My position as thought leader in business development allows me to also play futurist. As I look into the good fortunes that lie ahead in 2011, there are a few trends that my clients, senior officers and sales leaders need to be aware.
Here are some ideas to be aware of in the New Year. As you read ahead see if you see your organization making some changes based on them.
1. Customer Experience – As organizations continue to take on the numerous competitors it becomes increasingly important to remain close to clients. With the influence of customer-to-customer relationships, organizations must involve clients in new product development. Customers manifesting their loyalty will provide competitive differentiation.
2. Customer Service – There is not enough service minded organizations. There is a large cultural shift from profitability to service orientation. However, doing so provides brand cache. Exemplars here include Apple, Zappos and numerous others. The focus on service enables each to increase brand loyalty.
3. Sales Talent – During the recession many organizations missed their sales goals. Albeit some sales groups missed targets due to volatile economic issues, however after 28 years in this business recessions help separate the professionals from the wannabes. Sales leaders will be forced to look at staff for their talent. In the past too many were hired for behavior and this leads to poor hiring.
4. Using Knowledge Networks – During the last ten years many organizations have heavily invested in CRM, customer relationship management. However, with the plethora of information stored not many have really reviewed the content and used the valuable embedded information. The New Year will require the need to turn the vast of amounts of data into useful knowledge to better serve customers.
5. Expertise – Organizations will begin to hire subject matter experts rather than well rounded business professionals. As the need for productivity increases organizations will require individuals with specific knowledge to get them back on track.
6. The need to listen – Social media has become very influential to brands and will continue to do so. Senior leaders will need to listen to some of the cacophony to determine what customers are really saying. Many organizations have begun to do so and more will follow.
7. Fact from Fiction – Leaders will require more stringent sales reporting. Good economic times led to some leniency. Moving into the New Year selling professionals need to better gauge pipelines and competitive losses.
Are you ready to accelerate into the New Year? At the beginning of the New Year we are ready to launch new services, new value and a new look. Please return soon.
What things do you see in your future in the New Year? Please share what you learned in the comments below.
