This article contains an unedited excerpt from our new book, Leading the Customer-led Revolution, due out on 24 May. We hope you enjoy it!
Who are you? Does your team know?
Do your customers know?
If you’re not clear on who you are, how can you expect your customer to be clear on who you are + what makes you different to everyone else in the marketplace?
+ what about your team? Are they all clear on what you’re about? If they’re not, they could be operating in ways that are counter-productive to you. Moreover, there could be a misalignment between your marketing activity + operational delivery (which never ends well!).
Check out an excerpt from our book, Leading the Customer-led Revolution, where we get into Customer Proposition, unpack what it means + what you need to do to get ahead of the game.
What is a Customer-led Vision?
Your Purpose, Your Values/Principles
[Excerpt from Chapter 27 of our new book]
In our view, traditional marketing is all about ‘tell’. We ‘tell’ customers why they should buy us. Why we’re better than the other options. Why they need us. We tell them. Tell, tell, tell.
While communicating what’s special about us + why customers should choose us is not a bad thing, things have changed a lot in recent years, particularly with the emergence of the internet + user generated content.
We touched on customer trends in Chapter 2 + it’s these trends that are changing the face of marketing + communications. + while some of us would rather things didn’t change, there’s really no choice but to get on board if you want your business to survive + thrive.
The fact is, customers don’t want to be told anymore. They want a conversation.
“It’s not about telling, it’s about connecting.”
No longer is cut through gained by TELLING the loudest or spending the most money on marketing or having the biggest billboard in the biggest cities in the world (Times Square, anyone?).
We’ve been sold for years that billboards, television advertising, superbowl exposure or bus advertising is the answer. These days it’s search engine optimisation, pay-per-click, social media, influencer marketing + all that jazz.
The simple fact remains – if you don’t define who you are + what makes you different to everyone else, the biggest billboard in the world won’t sell you to your ideal customers.
If you want to communicate on anything else but price, then you simply have no choice but to define what makes you different. No one wins the price game. Competing on price is how many markets ended up in the commodotised mess they’re in today.
If you find yourself in the price game, you’ll want to step out of it as soon as you can (easier said than done but stick with us). If you’re not playing in this space, keep right out of it if you want a sustainable, profitable business with longevity + market presence (not to mention your own sanity, mental + physical health).
So if it’s not about price, then what’s it all about?
First, it’s about defining your customer promises + aligning them with your brand promises.
Then, it’s about understanding where you sit against your competitors (more than just product + price), using a perceptual map.
+ finally, it’s about being clear on who you truly are as an organisation so customers are magnetised to you + can engage in a relationship with you.
It’s these three building blocks that enable you to have a clear customer proposition to smash your goals + get ahead of your competition.
This article is an unedited excerpt from the upcoming book from authors Sueanne Carr + Peter Turner (aka the Dynamic Duo of Customer-led Transformation) titled, Leading the Customer-led Revolution, due out May 2023.
Written for courageous leaders who are in charge of or charged with making their organisation truly customer-led, it provides a simple + powerful roadmap to making it happen.
Secure your copy early, signed by the authors, at our pre-purchase page here.
