So far, I’ve received 6 letters in the mail from SiriusXM (and many more emails) because my new car has a SiriusXM capable radio. First they begged me to start a free trial that came with my new car. I did not do this. Then they warned me that the trial would soon be over. Then they started begging me to subscribe even though my trial had expired. Not once did they offer me any explanation of what, how, or why I might want SiriusXM.
Previously, I have written that many product managers unwittingly take the approach that only customers smart enough to understand their technology should be allowed to buy it. Something else seems to be going on with SiriusXM. It seems like they believe if you just try it, you’ll love it. It reminds of some of the most challenging video games. There’s very little instruction or explanation. Part of the fun is figuring things out on your own.
One huge problem with this approach is that it’s leaving a lot of money on the table. There are many, many video games collecting dust on shelves. One of my good friends once said, “If a game gets too complicated or confusing, I just stop playing it.”
True, true.
But when it comes to revenue and customer satisfaction, I don’t believe this is a good approach.
So far, I haven’t received any communication from SiriusXM asking me why I didn’t take them up on the free trial.
I wonder how prevalent this approach is? Many companies offer free versions of their software, but I wonder if they follow-up with people who don’t take them up on their offer to ask why? (Or, if the customer abandons the free trail, do they follow up to ask why?)