"To deliver real value, you must innovate around your customers’ needs, not just your product." – Tiffani Bova
Imagine you’re navigating a dense forest, once familiar but now overgrown with fresh vegetation, populated by new fauna and filled with unfamiliar challenges. The path that once literally led you ‘out of the woods’ to the destination you set out to reach is now obscured, and the old map you relied on is no longer accurate.
What would do you do? Wouldn’t you pause, pull out your compass and plot alternative ways to reach your destination?
Can you relate this to your selling experience? With the fast-paced changes in the environment, especially after Covid, the traditional methods Customers used to find and buy value have changed. They progress through a substantial part of the Purchase Journey, without even talking to a Salesperson.
What does that mean to you the Sales Champion? Are you meeting your Customers in places where they are looking for you? Are you delivering value in ways they are preferring to experience it? How can you rechart your course and bring about a shift in creating meaningful Customer Experiences that sell and deliver value? What is your compass, your true north?
Intuitively you know it has to be ‘Customer Centricity’. But, why and how?
In an article headlined, “Forget about the “new normal”: Design something different”, in the Sept 2020 issue of Strategy + Business Thomas A. Stewart and Patricia O’ Connell talk about the virtues of being Customer Centric, redesigning the business strategies in the wake of the Covid pandemic, redefining value proposition and enhancing Customer experience.
But where do we begin? One starting point could be, asking the question as to why Customers should choose us over other players
Why should Customers choose you over competitors?
In Sales, the value proposition is the core message that helps Customers understand the specific value they will receive. It drives differentiation, supports trust-building, and guides sales conversations, all of which are critical for closing deals and maintaining long-term customer relationships. "Redesigning
value delivery” involves identifying new Customer Centric ways to enhance Customer satisfaction, improve efficiency, and create a more compelling Customer experience.
The Customer Centric SPICE Framework: 5 Principles to Enhance Customer Experience
Applying the framework of 5 principles encapsulated in the acronym SPICE ensures companies remain agile, competitive and deliver a compelling Customer experience as well. Here is how it works:
- 1. Segmentation of Customers:
In today’s fast paced and uncertain environments, Customer segments may also experience a shift. Customer needs change fast. Are we missing out on any emerging Customers, whose needs can be met more effectively?
Action Tip: Reassess whether your current segments are still relevant and identify new opportunities with emerging groups. Stay flexible to meet evolving demands for the value you deliver.
- 2. Promise of what’s really deliverable
Consistency is key in times of rapid changes. Customers value reliability more than ever. Customers value consistent, dependable service, especially in uncertain times.
Action Tip: Focus on safety, trust, and meeting expectations rather than overpromising. Deliver on these aspects to build stronger relationships and ensure that Customers feel secure and valued.
Innovation drives companies through any change. Each interaction with the Customer is an opportunity to innovate. Every touch point needs to offer something new, which is more efficient and personalised. Relevance is key.
Action tip: To keep the innovation engine running all the time, streamline services, improve digital interactions, ensure smarter service delivery and more adaptive product offerings. Companies that innovate at every stage of the Customer journey, to stay relevant to Customer needs, get ahead of the curve.
- 4. Coherence of experience
As businesses shift to digital and hybrid models, they may end up fragmenting Customer experience without intending to do so. Has the speed of change disrupted the seamless interaction you have always had with your Customers? Customers should feel that they are receiving the same level of attention and care, regardless of the platform.
Action tip: Ensure a coherent Customer experience, whether the purchase or service encounter is in-person, online, or a combination of both. This is critical to retaining loyalty. Consistency is critical to guarantee that Customers value the experience they have with your product or service
- 5. Efficiency - A baseline expectation:
Efficiency coupled with speed is a baseline expectation of any Customer. Customers expect businesses to meet their needs swiftly and effectively.
Action tip: This could call for the following actions: (i) Refine operations, (ii) Improve response times, and (iii) Ensure that Customer interactions are smooth and hassle-free. Efficient processes allow companies to respond quickly to Customer demands while maintaining high standards of Customer experience
What Does All of this Mean for Businesses?
In a world of rapid change, the key to success is redesigning value delivery to keep pace with shifting Customer Expectations.
As the authors sum it up: “You might find that your company has new ‘right customers’: People or companies that have changed in ways that could benefit you, if you can design ways to connect with them.” How can you be agile enough to change your way through ever changing forest terrain? You can if you never lose sight of your true north – Customer Centricity.
The article “Forget about the “new normal”: Design something different” by Thomas A. Stewart and Patricia O’Connell featured in the Sept 14, 2020 issue of Strategy + Business can be accessed here
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Author Information
Thomas A. Stewart is chief knowledge officer of AchieveNEXT.
Patricia O’Connell is president of Aerten Consulting, a New York City–based firm that works with companies to devise content strategies and develop thought leadership for top management.
