14 Apr Bringing the Customer In

Developing a sound marketing strategy is about locating that intersection between what customers want and where an individual firm can create value better than its competition. It follows, then, that having a better sense than your competitor for what would create customer value is a huge advantage. In fact, the goal is to have a better sense than even your chosen customers themselves. This is true customer insight.

My friend and mentor, Tom Kinnear, called this “Bringing the Customer In”.  We often get so enamored with the internal side of the business (finances, technology, people, processes) that we may temporarily forget that the key to competitive advantage lies with understanding the customer.  This article is a great reminder of some simple, yet powerful, ways to gain advantage over your competitors through your relationship with and understanding of your current and target customers.

https://insight.kellogg.northwestern.edu/article/5-ways-to-know-your-customer-better-than-your-competitors-do