Customer relationship management has been around for decades but many companies still are struggling with its application. It took a step backward about five years ago when company CEOs decided to get involved and embrace it as a potentially winning strategy. But if you really want to find out what customers need and want, you start developing a program with the people who really talk to the customers: sales, customer service, distribution, warehouse and shipping.
When I started my sales career with 3M Company decades ago, a session in our initial training was to be sure we understood how to "paint word-pictures" for each customer so that customers would see themselves enjoying the use of the product. Being a rookie, I asked, "Well, how will I know what they're interested in?"
Good question.
Starbucks figured it out. They hire for a mindset and primarily focus their efforts on simply hiring the right people. They feel they can only build a brand image with consistency.
Southwest Airlines got the picture. Its CEO feels that you have to recruit people who love people. He says that it is so difficult to train people to interact, that they look for communication skills before any other personal characteristic.
CRM is about asking questions and listening to answers to find out what customers want. Joe Pine, author of Mass Customization says it best: “Fundamentally, customers don’t want choices. They just want exactly what they want. Your job is to help them figure out what it is they want, because often they don’t know or can’t articulate it.”
People talking to people. That's how you start a CRM program. In the future, let’s talk about how to put this into practice.
Tom Richards is president of 1 on 1 strategies inc in Santa Fe. He has been a customer communications and guest satisfaction consultant for 27 years.
Very insightful Mr. Richards. I look forward to reading future blogs. I have always felt that your opinions and thoughts were very beneficial to increasing my business's growth. thanks again
Posted by: Judson | April 23, 2007 at 05:27 PM