Customer Retention Strategies

5 Things To Do to Prepare for your Next Customer Advisory Council Meeting

Friday, February 3, 2012 by Misty Strawser

I recently came across an article by Tom Searcy, Break down a Sales Presentation like an ESPN Analyst, where he suggests that you prepare for a sales meeting the same way ESPN’s analysts prepare for their pre-game shows: do the match-up analysis, know the stats, identify the 1-2 things to win, calculate the risks; and, understand the game-changers. Dare I say this is relevant to a Customer Advisory Council meeting, as well?

Now we all know, or at least we should, that Customer Advisory Council meetings are not intended to include sales presentations and that anything that even hints at selling is a recipe for disaster. Don’t do it…. ever. Resist the temptation at all costs as you will lose the trust of your board members and could cause irreparable damage to your existing relationships.

That said, members of your executive team should indeed, do these five things to prepare for a Customer Advisory Council meeting:

Do the match-up analysis. Take time prior to the meeting, perhaps en-route to the meeting destination so it’s good and fresh, to review the profile and photo of each member. Knowing each member's responsibilities, background, and interests will help you connect with them on a more personal basis and help you introduce them to their fellow Council members. Additionally, during the Prep Session, assign an executive to serve as “host” to 1-2 Advisory Council members, especially if they are new to the group.
Know the stats. Review company profiles, financials, recent news and press releases, and have an understanding of the volume and types of business they do with you. This information will help you better understand their perspectives on key issues discussed during the meeting.
Identify the 1-2 things to win. Since these are your top customers, chances of good that you have deals pending. Know what they are, what it will take to win them, and any other opportunities that may be coming your way.
Calculate the risks. Likewise, know if there are any unresolved customer-service issues that may come up in conversation. You don’t want to be caught off-guard and ill-prepared to address them if they do.
Understand the game-changers. Know who the other key leaders are and how your Advisory Board Members may influence them.

In other words, prepare for the meeting like ESPN’s analysts prepare for their pre-game show. Know the elements of the game… the strengths and weaknesses of the players, and their team’s strategies and statistics. The “pre-game” analysis will be worth your time. It will provide more direct focus for your interactions with members, will lead to a better understanding of their perspectives, and will ultimately lead to a win! Go Team!

Ground Hog's Day

Friday, February 3, 2012 by Tom Webster

Every year at this time, you hear all of the hoopla around one of Pennsylvania's most recognized residents - Punxsutawney Phil. I always end up laughing as my mind then shifts to Bill Murray's classic performance in the movie Ground hog's Day. We all know the premise: a guy gets to "re-do" the same day over and over and over again, but discovering little nuances and trying new things along the way, in order to get to the outcome he really desires (to get the girl).

In business, wouldn't it be great if we had that ability? Not to 'get the girl', but to be able to see every possible angle before we execute. Every strategy, every sales call, every marketing campaign, all fully vetted through numerous attempts of trial and error. Well, of course we can't really do that. Not exactly anyway. But, we do have some terrific 'guidance' tools at our disposal: personal experience and the collective experience of our customers.

When setting strategy, designing a marketing program or campaign, or virtually anything else, our own personal experience can be a directional guide - allowing us to move generally in the right direction. By leveraging the collective experience of others - our peers and most importantly, our customers, we can fine-tune our direction, exacting a path to success. The experience of the collective is akin to the trial and error in Ground hog's Day, only we didn't have to experience it ourselves. Customers will (in one form or another) tell us everything we need to know. We just need to provide a forum to enable us to listen.

Sometimes in business it feels like many companies are caught in the same loop - making similar mistakes over and over again. Progress and growth have slowed, and there can be a sense of frustration. Organizations that actively engage and listen to their customers (or collective) are breaking out of these never-ending loops and are thriving. What path is your company on? Start your journey by answering this question: "Are you actively listening or are you living in your own Ground hog's Day???"

Marketing is the Center of the Universe

Wednesday, February 1, 2012 by Karen Battist

I recently sat down with a well respected former CMO (now President), and had a great conversation about the important role Marketing plays in a B2B company. He made a very bold statement, “Marketing is the Center of Universe.” Someone might argue that, I am biased because I hold a role in marketing, but I believe this statement to be very true. If you don’t, you should and here’s why:

Marketing is the common thread that weaves throughout all other business units in every B2B company. Marketing holds the potential to unleash predictable, profitable growth for your company. When Marketing is utilized to its fullest potential, it can be the driver for customer retention and increased sales, while at the same time creating executive alignment and focused strategic innovation.

