The Start/Stop/Continue technique is a simple and effective way to get customers to reflect on their experiences with your company and help you identify areas for improvement or expansion going forward.
The procedure requires no special equipment, training, or knowledge, and you can easily adapt the technique to gain helpful insights into products, services, methods, or processes.
Start
To begin, initiate a conversation with a customer and ask him or her to suggest new products, services, or activities that they would like to see your business offer in the future. Prompt them to think about new ideas, trends, or developments they may be aware of.
Stop
Next, ask the customer to look retrospectively at any problems or unmet needs they may have encountered when dealing with your company in the past. It’s important to ask specifically about any negative behaviors or low standards they observed.
Continue
Finally, ask your respondent to think about the core strengths of your business. Ask them why they do business with your company and encourage them to focus on those aspects that they believe you should continue or even double down on in order to improve future outcomes.
You can use the Start, Stop, Continue technique to get meaningful feedback from both internal and external stakeholders. Because of its simplicity, the S/S/C method is a great tool to use with project teams, small groups and committees, all-staff meetings, and personal performance evaluations, as well as customers.
Want to learn more about how NextVision Sales Institute can help your sales professionals use conversation techniques that gain insights into clients? Visit us at www.NV-SI.com or email us at info@nv-si.com.
