Black In Business

My last few positions in Corporate America I noticed a trend that would alarm shareholders. Company management spent less and less time understanding customer needs. For blackinbusiness readers, it is safe to assume the better we understand our customers, the more value we can bring to them. The more value we bring, the more sales and profit goes up. The more sales and profits go up, the more value shareholders recieve.

We all know, a corporate culture focused on the customer, is what every one wants. Corporations are filled with smart people, why have we becomed so internally focused? What gets in the way.

Leadership wants their team close with them. The leader does not want to screw up their  well planned day by being involved with customers.

My God, we have to have all day meetings so we know we are busy.

We have to present what we are going to do, and do it over if not done right

We need to explain, what happen last month, and recieve coaching, that the results are not acceptable, now fix them.

We need to monitor activity to ensure we inspect to get what we expect.

Some folk like to be around the boss, who is always in, so the boss will know they are good.

We have to read our email.

To different degrees, I think all companies have this issue. Some things that help are as follows.

Senior Management must travel to see customers. Have them assigned to large customers and have personal contact on a quarterly basis. This will help to elevate the level of contact within your top customers and make them feel more important.

The top staff members should adopt a region and commit to a few days a month of field travel with in that region. 4 days a month is a good start. This will also enhance field communications if the staff member can attend a sales meeting as well.

Front Line managers in sales should spend 3 days a week traveling with their sales people and being a coach. The sales manager should recruit in house staff to visit their customers and travel with their sales people.

The sales people need to make their customers and prospects their number 1 priority. Their selling time must be scacred.

Senior staff and Senior management must commit to removing barriers to field travel. This means, any unecessary meetings, reports or deadlines. Front line management and sales people must commit to a plan of action for every prospect and customer that will result in growth.

Ask your  self,is your company internal or external in focus. Blogging is a great way to build community with your customer base but far too few companies blog today. If you are not blogging and are internal in focus, your chances for sustainable success is less than if you are blogging and are external in focus.

The increased time with customers should make in house meetings more productive. You will introduce better products because your design goals will reflect true customer needs.

Your customers and employees will trust and respect your judgement more but most important, at the end of the day, your business will improve.