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Customer Partnership Involving Customers in the Creation and Refinement of Products and Services |
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By Vadim Kotelnikov, Founder, Ten3 BUSINESS e-COACH – Innovation Unlimited, 1000ventures.com
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"Think of the company-client relationship as a partnership rather than two "ships" passing in the night." – Arthur Andersen |
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8 Best Practices of Successful Companies Customer Partnership Defined "Customer partnership is a shared journey to create a future for both parties that is better than either could have developed alone."1 The customer influences every aspect of your business and is the foundation of your organization's success. In today's turbulent times of rapid and chaotic change, "no force is more grounding and stabilizing than a partnership with customers."1 The term 'customer partnership' we take not so much in its legal definition of co-ownership but rather in its sense of sharing in benefits, profits and losses of your company. Customer partnership is more than "putting customers first", or finding mutually satisfactory solutions to shared problems, or a dedication to excellence in every sale or service encounter. It also requires commitment to forging long-term relationships that create synergies of knowledge, security, and adaptability for both parties. Why Customer Partnership?
Fierce competition today forces companies to become much more
creative and
Case in Point BMW In partnership with its customers and external innovators, BMW is constantly seeking to discover new technologies and design features to put into future cars. To harvest the insights of creative minds outside the BMW Group, the firm's Virtual Innovation Agency (VIA) is the point of contact for all external innovators who do not as yet have contacts within the firm. VIA makes it easy for car fans to communicate their ideas through its web-site, with additional online discussions that solicit ideas from enthusiasts around the world. IDEO's Innovation Practice Tips
The Role of Corporate Leaders Because only corporate leaders have the ability to significantly change an organization, design radically new value innovation strategies and deploy the resources required to pursue boldly big opportunities, it is imperative that people at the top be in regular and direct contact with customers. Case in Point GE Involve customers, urged Jack Welch. Quality program is aimed at enhancing satisfaction of your customers. Find out what customers want. Involve them to participate in your work, to drive it, to "manage your enterprise." Become an Irresistible Sales Communicator Synergistic communications takes the sales process beyond building relationships to building partnership. The goal is to create a "we" space – where differences are valued and used as stepping stones to create true win-win outcome... More
Two Basic Ways to Compete and Prosper in Any Market... Three Common Traits of Marketplace Champions... Rules for Creating Customer Partnerships... Increasing Customer Value-added through Virtual Integration... Customer Intimacy... Listening To You Customers... Coaching Your Customers... Value Innovation... Involving Your Customers in New Product Development... Mutual Creativity In Your Business Environment... Case in Point Dell Computer Corporation... Case in Point Nypro... Case in Point Corning... Case in Point Nike...
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