Download Customers for the Long Term: Best Practices AudioBook Free
The author stresses that the Panel of Directors should start every conference discussing the clients. What are they considering? How is our franchise doing? What are the metrics of duplicate business? And similar questions. Why? Because financials are fairly straightforward, most mother board members are proficient at understanding them without conversation, and customers are the foundation of each organization. The writer highlights this is similarly true for educational establishments, regarding alumni and students, often considered mere irritants in Panel discussions. Who is to be served? The management? The shareholders are those constituents. The writer highlights that close hearing the needs, dislikes, and dreams of the clients is the foundation of profit, as the great marketing companies have found - from P&G, to Coke, to IBM. When Lou Gerstner, turnaround expert extraordinaire from McKinsey, needed over IBM, he penciled in 40% of his time to hear customers. What were they considering? What did they need? A long-term customer of a straightforward product like Corn Flakes or Cool Whip often means thousands of dollars over an eternity - and a very good news messenger as well. A dedicated car customer often means 250,000 or more over an eternity. Start here. With the client. The great companies do from Apple to Amazon . com; the great educational establishments do from Harvard to Stanford; the weaker ones log off course such as McDonald's does (too costly) but retrieved. The magic of Apple is their long-term customers...like them. Most of us should take note.
