Are you giving your customers what they want?

By Neil Davey, editor

Are you giving your customers what they want? Or are you giving them what you want them to have? It may seem like a stupid question, but there are an alarming number of companies that fall into the latter category. Historically, the customer value proposition itself has been a chief culprit. Produced in-house by 'value chain experts' and then pushed onto the market, the process often systematically avoids involvement of the most valuable factor in the equation - the customer.

But an increasing number of firms are now latching on to the importance of involving the client, thereby reshaping the proposition and bringing it in line with the customer’s real needs and demands. This, of course, makes perfect sense. After all, who can tell you what the customer wants better than the customers themselves?

Technologies and processes such as business intelligence, customer intelligence and web analytics, as well as factors such as the burgeoning “voice of the consumer” trend, mean that firms can now accrue a more accurate view of the customer than ever before. So if you’re building your proposition inside-out instead of outside-in it is time to wake up and smell the coffee - before you find your customer sharing his breakfast cuppa with a more client-minded competitor.

As such, this month MyCustomer.com is turning its attention to the customer value proposition – and in particular the influence of the “customer” in “customer value proposition”. Over the next four weeks we will be highlighting the practices of businesses who have engaged customers in the proposition process: from recognising the need to involve clients in the first place; through the research process with the likes of customer/business intelligence and web analytics; and finally to the nuts and bolts of how the information was used to provide customer value.

Along the way we will examine some of the ways in which companies are improving their proposition, providing case studies of businesses that have reduced customer complexity and detailing examples of firms that have helped to improve their clients’ returns. MyCustomer.com will also be casting its eye over the significant customer trends that are influencing value propositions, and how firms are responding to keep themselves on the leading-edge of customer management. And starting our weekly programme, on Monday we will discuss how companies how companies are discovering the drivers that keep customers loyal, and reveal some of the secrets to customer loyalty.

But to get things started, our resident experts provide a comprehensive overview of the topic, placing it in a strategic and technology context – and underlining why you should be following our coverage of customer value propositions. You can find Jennifer Kirkby’s strategic examination of the issue and Stuart Lauchlan’s bird’s eye view of the technology issues relating to demand-driven CRM right here, right now.

• Seducing your ideal customers - by Jennifer Kirkby
  
• Demand-driven content: how to serve the unchained customer - by Stuart Lauchlan

This month's stories:

What do customers value most - part one

What do customers value most - part two

Loyalty drivers

Keeping loyalty alive: Researching your customers

As they like it: Acting on loyalty drivers

How to capture loyalty: the consumer's view

Customer trends

How to be a trendspotter

Word of mouse

Seven consumer trends you need to know about

Reducing complexity

Reducing online customer complexity

Help your customers help themselves

Finding the balance: infolust v info overload

Improving customer returns

The extra mile high club

Driving customer ROI

Are you experienced: the evolving consumer