Customer First

Customer First Thinking
Having a ‘Customer First’ approach used to be a business advantage, today it’s a business imperative. So how can we create a culture of customer first in our often, still a fragmented business? 3 core discussion areas include:


I would like this session to be as interactive as possible so please do have a think in advance about challenges and opportunities in relation to the topic and if you want to share and questions or points in advance that would be great. As usual please let me know if you are able to attend so that we understand numbers.

  1.   What does being customer first mean for IQPC? What must we change / innovate to achieve it?

  1.   How can we ensure consistent customer experience across regions? How to align sales approaches, inventory and delivery standards?

  1.   How can we maximise the investment of our Global Clients?

What are the alternatives and would they work for us?

PRODUCT. Apple - what are they....PRODUCT...build the best product..market the hell out of it..make it a lifestyle. Can we do that?

What are utilities? Are they a Product? Are they Customer first? No - they are a necessity. Because people are change resistant most don't feel they have a need to put customer first they are shareholder first. Spend most of their "proposition" monies on new customer acquisition . Can we do that? Answer should be NO - but often its exactly what we are.

What are Wallmart....Ryan Air....(low cost airline)... Car automarts Price First.

Can you think of a customer first business. Carphone warehouse

All business cards had one of a number of phrases on the back

Customer is No 1 in our business

Customer is always right

If you look after your customer, customer will look after you

But what did it mean in practical terms

Customer services. Negotiate. Don't run my business for the 3% dishonest. Run it for the 97% honest

Not really a series of actions...much more a way of thinking

A new phone had come out Nokia 8100 - tiny. silver...hottest phone in existence
Something had gone wrong. Friend of mine. I said

So - where do we behave in other than customer first way?

Sales

Pitchy selling is product & stake holder first

When problems arise

Caviate Emptor

Heres what Ive got heres what it does heres why you should want it

Your needs should fit our product

VALUE is perceived what we SOLVE someones problems OR help them achieve GOALS

Need to first understand them...if not - its chance not plan

Had a complaint from Singapore customer

When rep was selling she was all over the prospect like rash. Once sale done. Completely on missing list

Problems are best opportunity to prove Penny hill park

Pre event calls. Talking to all stakeholders What do THEY need?

Imagine that you consider every interaction to be the prequel to a next interaction

"is how Im handling this interaction making the next one better or worse?"

Does this mean you have to acquiesce to all demands?

Pricing

Terms

Additional things

MUST protect our business so we can be IN business.

We've done untold damage to ourselves through inconsistent product and service delivery across the network.

Geo roll outs

Vendor community is relatively small

Every iteration needs to be best of breed

Talk to your colleagues

encourage production to talk to colleagues

Sales approach is something we as sales managers CAN control. Ive found horrible inconsistencies across the sales channel. One office recently - simply product pitch. Such a shame, letting the whole company down

ensuring that we "diagnose before we proscribe"

hesitate to use phrase "white glove service" for some customers. should be doing this for all. However, our big spenders across the world are especially important

Communication

Managers need to get involved. Ensure your people are talking to their colleagues