If this is the case in your business then you are doing it right! Specifically, if your business is B2B but you know it is really B2C then you get it. In today’s digital world if your “end” customer is not “near” then they are gone. Read Ram Charan’s latest book RETHINKING COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE if you are not already convinced of this.
Evidence that you are a viable player in the digital world means…
- You understand why (or why not) people consume what you offer
- You focus more on the consumer than you do your competition
- You are not confined by today, or this quarter; or even your current business model
If you struggle with the last one, and your business model is stuck on a traditional business strategy, read Mark Johnson’s book LEAD FROM THE FUTURE.
If you’ve checked all the boxes get back to leading and stop reading! If you are still curious or want to ponder a bit more read on.
I spoke with a job-shop owner who fabricates custom steel orders for his customers. His business boomed when he had excellent distributors who knew his business and were the glue between his products and his consumers. Then came digital. Everyone wants it now, expects it now, and does not want to have to talk to a distributor. His business is running on 30 year old PC-based technology. Every quote and every order is created from scratch, even if it is a repeat order for a customer that wants a reorder ASAP. Business is less stellar today than it was before digital mucked up his business model.
We’re working with another similar company that got a wakeup call. Consumers of their products are buying from a competitor who offers instant digital quotes for custom cut metal parts that can be delivered within two days. Reacting to competition instead of staying in sync with your changing customer behaviors can put you in a pickle fast!
You have likely heard “start with the answer”, “keep the end in mind”, or “focus on the outcome and work backwards”. Or some other version that instills making sure you are focused is from product/service to the end consumer. Leaving your end customer’s experience up to a distributor, or your B2B customer is not enough anymore.
So what can you do with your business if growth is slowed, or worse yet dropping off? Let go of the traditional ways and engage some creative internal and external people to find out what is missing in your customer experience. Then fill those gaps. If you’d like to discuss this further we’d be glad to talk with you. Schedule a free consultation on my calendar — https://calendly.com/tim_montgomery/30-minute-free-business-application-consultation.