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Customer Letter Technique

Customer Letter Technique ApWYw
It's so tempting for product teams to immediately slip into an enumeration of all the features they plan to build, with little real thought into the actual benefits for our customers. This technique is intended to counter that and to keep the team focused on the outcome, not the output. The actual reader of this press release is the product team, related or impacted teams, and leadership. It's a terrific evangelism technique —if people don't see the value after reading the press release, then the product manager has more work to do, or perhaps should reconsider the effort. Some people also consider this a demand‐validation technique (if you can't get your team excited, maybe it's not worth doing). It's only validating demand or value with your colleagues rather than with real customers, however, so I think of it primarily as a framing technique. In any case, Walker Lockhart, a former long‐time Amazonian who joined Nordstrom a couple of years ago, shared with me a variation of this technique that was developed and refined at Nordstrom. The idea is that rather than communicate the benefits in a press release format, you describe them in the format of a customer letter written from the hypothetical perspective of one of your product's well‐defined user or customer personas. The letter—sent to the CEO from a very happy and impressed customer—explains why he or she is so happy and grateful for the new product or redesign. The customer describes how it has changed or improved his or her life. The letter also includes an imagined congratulatory response from the CEO to the product team explaining how this has helped the business. I hope you can see that this customer letter variation is very similar to Amazon's imagined press release, and it is intended to drive much the same type of thinking. A press release version includes a customer quote as well. I like this customer letter variation even better than the press release style for a couple of reasons. First, the press release format is a bit dated. The press release doesn't play the role it used to in our
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It's
This phrase/word is too simple and can be replaced with:
so
tempting for
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product
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teams
to immediately slip into an enumeration of all the features they plan to build, with
This phrase/word is too simple and can be replaced with:
little
real
This phrase/word (depending on the context) can be potentially replaced with :
thought
into the actual benefits for our
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customers
. This
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technique
is intended
to counter that and to
This phrase/word (depending on the context) can be potentially replaced with :
keep
the
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team
focused on the outcome, not the output.

The actual reader of this
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press
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release
is the
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product
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team
, related or impacted
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teams
, and leadership.
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It's
a terrific evangelism
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technique
—if
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people
don't
This phrase/word (depending on the context) can be potentially replaced with :
see
the value after reading the
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press
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release
, then the
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product
manager has more work to do, or perhaps should reconsider the effort.

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Some
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people
also
consider this a
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demand‐validation
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technique
(if you can't
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get
your
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team
excited, maybe
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it's
not worth doing).
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It's
This phrase/word (depending on the context) can be potentially replaced with :
only
validating demand or value with your colleagues
rather
than with real
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customers
,
however
,
This phrase/word is too simple and can be replaced with:
so
I
This phrase/word (depending on the context) can be potentially replaced with :
think
of it
primarily
as a framing technique.

In any case, Walker Lockhart, a former
Possible spelling mistake found.
long‐time
Amazonian who
This phrase/word (depending on the context) can be potentially replaced with :
joined
Nordstrom a couple of years ago, shared with me a variation of this
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technique
that
was developed
and refined at Nordstrom.

The
This phrase/word (depending on the context) can be potentially replaced with :
idea
is that
rather
than communicate the benefits in a
You use this word too often, consider replacing it with
press
You use this word too often, consider replacing it with
release
format, you
This phrase/word (depending on the context) can be potentially replaced with :
describe
them in the format of a
You use this word too often, consider replacing it with
customer
You use this word too often, consider replacing it with
letter
written from the hypothetical perspective of one of your product's
Possible spelling mistake found.
well‐defined
user or
You use this word too often, consider replacing it with
customer
personas.

The letter—
This phrase/word (depending on the context) can be potentially replaced with :
sent
to the CEO from a
This phrase/word is too simple and can be replaced with:
very
happy and impressed customer—
This phrase/word (depending on the context) can be potentially replaced with :
explains
why he or she is
This phrase/word is too simple and can be replaced with:
so
happy and grateful for the new
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product
or redesign.
Three successive sentences begin with the same word. Consider rewording the sentence or use a thesaurus to find a synonym.
The
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customer
This phrase/word (depending on the context) can be potentially replaced with :
describes
how it has
This phrase/word (depending on the context) can be potentially replaced with :
changed
or
This phrase/word (depending on the context) can be potentially replaced with :
improved
This phrase/word is too simple and can be replaced with:
his or her
life.
Three successive sentences begin with the same word. Consider rewording the sentence or use a thesaurus to find a synonym.
The
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letter
also
includes an imagined congratulatory response from the CEO to the
You use this word too often, consider replacing it with
product
You use this word too often, consider replacing it with
team
explaining how this has
This phrase/word (depending on the context) can be potentially replaced with :
helped
the business.

I hope you can
This phrase/word (depending on the context) can be potentially replaced with :
see
that this
You use this word too often, consider replacing it with
customer
You use this word too often, consider replacing it with
letter
variation is
This phrase/word is too simple and can be replaced with:
very
similar to Amazon's imagined
You use this word too often, consider replacing it with
press
You use this word too often, consider replacing it with
release
, and it
is intended
to drive much the same type of thinking. A
You use this word too often, consider replacing it with
press
You use this word too often, consider replacing it with
release
version includes a
You use this word too often, consider replacing it with
customer
quote
as well
. I like this
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customer
You use this word too often, consider replacing it with
letter
variation even better than the
You use this word too often, consider replacing it with
press
You use this word too often, consider replacing it with
release
style for a couple of reasons.
First
, the
You use this word too often, consider replacing it with
press
You use this word too often, consider replacing it with
release
format is a bit dated. The
You use this word too often, consider replacing it with
press
You use this word too often, consider replacing it with
release
doesn't play the role it
This phrase/word (depending on the context) can be potentially replaced with :
used
to in
Please add a punctuation mark at the end of paragraph
our
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IELTS letter Customer Letter Technique

Letter
  American English
7 paragraphs
354 words
6.0
Overall Band Score
Coherence and Cohesion: 6.5
  • Structure your answers in logical paragraphs
  • ?
    One main idea per paragraph
  • ?
    Include an introduction and conclusion
  • ?
    Support main points with an explanation and then an example
  • Use cohesive linking words accurately and appropriately
  • ?
    Vary your linking phrases using synonyms
Lexical Resource: 5.0
  • Try to vary your vocabulary using accurate synonyms
  • Use less common question specific words that accurately convey meaning
  • Check your work for spelling and word formation mistakes
Grammatical Range: 6.5
  • Use a variety of complex and simple sentences
  • Check your writing for errors
Task Achievement: 5.0
  • Answer all parts of the question
  • ?
    Present relevant ideas
  • Fully explain these ideas
  • ?
    Support ideas with relevant, specific examples
Labels Descriptions
  • ?
    Currently is not available
  • Meet the criteria
  • Doesn't meet the criteria
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