How can Marketing do all this? Because Marketing is the “Center of the Universe”! Author Sean Geehan discusses all of the marketing programs and initiatives driven by Marketing to achieve sustainable, predictable, profitable growth in his national best seller, The B2B Executive Playbook. Once you read this book, I would wager a bet, that you will believe that Marketing is the "Center of the Universe" too!

Customer Advisory Boards: Manage Change to Reap the Rewards

Thursday, December 22, 2011 by Misty Strawser

Two weeks ago, I attended a breakfast briefing hosted by Sinclair Community College, Street Smart Secrets for Change Management, where Jeff Cole, co-author of Driving Operational Excellence, shared nine tips for changing behavior throughout an organization. I found it intriguing. In less than 90-minutes, Jeff managed to get me thinking differently about how customer advisory boards impact an organization.

I’ve seen first-hand how customer advisory boards provide market/leadership team alignment, strategic insight, and marketing direction, and that they lead to improved sales, customer retention, and product innovation. I’ve also known them to lead to sustainable, predictable and profitable growth (SPPG), as outlined in Sean Geehan’s book, The B2B Executive Playbook. So I know how customer advisory boards can truly impact an organization. I did not however, consciously realize that an organization’s inherent resistance to change can make that transformational impact that much more difficult.

To achieve truly impactful results, consider the following when developing your advisory board.

Done right, an Advisory Board is synonymous with continuous improvement and can be transformational.
An Advisory Board implies that change is about to happen. After all, that’s why you are investing in it! You see the need for change (a new direction, increased sales, improved relationships, etc.) and realize that your customers can provide you with the guidance you need to make it happen.
Stakeholders inherently resist change, so communicate progress early and often.
Culture impacts an organization’s ability to change, so build a tolerance for ongoing change into your corporate strategy.
Change doesn’t just happen overnight. It takes time and requires a certain set of skills, so designate a change agent/architect to manage the process.

As you can see, I had a few “Aha” moments during Jeff’s presentation. So much so, in fact, that I immediately ran out and got myself an early Christmas present! I’ve barely finished the Introduction, but it’s already proving to be a good read and I’m anxious to move on to subsequent chapters. Look out chapter one; here I come!

P.S. If you would like to read along and discuss as we go, let me know!

Planning Ahead and Being Prepared for Growth in 2012 - Starts Here!

Thursday, December 15, 2011 by Misty Strawser

Back in September, Gartner came out with their rather controversial CIO Advisory: Four Recession and Growth Strategies That Make Sense for 2012. Though forecasts for growth in 2012 are modest, Gartner recommended that clients plan ahead and “avoid consuming time preparing for growth should growth opportunities suddenly arise” and that “however long a distressed economic climate may last, growth will remain a top priority of CEOs and boards of directors.”

Many organizations may prefer to wait and see what the economy does, but that would be a big mistake. I agree with Gartner that organizations must be prepared to take action when the opportunity arises.

Plan ahead. Get started by attending Geehan Group’s upcoming B2B Executive Summit: Navigating Growth & Transformation. Designed exclusively for VP & higher executives, the B2B Summit provides an intimate setting (attendance is limited to 50 attendees) for learning from a prestigious roster of speakers, including Paul Gottsegen, CMO at Infosys, Joe Austin, SVP Customer Experience at Juniper, and Brent Ahrens, General Partner at Canaan, as well as author Jim Hauden.

Learn how Bill Fathers, President of Savvis, helped shape the company’s international presence, increased its market share, and developed leading-edge products for the financial services, media and telecom industries.
Discover how John Schwarz, former CEO at Business Objects, doubled the company’s revenue to more than $1.5 billion, improved profitability, and oversaw seven strategic acquisitions.
Hear how Joe Morgan, CEO at Standard Register, is transforming his organization from a document printing company into a provider of communications technology.

So get started. Plan ahead by attending Geehan Group’s B2B Executive Summit and begin preparing for growth in 2012. You’ll be glad you did!

Click here to learn more and to receive your personal invitation.

“Rarely do you find an approachable business environment that invigorates your social senses with intriguing conversations, collaborative exchange of inventive ideas, fascinating speakers with applicable war stories, and the urge to network well beyond the two days that the Geehan Group brought us all together. What I gained out of this B2B gathering of like minds expanded my strategic thinking, opened new opportunities about how marketing can make an impact, plus enlightened me on similar management challenges with realistic solutions and results.”

Greg Jorgenson, SVP Marketing, VeriSign