At MarketingSherpa Summit 2017, attendees will hear from brand-side marketers, high-profile featured speakers and industry professionals to learn how to improve the effectiveness of their marketing programs.
Customer satisfaction is a key factor in the effectiveness of these campaigns, which is why we’re excited to gather some of the top players in the digital marketing industry in Las Vegas to share their marketing solutions with the MarketingSherpa audience.
In our "Inside the Industry" series, we'll speak with industry professionals representing some of these vendors and get a behind-the-scenes look at some of the customer-focused efforts and trends you can expect to learn more about at #SHERPA17.
The following is sponsored content from HiP B2B. The opinions expressed do not represent those of MarketingSherpa.
Zach Klinger
Vice President, Sales & Client Success, HiP B2B
SPONSORED BY:
HiP B2B will be exhibiting at MarketingSherpa Summit 2017. Visit www.hipb2b.com to learn more.
MarketingSherpa: What are some arguments marketers can use to push for customer-centricity in their organizations?
Zach Klinger, HiP B2B: At times, whether an organization offers a product or a service, its customers can find innovative, unique and original ways to put the output to purpose. Customer-centricity allows the organization to learn from its customers, rather than the converse. This is important because it creates an open forum of dialogue between strategy, development and end users. This usually creates an environment for creativity, ingenuity and product/service improvements.
Another argument for pushing for customer-centricity in organizations is the impact on the life-time value of a customer. The customers will likely foster a stronger sense of brand identity and loyalty to a brand that puts them first. In turn, these customers become brand ambassadors, and a proverbial ripple effect can be felt through a certain target market/demographic. Organizations yearn for brand loyalty, and customer-centricity can certainly promote that mindset.
Zach Klinger
Vice President, Sales & Client Success, HiP B2B
SPONSORED BY:
HiP B2B will be exhibiting at MarketingSherpa Summit 2017. Visit www.hipb2b.com to learn more.
MarketingSherpa: How far must brands and marketers go to satisfy customers?
Zach Klinger, HiP B2B: Brands and marketers must be willing to color outside of the line to satisfy customers — but not egregiously. Certain thresholds of comfort should be broken down in order to satisfy customers. Any feedback should be implemented, and product/service roadmaps should be fluid rather than rigid to nimbly act. However, straying too far away from the original core concept can be devastating. The onus is on brands and marketers to provide the canvas and let their customers fill in the gaps through usage and feedback.
MarketingSherpa: In building a customer relationship, what are some possible missteps?
Zach Klinger, HiP B2B: The biggest possible misstep in building a customer relationship is assuming you know exactly what your customer wants. Organizations exist to solve problems. Identifying scenarios your product/service can solve is paramount to fostering a discussion with customers. That discussion ultimately leads to product roadmaps, R&D, outcomes and improvements.
MarketingSherpa: Why wouldn’t companies practice customer-first marketing?
Zach Klinger, HiP B2B: Companies wouldn’t practice customer-first marketing if they didn’t value their customers. In the B2B or commodity world, it’s easy to lose track of your end stakeholders. Thus, the art of putting the customer first becomes an afterthought. Going to market, selling, revenue and profits become priorities. Ironically, without putting the customer first, these goals can begin to dwindle and diminish over time. A company doesn’t always need to put the customer as its top priority, but it should always remain cognizant of its customers — they affect all stages of maturation in the organization.
MarketingSherpa: How can marketers fight against inward, or company-centric thinking?
Zach Klinger, HiP B2B: Marketers can fight against inward, company-centric thinking by simply reminding their colleagues that their organization’s product or service provides relief to a problem. That problem is either felt by other companies or end consumers. Regardless of the scenario, other people contribute to the success and growth of the organization at hand. Therefore, thinking in a black box or closed loop will only begin to spiral success. Open dialogue and customer feedback provide for a tremendous opportunity for an organization to improve. The breadth of which feedback is implemented entirely depends on the perceived success of the changes. However, having these options is far more valuable than not.
HiP B2B is a Bronze Sponsor of MarketingSherpa Summit 2017. To learn more about their solution, visit their website.
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