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Focus On Everything
by Steve Vaught
 It was an annual ritual at the medical supply company at which I was employed in the late '90s: strategic planning. This particular meeting was lead with great enthusiasm by the Vice President of Sales.
"Next year is going to be different!" he declared. "We will really be focusing our sales efforts in the next twelve months."
A wave of anticipation rippled through the room by a sales team anxious for leadership and direction. After an awkward pause, a confident voice inquired, "That sounds great, Brady. What are we going to focus on?"
With steely-eyed sincerity he scanned the crowd, speaking slowly to as to emphasize the importance of...
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Brand Challenge:
Who are your customers?
A lot of attention is placed on the products and services you offer customers. However, the choice of the right customer is more important. You can't match products/services to customers until you know who the customers are!
It is often assumed the management team knows and agrees on who the "must-have" customer is - that is a costly mistake.
Challenge: Pose the following questions to see if your organization is all "on the same page":
•Ask your team for whom they are designing and delivering your products/services. How specific are their answers? The more abstract the customer, the more waste you find in Operations.
•Ask your managers how they allocate time and resources. How does their knowledge of customer relevancy play in making these decisions? When
Operations is foggy regarding the customer, expect loss of focus from your leadership team.
•Ask your customers if your company is delivering relevant products, services and solutions to them. When customers don't feel like the focus of your business, they have no reason to stick with your brand.
Stop wasting your valuable resources and hoping your are doing the right things for the right people. Agree upon your must-have customers and align your organization around delivering relevance to them.
Ask the Rabbit
Q: Why is it imperative everyone in my organization knows and focuses on our Sweet-Spot Customer?
A: Customers are what make your organization go - they are the reason you are in business.
Business leaders understand this but often assume everyone in their organization knows who their Sweet-Spot is and values them as much as they do. This assumption is WRONG.
Having worked with hundreds of business leaders, we have witnessed how easy it is for them to fall into this trap. Organizations must intentionally communicate who their customers are to everyone within the company. It is only through this top to bottom alignment that organizations can focus their resources on reaching that must-have customer and delivering excellent customer experiences. |
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