Customers, Connections & Delivery

Understand problems, tell stories & execute.

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It’s not enough anymore. Standard solutions. Conventional advertising. Top-down execution. The good news is that “more” isn’t needed — just a change in perspective.

Intimacy With Customers

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The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well the product or service fit him and sells itself.

~Peter Drucker

Delivering great products today means having intimate knowledge of your customer. Like any good relationship, you acquire this knowledge by spending time with someone.

So, how much quality time are you spending with your customers? If you’re spending more time in the office than in the market with your customer, you’re going to miss critical requirements. Get out there.

If you’re not actively engaging the market, the information you’re receiving might be from the “noisy” 20%. These are vocal customers that make their problems known. Are you searching out the silent 80%? They comprise of customers that accept a product because it’s “good enough” or move on without complaint if the product isn’t right. Without their input, your product prioritization will be inaccurate. Seek out the silent majority.

Understand the different levels in the value chain and the needs of each.

Vendor → Distributor → Seller → Buyer → User

Your product may solve the customer’s problems, but how do they access your solution? In B2B transactions, where buyers and users are separate, how have you made the product accessible for buyers? Solve problems for everyone in the value chain.

Connect With Customers

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People do not buy goods & services. They buy relations, stories & magic.

~Seth Godin

Bombarded with ad after ad, we’re increasingly immune to advertising. However, we’ll never be immune to great stories, and we’re built for connection.

Great product teams don’t just understand the core problems users face; they also understand the core stories user tells themselves. Marcom can then craft product stories that connect with a user’s personal story associating the brand with a person’s identity.

Coke has been very good at this over the years. Apple and Tesla are modern examples of great products with great stories and connections.

Source: Coca-Cola

Delivering For Customers

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Ideas are shit. Execution is the game.

~Gary Vaynerchuck

A fast-changing world demands continuous impeccable execution. Aristotle said, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Similarly, in companies, execution is a habit that ultimately stems from a company culture that draws out the best in people. Strong cultures share the following characteristics:

Management

Serve and empower the team. Act as coaches instead of star players. Looks out for the organization as a whole instead of personal interests.

Attitude

Once a minimum education level is met, attitude and learning are far more important than any textbook knowledge.

Ownership

Individuals have clear responsibilities and take ownership.

Distributed

Decision making & execution is not dependent on key performers. Team members are empowered.

Systems

There are two extremes here: (1) No systems in place, which result in the company not having a collective memory. (2) Excessive systems in place which result in people working to serve the system. Company processes systemize past learning and best practices creating a collective memory along with good habits. These are instrumental in creating and supporting high performing teams.

Conclusion

Get to really know your customer as might know a spouse or close friend. Integrate your marketing with their world through stories that create connections. Execute by building a culture that brings out the best in people.