Keep More in 2014: Rethink Customer Service

To differentiate in a crowded market requires a unique approach. We must rethink and reposition our approach to how we interact and support customers. More importantly we have to think beyond simply “servicing” our customers and focus on providing a unique, distinct and highly valuable “Customer Experience” that is managed carefully for consistency.

To create a distinct customer experience requires an approach that engages the customer to maximize the perceived value of the experience. Here are 3 distinct approaches to formulating a distinct customer experience:

1. Solicit the customer: Survey’s are outdated. Today Sales and Marketing must have ongoing intimate and targeted conversations with customers (both existing and prospective) throughout the selling process. It is only by having conversations that incorporate predetermined, specific questions can customer value truly be understood and quantified.

2. Customer’s define value: Customers determine what is valuable to them, that is the greater the value the greater the willingness to invest. What do your customers value? Examples might include Time, Price, Knowledge, Capacity, or any combination thereof.

3. Focus on needs not wants: Everyone knows that the want to have, but can’t necessarily define exactly what they need. Early in my career I sold cars and consistently met customers who “wanted” to reduce their consumption of fuel, yet when faced with the very real transition from a full size car to a compact car, fuel consumption became less of a concern. What do your customer’s truly need that will enhance their business performance and maximize value to their customers?

The right approach to defining customer value helps us to formulate a distinct customer experience that maximizes customer value. In the next “Keep More in 2014” post I will elaborate on how to take this information and build your distinct customer experience.

Stay tuned!

© Shawn Casemore 2014. All rights reserved.