Don’t make assumptions.

In customer onboarding, we often go into the process with just a few bullet points from sales. It’s fair to say that we make assumptions based on the sales handover information or similar clients in their industry.

But assumptions can be dangerous. It can lead to headaches all round as the customer struggles to implement your product.

Aside from improving the handover, there is a way to make the experience better for you and the customer.

The key is to ask more questions to understand the expectations and needs of the customer in onboarding. (And it’s not that much effort!)

This week we're going to look at a 3-step project to remove any chance of Confirmation Bias.

Let’s. Get. Into. It. ↓

🧠 The Theory: Confirmation Bias

Confirmation bias is our brain's way of playing favourites with information. It’s about recalling that information in a way that supports previous beliefs or values.

This mental shortcut makes us feel good, but it can lead us astray. We end up seeing what we want to see, not necessarily what's really there. As the name suggests, it forms a bias.

The danger of confirmation bias is that it can skew your thinking. You may miss out on new perspectives.

Let me give an example of where this went wrong for a company…

👀 The Example: Blackberry

Do you remember BlackBerry phones?

Back when their competitors were launching and improving touchscreen devices… they made the decision to continue focusing on physical keyboards for their smartphones.

The company's leadership believed their core business customers preferred physical keyboards. They interpreted any positive feedback as confirmation of this belief.

This confirmation bias led them to overlook the broader market shift towards touchscreen smartphones. This fateful decision led to BlackBerry's significant loss of market share to competitors like Apple and Samsung.

The result? Blackberry no longer manufacture phones. 😬

🧪 The Project: 5 Whys Kick Off

We’re aiming to remove confirmation bias and get to the root causes of your customer’s problems early on. This gives you a massive advantage in Customer Onboarding.

Step 1: Get prepared

Before you get on a kick off call with your customer, get your ducks in a row. Have an internal call with the sales rep. Review the handover documents. Identify key goals and challenges already discussed.

Flag any potential biases that you want to clarify. Make note of specific questions you can build on with the customer.

Step 2: Set the scene

Set expectations for the call with the customer. Highlight that you have reviewed information passed on from the sales rep. This sets the tone that you don’t need them to repeat it. BUT go on to explain that you want to deep dive into their needs, beyond just surface-level goals.

Reassure them that this will enable you to work best as a partnership to help them smash their targets as quickly as possible.

Use active listening techniques 🎦. Paraphrase responses to ensure understanding before moving on.

Step 3: The 5 Whys

The 5 Whys is the practice of asking “why” repeatedly. This is used when a problem is encountered. In our case, it would be a reason for purchasing your product, or a problem they are trying to solve by using the product. It allows you to get beyond the obvious symptoms to discover the root cause.

• Start with the stated goal: "You said your goal is X. Why is that important to you?"

• Listen carefully and record the answer

• For each response, ask "And why is that important?" or "Why does that matter?"

• Continue this process five times, or until you reach a root cause

• Use neutral language and avoid leading questions

• Be prepared to diverge if multiple reasons are given

Example

Initial problem: Low user engagement

Root cause: No ability to create in-app messaging due to lack of process and cross department collaboration.

Actions: Facilitate change management as part of onboarding. Invite the Product stakeholders to the onboarding experience to learn more.

🤓 The Analysis:

I love this project. It has so many uses across any interaction with your customers (and colleagues!)

Avoid falling into the Blackberry trap of assuming you know what the problems and preferences are for your customer. This technique will even help your customer figure out some root causes they may not realise they have.

What to expect when you use this:

• Improved client relationship & satisfaction

• More effective and tailored onboarding experience

• Deeper understanding of client needs (and no surprises)