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We Know Our Technology, But Do We Know Our Customers?
Sounds like a strange question, but you would be surprised to learn how many companies implement new CRM technology without first considering the question “Do we know our customers? All of them?”.
A clear understanding of a company’s customers by all involved
in a new technology initiative is absolutely critical to success or failure when
embarking on new implementation projects.
To this end, it is important that cross-functional teams of business, sales, customer
supply chain and IT are put together to ensure business strategies and customers'
needs are well defined.
The first step is to properly define the customer. A common mistake in B2B is to only
consider the customer as the purchasing manager, when in fact most companies interact
with many more people across the customer’s organization.
All customers have specific needs. Before investing in technologies to serve different
kinds of customers, it's imperative that you have a clear understanding of their
individual requirements. What IT system do they use? What language do they speak?
Many companies also make the mistake of organizing their business in terms of how they
bring their products or services to their customers. The problem with that approach is
that you could lose sight of the customer's perspective. You may have the most
leading-edge technology available, but if it's easier for customers to do business
with one of your competitors, chances are they won't stay with you for long.
Before planning a new technology initiative, leaders from business strategy, customer
supply chain and IT teams need to map out every kind of contact customers can have
with your organization.
Although this exercise may sound simplistic, in practice it is a very complex
undertaking. The customer touch point map details how all-individual customers within a
company, from purchasing professionals to administrative assistants, interact with
you. For example, customers might contact a sales representative, call a customer
service centre, accept a delivery from one of our drivers, or order products online or
via fax. In essence, you will create an outside-in view of your processes.
It is important that IT staff participate in this touch point-mapping exercise because
it gives them valuable insights into how your customers use your technology, both
directly and indirectly. That will help them focus on the specific technologies that
would improve service to your customers and reject those that are not right for your
goals.
Once the IT department has a comprehensive understanding of how customers interact
with your company, it can play a pivotal role in developing and executing business
strategies. Cross-functional teams outline the specific customer needs, then determine
the technology strategies that will bring the best possible solutions to the customer.
Next you need to minimize the effect of the transition on your customers. IT and
business development teams should outline all of the steps of the change over and how
they could potentially affect customers. Don't lose sight of your customers during
this critical stage - your initiative will not be a success if you inconvenience them!
Finally, adapting a customer-focused approach to technology in most companies requires
a cultural change. IT is often viewed as a department that supports all of the other
functions of a company. Unless the entire company is committed to viewing its systems
from the customers' perspective, IT will continuously be asked to support projects
that meet the short-sighted goals of internal departments!
Customer Service Managers must lead by example and push for a customer focus on every
project. If a proposed plan isn't right for your customers, don't do it. Speak up and
send your IT team back to the drawing board to come up with a solution that will work.
Your customers and your business will reward you in the long run!
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