How your marketing can help you create a customer-centric culture
You care about your customers. Of course you do. You’ve thought deeply about your products and services and how they can truly address your customers’ needs and you’re confident that you’ve created an offering that serves them well.
However, a customer-centric B2B organization isn’t one that focuses solely on the suitability of the end product — it’s one that builds the needs of the customer into the very fabric of the business. It’s a company that cares about the customer’s entire experience and puts the customer front and center from the very first moment of contact and far beyond the moment they’ve closed the sale.
Here’s why creating a customer-centric culture matters.
B2B consumers’ expectations have changed dramatically in recent years. As we all become increasingly used to experiencing 24/7 customer experiences in our B2C purchases, we’ve come to expect the same from B2B purchases. We’ve come to expect more than just the end product — we want the additional value that comes from a smooth purchasing process, organizational expertise, and an overall feeling that we’re really valued as customers.
And making a concerted effort to up your customer experience game pays off in multiple ways. Not only will an efficient, convenient, more enjoyable purchasing journey ensure customer loyalty and referrals, it’ll give your bottom line a boost as people are willing to spend more when a great customer experience is factored into the deal.
How your marketing strategy can help you create a customer-centric culture.
That all sounds great in theory…but what does it look like in practice? As a B2B product or service provider, how do you bring a more customer-centric focus to the work you do?
Your marketing strategy is a great place to start.
Let me show you an example.
I work with a professional services company that delivers complex accounting solutions to fortune 500 companies, and while they had put a lot of thought into the experience they offered their clients, they knew they could be doing more.
Here’s what we introduced:
We created a Customer Advisory Board (CAB) — a dedicated time and space to learn from their clients, to share insights, and gain the information they needed to consistently improve their products and their customer experience.
We increased their customer communication —to ensure customers felt informed and valued.
We created a Customer Referral Bonus Program — because there’s no better advocate for your organization than a happy customer (and it’s always a good idea to reward loyalty!)
We introduced Annual Customer Awards For Each Major Product/Solution Area —
The results? The company saw a huge increase in several of their most critical customer success metrics including:
Increased customer engagement scores
Increased customer lifetime value
Increased customer retention rate
Increased customer satisfaction
Increased net promoter score
3 steps to create a customer first culture in your own organization.
Of course, this is a very specific example. You’ll have to base your own efforts on how you serve your customers, how your organization operates, and what your customers expect from you.
But there are three marketing strategies that will benefit most organizations committed to improving customer experience.
1. Understand the customer journey.
Building a customer-centric culture requires a profound understanding of the customer’s journey, from the moment they encounter your brand to the point where they become engaged, loyal customers. You need to know how they might be feeling at every stage of the process and consistently think about how you can make them feel valued and confident that their needs are going to be met.
Marketing plays a critical role here, from the impression you give on your social content to the experience your website offers your prospective customers.
2. Ensure frequent communication.
Use your social content, your email marketing, and your website to help your customers navigate everyday challenges and to keep them informed about your offers, your business, and your industry.
Be sure not to alienate them with jargon: focus on speaking their language and using terminology that resonates with them.
3. Implement advocacy and engagement programs.
Don’t just talk to your customers when you need to, when you’re trying to sell something or when they’ve encountered a problem.
Show them that you care about their opinion and that you’re committed to constantly improving how you serve them by implementing advocacy and engagement programs. Celebrate your relationship with the people who love what your business does and reward those who act as brand ambassadors. And remember, you’re not just there to listen — you need to act on the information you glean from your clients.
Great customer service and aftercare is just as important as it has always been but for companies who want to thrive, it’s no longer enough. Customer centricity needs to be embedded in every stage of the client’s buying journey and it’s vital that every person in the company is able to see everything they do through the lens of the customer. And, while it might sound like a big ask, the rewards (financial and otherwise) for the companies that decide to create a true customer-centric culture will make it well worth the effort.
Connect with us now to find out how you could start creating a more customer-centric culture in your own organization.