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3 Steps for Leaders When the Customer is Wrong

Guest post by: Rebel Brown

Article Overview: Successful businesses don’t blindly follow others, even their biggest customers. Successful businesses listen and learn from their markets. And then they think for themselves.

3 Steps for Leaders When the Customer is Wrong

Customers, especially our favorite customers, are a touchy subject. Best customers are like our family. We've been together so long, and we know each other so well. We couldn't imagine our business without our best and biggest customers.

In reality, our best customers can weigh us down.

All too often our best customers keep us stuck in the status quo we're trying so hard to avoid. The bigger they are, the more likely they are to be stuck in the status quo of the past, especially in industries that are experiencing dramatic change. Those biggest customers may also be the biggest dinosaurs around - and we surely don't want to follow them on that path, now do we?

The reality is that every business and market is dynamic. Some markets move more slowly, some move faster. But all markets shift. That means we either adjust our course, or crash and burn hanging onto the status quo that will drag us down.

Best customers can and do travel in directions that aren't compatible with our own growth, or with their growth for that matter. That's a business reality, a reality that all too often we can't, or won't, see.

We've known our best customers for so long, and the changes can be so subtle. Over time the divergence between our best interested and theirs becomes significant. But we don't always see what's happening as familiarity blinds us to the changes.

Our biggest customers can be just plain wrong.

What happens when we get stuck in Best Customer Gravity? When serving our special customers limits our profitability today, and our growth tomorrow? Then what do we do?

First, we recognize that ore often than we may expect, what our best customer(s) wants is not necessarily right for us, for our markets or for our business success.

Secondly, we think for ourselves. Yes, we listen to customer feedback. But that doesn't mean we follow them blindly off a cliff.

Thirdly, we take responsibility for our own success. Following anyone, from a competitor to a large customer, doesn't create market leadership. Leadership comes from knowing our markets, present and future, and helping others understand and embrace our vision.

Successful businesses don't blindly follow others, even their biggest customers. Successful businesses listen and learn from their markets.

And then they think for themselves.

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Article Tags: business growth strategy, Defy Gravity, executive leadership



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