Recently a colleague of mine challenged me with this question: “What are three things you do better than anyone else?”
Your differentiator.
That is a perspective altering thought. As you percolate on that one, let us take this a bit further and ask that question of your business. What is it that your company does better than any other? Or what could your company do to be better than any other?
For technology product and service providers, I posit that business to business (B2B) client engagement is an untapped gem that should be your differentiator.
While there is considerable discussion and investment in the customer experience of the consumer (B2C), there is a gap in B2B engagement, particularly for technology providers.
Cultivating successful strategic vendor to client (customer) relationships in non-SaaS B2B companies is rarely given consideration, leading to more transactional commoditized interactions. However, setting measured business-value expectations with the client and conversely, setting those expectations with the vendor’s internal delivery team, is a proven path to facilitate trusting (and sticky) partnerships. That kind of authentic connection between the vendor and the client can organically create both revenue growth and customer advocacy.
According to Higher Logic, “Engaged customers lead to improved satisfaction and retention, as well as increased sales to existing customers through advocacy, high-spend transactions, and brand recognition. When taking these benefits into account it becomes even more important to focus on customer engagement and building lasting relationships with customers.”
Managed services, physical product manufacturers, and consultancies have an opportunity to capitalize on this service differentiator in an era where purpose-led connections between the buyer and seller is expected. So, what does that program look like? What is needed to turn the aspiration into reality?
Fostering a long-lasting outcome focused engagement program requires a systematic and intentional discipline across the organization. Join me at www.jcxstratgies.com for more insights on how you close the engagement gap and create a winning program for your business.
Originally published April 6, 2022, LinkedIn by Jessica Carroll
