This is the sixth of a series of interviews with CEOs that were included in a book I wrote in late 2010 called RARE Business. It was a collection of thoughts, ideas and strategies to help businesses ‘build better relationships with their customers and their people’. You can pick up an electronic copy of the book for free by clicking on the SECOND button down in the left hand column or by clicking here.
The interviews were included to supplement my own thoughts and experience and add richness, depth and context. In the interviews, I asked them what they have done to drive their business’ success, customer focus and how they have built their employee and customer engagement.
The last interview in the series was with Jim Prior, CEO of The Partners and is featured in Focusing on customer loyalty has allowed us to fundamentally change our business model.
This time round it is the turn of David Chapple of Bostock and Pollitt to share his insights.
Bostock and Pollitt founded in 1987, is a branding, design and digital agency that specialises in B2B communications. With around 30 employees, they provide brand strategy and identity, reporting (financial and corporate responsibility), graphics and on-line (primarily design of corporate websites, intranets, interactive presentations etc) services for a wide range of clients ranging from BT and Macmillan through to Shire Pharmaceuticals and World Gold Council.
David Chapple, Bostock and Pollitt’s CEO, shared some insights about what has made his business so successful in retaining customers, building a great team and driving repeat business and growth.
David also shared some insights on what he believes they do that has helped them build a truly customer-focused business and team. Here are some of his insights:
- Business is often personal. Often move business relationships onto a semi-personal footing
- Delight and over deliver at all times. Endeavour to delight all the time and over-deliver when we can.
- The RoI of developing trust. Personal engagement develops loyalty and trust. Clients are also more willing to share the real issues and accept an offer of help, leading to additional work.
- Be careful of over dependency. Client dependency. It has led to an over-dependency on an individual or Client company which has backfired. It is important to spread relationships outside of one or two key individuals and keep asking yourself ‘what if this company was taken over or went bust?’
- The relationship is more than the project. We operate in a project based industry and so an important way of growing is to work to ensure clients keep returning when they have another project. Over time we have managed to develop a number of key clients who spend regularly and keep coming back.
This is another great example of an established business that is leading its industry, empowering its team and delivering value for its customers.
Can you learn anything from their approach?
Thanks to cambodia4kidsorg for the image.
