What is the definition of insanity?

Doing the same thing over and over expecting a differnt outcome

In business we use the same procedures without the controls in place to measure the success. The insanity is expecting the same techniques to deliver a different outcome. This is true in almost all areas of our businesses and when challenged we get the response “we have always done it that way” but that does not mean that it will work this time.

How many times have you cut a paste a response to an RFQ because the overall service request is the same? Every customer is different and understanding the customer needs can differentiate your business from your competitors. Purchasing techniques have driven a price buying culture which undermines the benefits your solutions can bring and ultimately the better solution may be over looked in favour of lower prices. Ultimately the lower price option provides less value and at worst does not deliver the executives strategic goal undermining the overall success of the project and deliverables.

How many times have we missed a deal because we were the most expensive? We didn’t lose the deal because of price we lost the deal because we didn’t demonstrate the value it would bring to the customer and the return on investment the solution could achieve.

How many times have you ignored the efficiency of an operational process? We all get caught up in the numbers of widgets going out the door on time without asking if there is a better leaner way to achieve the same result with lower cost. Again “we have always done it that way and it works” but could it work better? Ultimately providing the customer with a better service and potentially lower costs in the process.

So how do we change?

It starts at the top and with senior management buy in to a different methodology and a culture change in the business to adopt a new approach.

Put yourselves in the customer’s shoes

Ask your customer what is important to the success of their business and understand what they actually need from any solution. You can only do this if you understand the ultimate decision maker’s strategic goals so listen to what you are being told and don’t be afraid in asking the questions that will give you the answers.

What is the overall goal to be achieved?

What value would this provide if it were to be achieved?

Who wins if the deal is to go ahead?

Who needs to be involved in the process?

What is the impact to the ultimate customer?

What improvements are needed?

Only then can you be sure that the solution you present will achieve the decision maker’s goals and make their business successful. In doing so you will ensure that you are seen more as a resource to aid their business in future than a supplier of one service or product.

You become a strategic partner whom the decision maker will turn to when they need a new solution to the latest issue and understanding their needs puts you in a better place to propose the right value add solution.

So the definition of insanity is doing the same thing whilst expecting a different outcome. Not all of our customers are the same and in fact just because they are in the same sector with similar end users does not make them the same. In turn our solutions have to meet the customer’s needs and not our interpretation of what we think they need.