LOOKING INTO 2017 - Embracing Technology

As we look forward into 2017 we ask our Directors and selection of associates to comment on the year ahead.

The focus going into 2017 for business to business will be on the development and delivery of a consistent customer experience that embraces technology in a practical and pragmatic way. It is often difficult to define what is real in the plethora of information, advice and use of omni channel campaigns. Businesses will increasingly turn to sources and providers they can trust for impartial, accurate and consistent information, advice, products and solutions.
Sales and account managers face increasing pressure on value creation in a cost-conscious environment where the customer is unwilling or unable to take the price increases. The demonstration of value creation, innovation in the relationship and delivering what was agreed will be key during 2017. Trust within B2B relationships will gain in importance as suppliers and customers alike strive for certainty, authenticity, ability and credibility to deliver in a challenging environment.
The air of uncertainty may offer short term tactical trading opportunities for some, often seen as opportunistic. Within a highly visible and socially active media these are no-longer easy to get away with and have long term implications for the perpetrators, so beware!
Top tips:

Ensure what your selling does what it’s supposed to do and you can demonstrate its authenticity.
Sales need to know what they are selling and are empowered within the relationship to deliver it.
Map the customer journey, the key experiences and make sure you can deliver the basics, before embarking on the shiny and glittery.
Do the basics, do them right and do them with value for money.
Build trust within your customer relationships, through a mix of hard and soft trust builders.
Have an understanding of the quality of the relationship you have with at least your top customers.
As a customer manager stretch your relationship into new stakeholders, new levels, new conversations and new takes on your proposition.
Organisations build trust though intentions, make sure your intentions are trust builders, turn them into reality and ensure they are actually having an effect!

Don’t be tempted to take advantage of a situation for short term gain through opportunistic behaviour, as it will come back to bite you later on.

Author
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Dr Mark Hollyoake

Mark is a co-founder and Director of Customer Attuned Ltd. He holds a Doctorate from the University ofSouthampton, his thesis focused on Trust as a dynamic within business to business customer relationships.

He is an expert in B2B Customer Experience and Customer Management. This includes CM strategy development; execution of improvement plans (incl. organisational modelling for customer management); programme design; and partnership & alliance development.

Mark's applied work across FMCG, industrials, medical devices, financial services, business services and construction has led to organisations making, significant improvements to their customer management. A large focus of this work has been moving organisations up the Trust Ladder to enable them to benefit from reduced cost to serve, while continuing to innovate and deliver mutual value.

Mark is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing and Member of the Institute of Sales and Marketing Management. He holds an MBA in strategy from Henley Business School.

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