Originally published 26 June 2009. This article is retained from the tCI archive. Law, policy or practice may have changed since publication.
A little-known piece of American research recently prompted the Hewson Group to write a thoughtful piece about the way organisations handle the early days of a commercial relationship. Ironic really, given current events, but this is all based on analysing the pattern of customer acquisition and loss by American Banks! It emerges that they lose 30% of new customers for checking accounts within the first twelve months; the mobile phone industry can tell a similar tale.
Pity the salesman or saleswoman! All their efforts to sign up new customers squandered as forces beyond their control – or certainly after their event - intervene. The upside is that this is simultaneously the best time in the customer life-cycle for cross-selling other products and services. Whichever way you look at it, this initial period seems critical, and the evidence is that quite a lot of organisations are pretty poor at managing it. Now apply the principle to the world of public engagement. Hazel Blears’ Empowerment agenda pre-supposes that the time is right to engage with many people who have hitherto stayed outside the traditional mechanisms of community dialogue. We are not talking about the 2% to 5% who are already active citizens. Neither are we talking about the 60%+ who just want a quiet life. Our focus is on the 30%-40% who might become involved – given the right stimulus.
Public bodies work hard to engage with such individuals; they are exhorted to come to meetings, volunteer for focus groups, respond to questionnaires or maybe join the Citizens Panel. It is not easy; there are many distractions and deep scepticism. Participation has a poor reputation; the pubs are hardly full with folk talking about the quality of the experience.
Yet we are fortunate to engage with increasing numbers – due, in part, to the ingenuity of those who have devised ever-more imaginative ways to hold dialogues with all kinds of stakeholders. What the Banking analogy teaches us, however, is to watch that first phase of involvement very carefully. How good an experience has it been? Was it time well spent? Did it appear to have a genuine purpose? Can participants identify with a clear outcome?
Managing the period of initial contact proactively can produce real benefits, but has to be done with care. If citizens feel that too much is expected of them, they may withdraw from the process. If organisations that are new to consultation are given a warm welcome, guidance and helpful assistance, there is every chance they will stay the course and contribute. In both cases, the quality of dialogue reflects the quality of the relationship.
The Government wants Councils to promote local democracy more vigorously. The Bill now starting its Parliamentary journey will oblige them to publicise the various ways in which citizens can become involved in all the various services that are locally delivered. So we go beyond mere election as a Councillor – though there is a chronic need for new blood there anyway – to less direct forms of representation with the police or the NHS.
But when she volunteers for such a role, what welcome awaits her? And what will his first 100 days on such-and-such a Committee be like? If we are to achieve a step-function increase in the numbers of those who take part in consultative or decision-making structures, there needs to be greater attention to easing the rites of passage, making them more accessible, and reducing the “cliquey” establishment nature of some local institutions.
If the Banking analogy holds good, the first period of involvement also has possibilities to encourage participants to widen the range of their activities, so what better time to impress upon them the importance of civic participation... and to make it fun.
Trigger points
- Try calculating the “turnover” of newly-engaged citizens or stakeholders
- If you don't already have a copy of the Institute Briefing Paper 15 on the Local Democracy, Economic Development & Construction Bill.
- A copy of Nick Hewson’s research paper on Onboarding and The First 90 Days, Intelligent Dialogue and Inchoate Markets.
- Consider attending the Institute’s highly-relevant roundtable event in London this week – Cost-effective public engagement in challenging times.
This is the 127th Tuesday Topic; a full list of subjects covered is available for Institute members and is a valuable resource covering so many aspects of consultation and engagement