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	Discuss: Findings -- the network's thinking, aggregated Topic: How customers are learning to be different (in ways we'd better understand)

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michaelhopkins

FM Editor

Member Since:
06 Dec 2005
Posts:82

12 Dec 2005 3:15 PM

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[BETA-PERIOD CAVEAT: The "findings" posted at launch are only representations of the kind of content that eventually will appear in this space. They're derived mostly from results and verbatims in the FM Trend Survey. When FutureMonitor is out of beta, they'll be the product of discussion and debate (and objective assessment)--the tests that ideas will be subjected to before being posted as conclusive.]

THE ENTITLED CUSTOMER
New relationships required

Two customer-related themes emerged from the FM Trend Survey, both pointing toward a coming reckoning day for the relationship between customers and companies. One was the observation that maturing technologies have given customers unprecedented access to information—including information that enables them to rigorously evaluate a company and its offerings (thank the internet for this, due to the access it provides to information and the access it provides to fellow customers who objectively—and ruthlessly—discuss the merits or demerits of what they buy). The other is the notion that some businesses remain very bad at serving customers while others—usually the ones capitalizing on how technology can facilitate relationships that provide customers with real value—are getting very good. The gap is widening, and it may not be long before companies bad at meeting new customer expectations will struggle to survive.

Here are some comments from the survey. What trend will be important?

“Truly customizing marketing, sales and especially service to existing customers.”

“Hyperinformation, which will begin to radically transform business. Look for strong changes in traditional businesses. Everything sold will have RFIDs and other sensors that keep sending at the point of use. Most malfunctions on high price items will be both self-correcting and self-reporting (manufacturers will change production in real time in response to the failure information). Despite privacy concerns, people will continue to buy the items because of the convenience.”

“Business’s need to pay more attention to customers, and allow customers a greater role in evaluating and even orginating new ideas.”

“Truly customizing marketing, sales and especially service to existing customers.”

Hogenson

Member Since:
11 May 2006
Posts:2

11 May 2006 8:39 PM

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There is a developing literature on what military planners have called "power to the edge" that relates to the asymmetries developing in markets as well as in combat. One of the best people on the subject is Philip Boxer--Google for his web site and blog--in the UK. This is a critical topic for business.

EngFear

Member Since:
05 May 2006
Posts:12

12 May 2006 5:50 AM

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Asymmetric Threats: Some interesting work by Dave Snowden (with the US government) states that terrorists, consumers, citizens & employees are formally the same from the persective of strategic understanding by companies/governments...

chrismeyer

Member Since:
20 Dec 2005
Posts:33

18 May 2006 6:45 AM

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I heard a presentation today by a Unilever executive of a two day workshop spent jointly by him and his colleagues and representatives of thier customers (store chains, not consumers.) He reported important breakthroughs and generation of great good will. The surprise to me was that this to his knowledge the first time it had been tried.

Customer-created content is clearly a huge trend in the consumer world right now, but there has not yet been an upsurge in the B2B equivalent--but this is a strong candidate for something executives will be doing a lot two years from now, since a few leaders (I think P&G may be years ahead on this) are already making this a regular practice.

EngFear

Member Since:
05 May 2006
Posts:12

19 May 2006 4:18 AM

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You'd expect customer contact for B2B companies to be quite regular. But I guess it depends:
- How numerous & dispersed your customers are?
- How far up the organisational food chain you are.

As a rule of thumb, everybody in your organisation (esp. those back office folks) should meet a customer (i.e. someone who pays for what you do) at least once a quarter.

I suspect this idea would terrify many organisations.

Tho a recent study on tech buying behaviour states: "In general, input from the vendor’s lead sales executive and value-added resellers was prejudicial to decision success, whereas input from technical specialists at the vendor was neutral or positive."

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