Roger.E.Eller wrote:
Chipp Walters <chipp at chipp.com> wrote:
All that said, looking back, I've found these type of decisions were
made best not in a vaccuum, but with the help of trusted advisors. At
Human Code we had a board of directors, which met each quarter and
frequently offered different and valuable advice utilizing other's
experiences and perspectives, which helped me as CEO, make good
decisions.
...
I fully agree with this approach. It makes for a win/win situation for
both the company as well as the established customer base. As a matter of
fact, our company utilizes a certain high-end system that is
internationally respected in the industry. Each year, a group of end-users
and management attends an event which allows us direct access to the
developers of our chosen system. The users sit down and voice their
concerns, problems, bugs, feature requests, etc. to the entire group of
developers and leaders of this company. We even vote on what is most
important, and user opinion actually carries more weight than anything
else. After all, the customer is always right. It's like bugzilla, but
without the clunky interface, and you leave the event knowing that your
votes and input have made a real difference in the direction of the
product.
Bugzilla's useful in a very broad way, but I agree there's no substitute
for direct interaction.
This practice isn't limited to high-end products: nearly every vendor
I've worked with, both bigger and smaller than RunRev, has some sort of
advisory board comprised of key customers with a demonstrated stake in
the product's growth.
I've been doing this myself with each of the products I manage,
hand-picking about a dozen power users and providing a venue for candid
feedback. Not all of it's flattering, and I like it that way: flattery
feels good, but it's less instructive than good criticism.
I actively encourage all of my customers to email, or even call my
toll-free number, and feel free to gripe to their heart's content. Some
of them express surprise at my receptivity, but I tell them it's really
the only way I can truly understand how others rely on my products.
Since I started this practice sales are up, support costs are waaaay
below industry averages, and my forum is filled with generally
appreciative and happy comments as people see the product moving in a
direction consistent with their needs.
--
Richard Gaskin
Fourth World Media Corporation
Developer of WebMerge: Publish any database on any Web site
___________________________________________________________
[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.FourthWorld.com
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