B2B companies are realizing that the real rockbed of building enduring customer relationships lies in the perception customers hold of value. Value is increasingly not in the product but in the services \u2013 paid and free \u2013 that sellers provide. While still a controversial concept, this realization is prompting many B2B companies to revisit their customer journey maps to ensure they value, as defined by their customers, is delivered at every step.<\/p>\n
Yet, value is in the eye of the beholder. As customers define what value is and is not, they\u2019ll also admit there is no one definition. The definition changes along the relationship lifecycle. Value in the pre-purchase stage helps the buyer make informed decisions that achieve their target outcomes. Post-purchase, when the product has been used for a while, value centers on information, access experts and customers, and resources that are not commonly available to the public and help the customer address broader business issues. This shifting definition of value shouldn\u2019t be lost on anybody looking to become customer-aligned.<\/p>\n
While many companies view customer-alignment as a necessary change forced upon them, \u201cit\u2019s actually an opportunity to raise the bar in their markets,\u201d says Jamie Anderson<\/a>, Global Vice President of Customer Engagement & Commerce, SAP<\/a>. Value delivery along with process alignment and culture are key parts of operationalizing the customer-alignment transformation. \u201cValue is becoming the new credit\/debit of the customer trust bank,\u201d stresses Anderson.<\/p>\n A company\u2019s ability to deliver customer-defined value is closely tied to its company culture; another topic that keeps coming up in the customer experience discussion. It comes down to who is responsible for turning customer understanding into action? It\u2019s not technology, management or strategy; it\u2019s your employees. We\u2019ve all heard the saying \u201chappy employees lead to happy customers\u201d.<\/p>\n Why is a healthy workplace key to customer loyalty?<\/p>\n For employees to own the customer relationship they need to understand how they fit into the whole engagement expectation equation. Don\u2019t assume they will \u2018figure it out\u2019; they lack the perspective and information to do that. Leaders<\/a> need to help all employees, not just those on the front-line, connect the dots between their jobs and how their performance is measured with customer journey steps and customer expectations.<\/p>\n If employees feel they are valued, enabled and set up for success, they will routinely go the extra mile to help customers realize value, achieve their desired outcome and have the experience they want. Employee enablement is a key success factor in customer-alignment yet that depends wholly on the organization\u2019s culture.<\/p>\n According to Ken Klein<\/a>, CEO of Tintri<\/a>, a smart storage technology provider, \u201cthere has to be congruency between how you treat your employees and how you treat customers. Employees should be treated like customers.\u201d If their customers are successful, Tintri believes it will be successful.<\/p>\n It goes beyond posters, free gourmet lunches and cheerleader company meetings, for Klein it means modeling the behavior you want employees to emulate. \u201cIt\u2019s not in what you say but how your actions demonstrate your values,\u201d shares Klein. \u201cIt means explaining to employees about how they act directly impacts customer and the company\u2019s success.\u201d<\/p>\n