When I first started my career, my focus was on crushing competition. In fact, the whole organization was focused on that. While that was a driving force, it also came with a negative attitude and constant stress about what others were doing. Then, when leading my first turnaround, we shifted the focus to understanding customers’ needs and exceeding their expectations. After years of losses and declining sales, we restored growth and profitability within the first year. What a powerful lesson that was for me and so many others!
While it is important to be aware of competition so that you can differentiate what you do, the strongest driver is to simply serve your customers. If you do, they will respond by becoming more loyal and providing you with more of their business. If you continue to exceed their expectations, customers can become raving fans and turn into your strongest salespeople. This instills a positive purpose and winning energy in the organization, which propels employees to find new ways to serve customers. After having worked with dozens and dozens of clients, I have seen this play out many times.
Many others have experienced the same power of focusing on customers. Consider the case of Amazon. Jeff Bezos famously said, “We’re not competitor-obsessed, we’re customer-obsessed. We start with what the customer needs, and we work backwards.” This relentless focus on customer experience has transformed Amazon from a small online bookstore into one of the world's most successful companies.
Another prime example is Apple. The company’s success is rooted in its commitment to innovation and user experience. By continuously developing products that not only meet but exceed customer expectations, Apple has built a cult-like following and consistently outperformed its competitors. Their approach to deeply understanding and addressing customer needs has led to iconic products like the iPhone and MacBook, setting industry standards and achieving unparalleled customer loyalty.
At the end of the day, while keeping an eye on your competition is important, the key to sustained growth lies in becoming a customer-centric organization. By prioritizing your customers; needs and striving to exceed their expectations, you can build a loyal customer base and drive long-term success. We encourage you to leverage these insights to create a strategy that not only sets you apart from competitors but also resonates deeply with your customers.
If you would like to start on this journey yourself, feel free to reach out to us. We’d be more than happy to provide advice or support you on your mission to create a customer-centric strategy that propels your business to new heights!
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