Stratégie Marketing

The conclusions from our research in the latter half of 2008 identified that brand-driven service strategies produced the most profitable growth. We discovered that customers base their choices predominantly on relationship values. Examples are the trust a customer places in the service provider, or the image of being the market leader for customer service. One might argue these are fairly abstract concepts.

Did you ever ask yourself why customers buy with you and not with you competitors? If this question is asked to managers then most of them will answer that they threat their customers in a special way that results in an increased involvement of customers in services and products. This is contradictory with recent research which shows that companies invest in the development and efficiency improvement of products. The improvement of the relationship with the customer gets less attention. New products and services often do not succeed or become hardly profitable. When a product turns out to be successful, in no time it is copied by the competitors, and the ability to differentiate has vanished. Understanding how customers use a product or service is even important as offering better products against lower prices.

Innovation during contact with customers and the way in which the relationship with the customer is developed can result in a much bigger competitive advantage. Understanding and becoming part of the business processes of the customer results in the opportunity to deliver high value services. Innovative services are hard to copy because the competition doesn’t know how the service provider delivers the service.

The phrase - “Put yourself in the Customer’s shoes” – is often heard in sales meetings as a way to sell more effectively. Knowing the needs of your customers and fulfilling them, more and more efficiently, should enhance the relationship from that of 'vendor' to 'long-term partner'.

There has been a lot of hype around the introduction of the concept of Customer Relationship Management CRM with much discussion and opinion.
What is CRM, and how is it defined? One could define CRM as the mastering of all marketing, campaign management, sales and service functions through the use of technology to provide an holistic approach to customer needs and thereby fully satisfy them more effectively and more efficiently.

The attitude of business towards service has changed and become an area of considerable importance for boardrooms, as they see this as an opportunity to extend their reach and develop their customer base, taking advantage of their position before competitors erode it. The strategic business requirements of after-sales service are efficiency, effectiveness to maintain satisfied customers. The performance bar continues to be raised by ever more demanding customers forcing companies to transform their “service-toprofit” supply chain into a “customer-centric service business”. They must take advantage of the software tools available, and view their after sales operation as a competitive differentiator.

Many customers presume they know what product or service they require, quite often anticipating failure and thus over-demand to avoid a potential problem. Creating trust with the client is necessary to get the customer on side to expect and receive the service that they really require, at the optimum cost.

Strategies are changing to embrace Internet-based technologies as part of a holistic customer relationship strategy that allows the business to service the customer at every point of contact throughout the entire enterprise from product development, sales and marketing to service and support. This is suggested by the fact that the disciplines associated with e-Business continue to converge with those disciplines associated with Customer Relationship Management (CRM).

Why it is important that the CRM and Service Strategy come together

The importance of a coherent Service Strategy is now a significant factor in achieving success and the role of the service director has a greater importance and influence as the critical relevance of customer care to the success of businesses has been more readily accepted by the Board. The extended enterprise concept effectively means adapting every aspect of the business to the realities of customer dominance.

Thousands of companies are investing millions of pounds in technology to help them enable their customer relationship management (CRM) strategy. Why?

Surely the essential thinking behind CRM is well-known: by mastering marketing, campaign management, sales and service functions through the use of technology, a company takes an holistic approach to customer needs and can thereby fully satisfy them more effectively and more efficiently. But how does one know if it is achieving that goal?

Quote (Anon) - If you are not taking score you are still practising

Investment in, and implementation of, customer-focused systems has been regarded by some businesses as a way of leap-frogging the competition and gaining significant competitive advantage and differentiation. In recent years, however, some companies following this path have reported disappointing results, principally because customer relationships processes have not fully permeated the entire organisation; they are traditionally the preserve of the sales and marketing functions.