Strategic B2B: How to be more customer-focused

------=_Part_8451918_1606517101.1688153533154 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_Part_8451919_982201642.1688153533154" ------=_Part_8451919_982201642.1688153533154 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit ============================================================ MarketingProfs StrategicB2B Today Inside: Why is being customer-focused so hard for many companies? Read this issue on the Web. Just follow this link: ============================================================ You received this newsletter at this address ({EMAIL}) as part of your subscription to MarketingProfs.com, or because you subscribed to our newsletter. To ensure that you continue receiving our emails, please add us to your address book or safe list. Manage your mail preferences: If you prefer to no longer receive MarketingProfs StrategicB2B Today, you can always leave this list: Copyright 2000-2023 MarketingProfs LLC. All Rights Reserved. 1985 Riviera Dr, Ste 103-17 | Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 | (866) 557-9625 ------=_Part_8451919_982201642.1688153533154 Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable =20 Why is being customer-= focused so hard for many companies?=20 =20 &nb= sp; = &zw= nj; = &nb= sp; = &zw= nj; = &nb= sp; = &zw= nj; = &nb= sp; = &zw= nj; = =20 =09=09 =20 =09=09=09=20 =20 [3D"MarketingProfs] =20 =20 =20 June 2023 =20 =20 =20 =20 [3D"Your]= d> =20 How to Be More Customer-Focused Marketing "is the whole business seen...from the customer's point of view,"= the legendary management consultant Peter Drucker wrote in his The Pra= ctice of Management. Drucker also noted that profit is not the goal of= business: Profit is a byproduct of organizations' doing a good job of deli= vering what customers want. Those insights should resonate with all CMOs who want to have their marketi= ng teams be more customer-focused. But how do you really become customer-focused? In theory, it's easy. Simply gather and process customer = information, segment, focus on target segments, understand custome= r perceptions, act on customer information, and know when= and how to build customer relationships. So, why is being customer-focused so hard for many companies? It takes time and discipline. It sometimes costs a lot of money. And it req= uires skills to listen carefully to customers. In short, it's hard work. Is there a downside to being more customer-focused? Not really: Customer-fo= cused companies are more likely to retain and attract customers. Now, these days many companies believe that Big Data will give them all the= customer insights they need. But Big Data merely shows behavior—not = motivation, long-term needs, or customers' perception of your company versu= s your competitors. So, for now, forget about Big Data and focus on customers. Here are a coupl= e of ways to get started right now: - Run focus groups. Watch w= hat customers (and even noncustomers) do and do not do. Ask the right quest= ions (e.g., seek out customer "tradeoffs"—which benefits customers ar= e willing to trade for other benefits. For example, do they care more about= price and are willing to trade off performance to get a good price? This a= pproach prevents participants from getting away with using general words= 212;like "value," "quality," and "performance"—when characterizing yo= ur product or service). Have them play with your product and see where they= get stuck.=20 Regularly talking to real customers, face to face, is the easiest way to be= come customer-focused. - Conduct surveys. You can use online survey tools (Surv= eyMonkey, Google Forms, Typeform, etc.) to create simple yet impactful surv= eys. Survey results provide valuable information about your customers' atti= tudes toward your brand, product features, pricing, and overall satisfactio= n levels. As next steps, focus on the following to become—and stay—a cust= omer-focused company. [Read More &= #9658;](3D") =20 =20 =20 =09=09=09=09=09 [3D"Allen] CEO and Positioning Practice Lead, MarketingProfs Professor of Marketing =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 [3D"=] Customer Experience Friday Forum You care about the customers you serve. After all, witho= ut loyal customers, you don't have a successful business. But how do you en= sure a great experience for them at every touchpoint along their journey= 212;so they keep coming back? We've got you covered with three learning-pac= ked sessions. [Check out the se= ssion details and register today ►](3D") =20 =20 =20 =09 =09=09=09 =20 =20 =20 =09=09=09 =20 =20 =20 =20 [3D"Marketing] Marketing Strategy: Benefits, Relationsh= ips, Competitors MarketingProfs CEO Allen Weiss will lead a full-day work= shop at the MarketingProfs B2B Forum on Oct. 4 to lay out the elements of m= arketing strategy that are the very foundations of your marketing and posit= ioning success. =09=09=09=09=09 You'll discover what market you're really in and how to use your brand's be= nefits to shape your marketing strategy; uncover business-essential relatio= nships to pursue and learn how to nurture them; and get practical tools to = analyze competitors (and yourself) when changes occur in the market. [Find out m= ore about the workshop here ►](3D") =20 =20 =20 =09 =09=09=09 =20 =20 =20 =09=09=09 =20 =20 =20 Resources =20 =20 [3D"podcast"] [Chief Customer Offi= cer 2.0: Author Jeanne Bliss on Marketing Smarts](3D"=) [Podcast]= > [3D"Article"] [Four Customer-Centr= icity Best-Practices and Three Customer-Value Metrics for Customer-Relation= ship Success](3D"=) [Article] =20 [3D"article"] [Three Steps to Desi= gning a Customer-Centric Organization](3D"=) [Article] =20 [3D"article"] A four-article series, "Building Profitable Custo= mer-Centric Strategies": - [Identify Strategic Opportunities and Challenges](3D"https://l=) = > - [Focus Innovation and Creativity](3D"https://l=) - [Maximizing Your Profit Potential](3D"https://l=) - [Leading and Managi= ng Performance](3D"=) =09=09=09=09=09 =20 =09=09=09=09=09 =09=09=09=20 =20 =20 =20 =09=09=09 =20 Your Strategic B2B Team Your team for this issue (in alphabetical order): Megan C= ordero, production director; Vahe Habeshian, publications director; Allen W= eiss, MarketingProfs CEO and B2B Positioning Messaging Consulting lead.= d> =20 =09=09=09 =20 =20 =20 [=3D"MarketingProfs"](3D"=) Copyright © 2000–2023 MarketingProfs, LLC All Rig= hts Reserved This email was sent to {EMAIL} as part o= f your MarketingProfs subscription. If you prefer to no longer receiv= e MarketingProfs Strategic B2B Today, you can always [leave this list](3D"). =09=09=09 Did someone who cares about you forward this to you? [Subscribe here](3D=) to get your own copy. MarketingProfs, LLC | 1985 Riviera Dr, Ste 103-17 | Mount Pl= easant, SC 29464 | (866) 557-9625 =20 ------=_Part_8451919_982201642.1688153533154-- ------=_Part_8451918_1606517101.1688153533154--