Data Overload? Time to Align with Customer Reality

Do you see missed opportunities, strained relationships, sometimes frustration and wasted resources? Is it possible that complexity has taken over the world of B2B business?

Companies sometimes seem inundated with processes, tools, and meetings. Yet many still struggle to truly align with their customers. How many of these are internally focused, create very limited customer value. Nevertheless, they are used to drive growth or were even installed for internal control or justification?

Too often companies rely on internal views and assumptions. It can be unhealthy to try to drive success only with processes, tools, and these data.

None of this can replace the value of customer reality and alignment. Give your customers space to express their challenges and goals. Pushing products and solutions without truly understanding the customer's needs and aligning on where to go together is more than risky.

It also requires an already overburdened sales force to spend more time searching for, consolidating, and reporting on information and data. This leaves even less time for thinking, course correcting, and spending more time with their customers.

Is there an avoidance or even fear of having real open conversations with your customers? Why? Only honesty will lead you to do the right thing in the first place.

Success in B2B relationships depends on those conversations and true alignment. It's about asking your customers the tough questions, encouraging and being ready for honest answers. It's about agreeing on what needs to be done and what can be left behind, instead of pushing forward with only half sight, stronger and more often.

This behavior requires a change in mindset. It requires a focus on the processes and information that really helps transform relationships, increase business, innovations, funnels, cross sell, hit rates, etc. Done right, it will be a multiplier for everything you do after that.

Try to remove the complexity and focus on the basics and the things that add value to your sales and your customers. Start by jointly defining, developing and communicating your customer relationships. What both sides should invest, how you work together, the rules of engagement.

Start to co-create value, work as ONE company. Clear strategies or account plans, based on the customers reality and developed together, will make the difference. Think about it!

What are your thoughts? Thanks for sharing.