"Achieving Deep Customer Focus"
MIT Sloan Management Review
Spring 2004, pp. 26-34
The author of this article states that "Companies need a systematic process to activate deep customer focus that shapes priorities, behavior and systems." Ten critical breakthroughs are identified for such a systematic process:
| Breakthrough | Results |
|---|---|
| Create Strategic Excitement | A significant number of the correct people see the urgent need to change to new ways of doing things for customers |
| Enlist Employees Who Are "Points of Light" | A key small group of people are prepared to break with the past and move ahead, even under conditions of uncertainty |
| Articulate the New Market Space | Agreement is reached on aspirations, and this agreement is articulated as a customer outcome |
| Identify the Value Opportunities | By methodically identifying the key activities customers go through to achieve an outcome, gaps are identified that have the potential for new company wealth creation |
| Build a Compelling Case | The company builds detailed stories to promote the new customer offerings |
| Size the Prize | Numbers are created that identify potential returns that justify the investment |
| Model the Concept | Key customers are involved to validate the concept and buy into making it work |
| Get People Working Together | Different individuals and parts of the organization start to work collaboratively and actively together on supporting the new concept |
| Get Critical Mass | Through making acceptance of the new approach easy and through quantifying the results for customers, adoption starts to be accepted by some customers |
| Gather Momentum | Other potential customers are influenced by the positive results of early adopters, and financial rewards flow to the company |
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