2017: let’s change the Customer-Supplier dynamic
A very happy New Year to you. Over the past few years Customer Value thinking has helped us understand how enterprises need to change to achieve sustainable prosperity. We’ve come a long way, but there’s still a way to go. In 2017, with the help of some philosophy and neuro science, I’m confident we're going to make a quantum leap. The challenge is to change the way we think about Customer-Supplier relationships. If that sounds a little weird, consider this …
The fossilized notion of ‘Customer’
When you were a young child you probably played ‘Shops’, pretending to be either the Customer or the Shopkeeper, giving or receiving pretend money in return for pretend goods. That business simulation translated seamlessly into reality when you handed over real money in return for sweets, drinks, comics and the other essentials of early life. So, by the time you reached maturity, the process of buying things was second nature, and the notion of being a Customer so familiar as to be completely unconsidered. That’s the problem.
It means that when any of us uses the word ‘Customer’ its meaning and implications are taken for granted. It means we assume that everyone has a shared, common definition of ‘Customer’, not only in the literal sense of ‘an acquirer of a good or service’ but also in the underlying behavioural and emotional components that we associate with Customer-Supplier relationships. And it means that, when terms like ‘Customer-centric’ and ‘Customer-driven’ are used, we assume a shared, common understanding of what they mean. But do we?
The notion of ‘Customer’ is so familiar to us, so much an integral and unconsidered part of our lives that we tend to hold a dangerously fixed view of what it means and stands for. The behaviours associated with ‘Customer’ are so long-standing and familiar that we consider them to be autonomic. So, if someone talks about a change to the meaning of ‘Customer’, and a change to the nature of Customer-Supplier relationships, we automatically think that we know what is meant.
The Notion of Customer, however, is not autonomic. Rather, it is a concept and a set of behaviours entirely under conscious control and, therefore, capable of complete re-evaluation and re-design.
Towards a new Customer-Supplier dynamic
This, I suggest, is a key challenge that we all face in 2017 – the analysis necessary to redefine the Customer-Supplier dynamic relevant to the changed circumstances of the 21st century. It’s very exciting, and it’s a team game. Please join in the conversation. Further posts coming up soon: in the meantime, your thoughts and comments are appreciated.
Best wishes, [email protected]
An outcome-focused pragmatist working with U.S and Canada based aftermarket leaders to grow revenue and profits while reducing customer churn
8 年David, an interesting concept but aren't the definitions of many common business terms changing? For example, supplier, customer value, and purpose. In the good old days, the only time we talked about emotions and business when you either got totally screwed or you were totally surprised and delighted. Now we talk about emotion in the same breath as customer satisfaction! In fact, Bruce Temkin (co-founder of CXPA) has decided that 2017 is the "Year of Emotion." I am very interested in seeing where you take this conversation but where ever it goes it will be fascinating!