Serial Killers & Customer obsession.

Reading time: 4 mins.

Customer obsession and serial killers - what's the connection?

For most enterprises, customer obsession is a widely accepted business philosophy. Its considered the highest form of customer centricity -to be customer-obsessed. We exist because of our customers, not the other way around isn't it? Its not what you want to sell, but what they want to buy! CEOs announce it at every forum, Sales leaders drill it into the sales team and Managers mouth it at every business review. 

Customers want , vendors deliver. Simple isn't it? But there is competition. So you go the extra-mile to innovate. Innovation gets you closer to the customer need, but something is still missing. It's this need, to find the missing link to be the perfect solution, that forms the genesis of customer obsession.

Simply put, customer obsession means anything and everything you do revolves around your customer, at all costs, human or non-human. Obsession demands a trade off isn't it?

What's your cost of obsession?

Permanent obsession and temporary customer.

For the customer you are a vendor. Period. If you don't provide, someone else will. If you don't fit, some other will. So the best bet is to make the most of the only chance you get.

To do that, you need know your customer better than your customers next best alternative. You research what they want fundamentally, what their problems are to get that done, who they trust and why? Map their decision making pattern and process, search and identify key people so that you know exactly what to do. There is no room for a second chance. So you watch them closely, analyse their business, customise your plan, wait for the right time and then, go for the kill. Right?

Well, so do serial killers, no?

They obsess. They stalk. They have a maniacal obsession with their target. They trick them into their den and then, kill them. Last checked, we don't like serial killers, do we? Then why plot a strategy that mirrors their modus operandi?

So how do we map a customer without being serial-killerish? 

To understand, we need to slice and dice customer obsession.

In pursuit of serving the customer, the risk is being subservient or merely an order fulfilment agent. Often this approach loses sight of what you have and or can execute in reality. The distance between what is available versus what is possible is often miscalculated in pursuit of greater results. While reaching for excellence is the desired path, it may also have side-effects. Collateral damage if you will.

The obvious one is the mental burnout many employees feel in pursuit of this promised land. The less obvious is the impact on the customers business.

There are instances where vendors give everything the customer wants, even if they did not need it. Overselling. Under utilised software or licenses is a great example. It costs the company money. But there's more. For example it may inadvertently lead the customer into deeper chaos by not advising on the right timing, right-sizing, or right fitment. You are too busy selling so you forget customer partnering. And in doing so, you become less of a partner/trusted advisor(the much-abused word now) and become the server at all costs. Costs that cost you future business. 

It happens partly because most of your customers are in the late majority in the diffusion curve, and partly because they don't trust your value-added ability. So they focus on the next best tangible alternative - the best price. 

"We are hard negotiators," they say, and your conversation spirals into how much discount you offer. You need to earn trust first. Trust comes from being aware of what you can deliver as promised.

Earning their trust may test quarter results, but deliver the fiscal!

You need to earn trust first.

Side note begins

Internally you still need to meet the forecast. After all, you are answerable to  "steak-holders." To compound the matters your sales team believes if you want revenue, the only way is to offer massive discounts. It begs the question: what are you selling then? You may even digest the oily bheja-fry early morning, but to listen to the gurgling mastication on the forecast call is unbearable.

Consequently, inefficiencies creep into the system 360 degrees. It bubbles up at half-baked meetings, silly email exchanges, death by presentations, shocking delivery, failed demos, and other epic fail customer-facing scenarios. 

When you investigate, the team responds defensively, "Why pretend when customers do the same?" They've made up their minds before we say hello. You had me at Chalo gesturing at the door. Mathu's Law.

"Keep the "English" aside, lets us talk "Math"!

With gloves off, the conversation reduces to nails scratching bones. They scratch, and we watch until there is no flesh left. You resign to the noise and intelligently, let out periodic affirmative head wobbles and utter noises which sound like ~ hmm, sure sir, okay, will do and many derivatives of the same sentiment. Then pray for the ordeal to get over, before moving on to the next customer knowing fully well, that there is no option to skip to the good part.

Yet if you continue to follow this diet, there are side effects. The mental well-being of the team is jeopardized. 

Your offer of Chianti and Fava beans, to appease, is gulped down with Thumsup!

And those used to Thumsup don't get the fuss about Chianti anyway. Instant noodles and gas-emitting thumsup are the only cuisines they find palatable. Paying more money without solving the base problem, is the problem.

Well-paid but unhappy minds seldom produce sustainable excellence. 

And you scratch the table with your fork - what's wrong with their cutlery? Why don't they get it? Good money should increase the pain-bearing threshold and tolerance to nonsense, no? It should keep them quiet. But it doesn't.

Side note ends

So, what do you do to address this customer obsession then?

First, call it as positive customer engagement. 

Then define it. What constitutes a good job? What is good customer engagement holistically? Can your resources deliver? Are they aligned? What are the risks? How do you draw the line on raising the bar without compromising quality of service or delivery, human or non-human?

The best way to generate a positive customer engagement is to deliver a sustainable quality of service to your customers which in turn helps their business be sustainable in the long run. 

It is more than a syntax change. It is more sustainable than being maniacal and obsessive. It is short of being unreasonably obsessive, yet providing the highest form of sustainable efficiency.  

We now have a workforce that does not work well under duress. Attribute it to economic progress and development leading to less struggle as compared to previous generations. Think GenX vs. Genz. They work better when not under pressure. It begins with you giving the team space and time to breathe.

It consolidates when you provide the best atmosphere for people and it delivers when you ensure you are authentic in your interactions. Over time this sets up a team culture which then translates to customer interactions at all levels. They in turn start to be more authentic with customers.

As a result, customers begin to differentiate you from the competition. You begin the journey to be "outstanding" by standing out. The efficiencies increase in people, processes, and technology and you see a direct impact in higher revenues and C-SAT scores. The attrition levels are lower than ever before and all of this adds up to a great fiscal year. However being highly efficient with your customer is not a limited-time project, it is a way of life. 

You can't sprint a marathon.

Sustenance happens if it is organic. Consistency happens if it is rooted in core belief systems and brilliance stems from passion to deliver the right solution to the customer even if it means selling less.

So the next time your customer asks you to quote the lowest-rock bottom price, tell them, while you may want a low price, we want to raise the bar, what can I do to help?

Bon Sell it!

--

AB

#work #people #leader #mentalhealth

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