Markets and customers:
If you were your own customer...?
"Believe nothing just because a so-called
wise person said it.
Believe nothing just because a belief is generally held.
Believe nothing just because it is said in ancient books.
Believe nothing just because it is said to be of divine origin.
Believe nothing just because someone else believes it.
Believe only what you yourself test and judge to be true"
Buddha (paraphrased)
The issue...
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Markets and customers are fickle things. Many organisations
focus on what they want to deliver or think their customers
want. Yet when they test it, they find it is not what
they want. On the other hand, listening to what "The
focus group" says, can stifle creativity as well as inform.
-
How do we really plug into the markets' and customers' thinking.
How do we step into their shoes and think as they, or even our
customer's customers think. How do we develop our staff
to think "as if they were our customers"? And
if they did what would it reveal?
Help with this issue... Our service means that...
-
You will have a far clearer view of the various markets, players
in those markets, their perspectives and their perspective of
you and your competition. Therefore you will be better
positioned to talk with the market, gather information and listen
to what they are saying. To influence them and work with
them to mutual benefit. As one client put it, "I
used to think we were schizoid and inconsistent until I understood
the complexity of channels and players we were dealing with."
-
As a result you will be better positioned to make marketing
decisions and investments, focus your attention on what matters
to them and ensure you deliver it.
-
You can then work closer with your customers, so they appreciate
you even more. Wouldn't that be rewarding?
How we help you...
-
Whether you have all the data already or you need some specific
information gathering, we can help you by explicitly taking
your customers' perspective. Asking, as a customer, "What
is in it for me?" "What am I after?"
"Why this organisation/service/product?"
-
In doing this we will really test your understanding of your
customers, the groups of different customers, the chain of supply
and demand, their individual needs and ultimately where you
fit in.
-
We will also help you develop much sharper customer information
that tells you in advance how your customers feel about you,
which in turn gives you early warning down both the R&D
and marketing pipelines.
-
In summary we will help you to improve your service to your
customers and therefore your bottom line.
Other External influences
on strategy
Back to Strategic Planning
Strategic Learning
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