Research studies have confirmed that customer centricity significantly impacts business success (e.g., Harvard, McKinsey, University of St. Gallen, Walker).
Indeed customer centricity is a global approach that all company departments must adapt to, which imposes a particular way of organizing the company and management style. Product orientation, which offers the same product for all markets, is fundamentally opposed to it. Customer centricity promotes a culture of treating customers with respect. This improves the customer experience and increases customer satisfaction.
Today, customers are experimenting with new relational and operational models that are changing their expectations. Moreover, they want more speed, fluidity, and personalization. Only a few B2B companies have implemented a strategy focused on customer centricity. Also, we will develop the points for successfully implementing customer focus to improve your results.
It implements a practical approach that includes the involvement of all the company’s employees, managers, and operational staff. Then, it is also compulsory to have a common objective; to satisfy customers’ expectations.
In the company, four departments have an impact on customer orientation:
- General management
- Middle management
- The employees
- The customer
Internal viewpoint
Within the company, customer orientation must be a common desire. It can be achieved through group training but also solid internal communication.
Knowing how to listen to your customers
Customers are essential assets for the development of various offers and strategies. Listening to customers by conducting satisfaction surveys is an important point. Then you can meet customers’ expectations and build and maintain a special relationship with them by listening. Valued customers are satisfied customers.
Two main factors in customer culture
1. The values of each employee
Generally, empathetic employees are naturally customer-centric. If not, they are easy to convince. Through workshops and training days, employees must be aware of customer culture’s importance. The role of middle management is to act as a link between employees and management.
2. Values promoted by the organization
Identically to the employee’s natural values, there are values communicated by management and shared at all levels. Companies must value their employees for these values to permeate and be shared. In return, these employees treat their customers well. This phenomenon is called attentional symmetry.
Tips for improving your customer-centricity
Additionally, companies use personas and fictitious people who represent typical customers to improve customer focus. Team members who can attend meetings to guide the strategy better embody this.
To conclude
A customer-centric culture is good for business. It helps you better target your customers, understand your market, reduce churn, and increase sales. The time has come for B2B companies to bring their customer-centric programs to the forefront.
Katrium is here to help your company to improve its customer centricity.