Page 18 - AeM_Oct_2018

BEST PRACTICES & STRATEGIES

Why customer focus is becoming

more important

Importance of customer-centricity continues to Against the background of progressive digitization,
grow explosively in the digital world companies are facing ever new challenges in shaping
their customer relationships, especially since business
There is general agreement on the importance of is made between people - even in the digital age. But
customer relations for the creation of value and the digitization is changing everything. As a result,
success of companies. At trade fairs, events, or everything that drives companies away from their
whenever companies present themselves to the general customers today, anything that slows them down,
public, it is repeated in a mantra that the customer is catapults them out of the market, and that even faster
king and comes first. Customer focus is the central than you can imagine.
theme. But why do customers feel so little about all
these statements? Why do they often still not have the The actual product is more and more often only part of
status in the everyday life of companies they deserve? the entire offer. Overall, dialogue and exchange with
the company over the entire purchasing process is
The answer is simple: all these companies are still becoming increasingly important. Depending on how
product-oriented and not, as they want to believe, they experience and perceive it, they quickly decide for
customer-oriented. In reality, they are so busy with their or against a deal. Relevant for the decision are criteria
targets, monthly and quarterly goals, with the such as e.g. 'simple, transparent or accessible', which
development of new products and their planned they apply not only to the selection of the product but
quantities, that they lose sight of their customers. Some also to the entire dialogue with the company (on- and
companies are so busy with themselves and their offline processes).
processes that they even find the customer to be a
nuisance. The standard of aspiration is set higher and higher for
one simple reason: Things are expected from providers
Only when they see it as important, the customers come in the professional environment that have been
back into the game: For instance, when there is a poor experienced as pleasant in a private environment. The
order situation, when the self-imposed monthly target is boundaries between private and professional
in danger, or when a new product is ready and they experience are clearly merging in different industries
expect a wave of excitement from the customers. and topics.

However, this form of customer orientation is working Today's customer is open to new things, if companies
ever worse and the situation won’t improve in today’s make it easy for them to get excited about them.
growing digital world.
Providers simply can’t get around the fact that
An excellent product alone is no longer enough customer focus means thinking like, guiding and
implementing the customer. ◊

By Daniela La Marca

18 October 2018 - Personalized & Customer-Centric Content Marketing