthlessCompetition
Burnvs.Earn
GotoMarketStrategies
ProductQuality
InadequateMarketUnderstanding

11. * Image credit KenMiller Group
Understanding Customers !!!!
11

12. Understanding Customers !!!!
12
18-32 Year Old
Working, Independent, male/female, staying in a
metro city, earning 5 figure salary, having Rs x/-
disposable income. Drives a fancy car, Owns a iPhone
and iPad …
Blah blah blah.

13. Emotional Motor Behavioral Psychological
Customer Needs
13
UNSTATED NEEDS
STATED NEEDS

14. Decision Cycle
14
Needs - Benefit - Value

15. Why do VOC
Test the hypotheses
Customer segment
Competition
Target audience
Product validation
15

16. Where does it fit?
16
Ideation
Planning
Development
Test
Launch
Maintenance

17. Tactical
Short term performance & issue driven
Conducted with select few customers
Focus on individual quality matrix by
scorecards
Improves customer relationship
17
Sales
Social
Page
Views
Customer
Care Data
Customer
Survey
CSAT

18. Strategic
Customers as well as non-customers
Cross functional
Understands customer priorities
Oriented towards generating higher value and
clear economic benefits
Primarily done while introducing new products
18
Product
Developme
nt
Quality
Customer
Care
Manageme
nt
Marketing

19. Introspect Before VOC
What business are you in?
What problems are you trying to solve?
How will you make money?
19

20. Let’s Talk About Customers
How does your customer spend/make money?
How does your offering helps them save/make more money?
How does your customer make buying decision?
Do you know the decision tree in your customer’s organization?
What are key trade-offs in your customers purchase decisions?
Do you know short, mid and long term objectives of your customer’s business?
20

21. Ideation
Planning
VoC Objectives
Best time to start VOC process
Explore maximum amount of information about your prospective customers
Try to understand your customer pain points
Understand how your customer make money
Understand market and competitive forces that may impact the business
Create quick ideas that offers best value for money as compare to your next best
alternative
Identify the CTQ
21
Cont…

22. VoC Objectives
Quickly prototype ideas using cost effective ways
Solicit feedback and customer perception about products
Understand customers willingness to pay and trade-offs
Validate, validate, validate
Drop whatever seems irrelevant or customers show indifference
22
Cont…
Develop
Test

23. VoC Objectives
Continue feedback loops
Integrate customer insights to position and placement of product
Keep an eye on competition for continually evaluate value proposition
23
Launch
Maintenance

24. Output Based VOC process
VOC Charter
• Develop
Hypotheses
• Define Goals
• Identify Team
• Define Timeline
• Set the process
right
Preparation
• Identify target
audience across
value chain
• No Box-checking
• Role-play
Conduct VOC
• Ask as many why’s
• Open ended
discussions
• Understand
situation, problems
, implications and
needs
Synthesize
• Analyze data
scientifically
• Identify
segments, strategie
s critical needs
24

25. S P I N
SITUATION PROBLEM IMPLICATION NEEDS
Approach
25

26. Situation Problem Implications Needs
Segment 1 Seg 2 Seg 3
• Collect Facts
• Ask only essential
questions
• Have some pointers
ready to get
customers started
• Ask for point of
dissatisfaction with
current approaches
• General difficulties
• Probe for
consequences of
problems
• Point of
dissatisfaction
- - • Focus the
prospect’s
attention on the
solution
• Uncover the
benefits that they
are looking for
• Probe Probe Probe
Spin Template
26

27. Prioritizing Needs (QFD)
27
Feature1
Feature2
Feature3
Customer Needs Average
customer
Ranking
Need 1 6 4 7 0
Need 2 3 10 4 7
Score 14 11 7
Requirement Ranking 1 2 3
Rating Scale for Customer Needs
Most Important - 9
Highly Desirable - 6
Nice to Have - 3
I don’t Care – 1
Need/Feature Relationship
Direct - 10
Strong Influence - 7
Weak Influence - 4
No Influence - 0

28. On a Scale of Jack to Steve
YOU BETTER
BE HERE
28

29. 29
@bizodyssey
@rahula