Are you customer oriented? Not really
We all know the importance of our customers. They are our daily challenge, our monthly goal, they eventually pay our bills and more.
So not surprisingly, heeps of books and articles tout the importance of being close to them.
If your operation is a B2B, then you probably have lot's of stats that makes you feel you know how they perform, what they like, and if they have potential for growth.
But as a top manager, do you really know them? Test yourself with these two simple questions:
1. How many of your LinkedIn contacts are customers ?
a. 10% or less: You say customers are important but you don't live by it. Wake up!
b. Between 10 and 30%: Customers form a substantial part of your business life but the real test comes in question 2.
c. More than 30%: you are very connected to your customers, go to question 2 to see if you can claim to be close to them.
2. How much of your time do you spend (physically) with your customers?
a. Once a year or less: You have absolutely no idea of what's on their mind, and have to rely on reports from your field managers. You're disconnected!
b. Once a quarter: You are regularly in contact with your customers and can claim to know the most important ones. You have the ability to analyse their basic needs, and can discuss customer related issues with your team based on your own opinion.
c. Once a month: In spite of being in a leadership role, you have not forgotten who drives your business. You know all the customers representing a major part of your business. Based on your discussions with them, you are capable of capturing trends in the market, and can adapt your strategy accordingly. You are ahead of your competitors, and capable of establishing your company as a preferred supplier to your customers.
Sounds familiar? Yes, just like we know that, say daily exercise is crucial to staying away from the Doctor's office. How many of us are exercising daily? Very few, but just as carving out time in your packed agenda for an informal meeting with a customer, finding 5 minutes to exercise in the morning is not a question of capacity, but a question of will.
So now it's up to you!