Written by Sean McPheat |
There are many forecasts of how the future will affect our businesses and each one of these reports has a slightly different perspective on the effects it will have, depending on your industry.
What we need is a rule of thumb, or generic guidance, on what will affect us, regardless of our products or services we offer.
Here, we discuss just four of these needs that customers will have both now and in the future.
If we are able to reconcile our activities to assist our customers achieve these needs, we stand a much greater chance of succeeding in the future marketplace.
MTD’s research has highlighted these four as being generic and impactful.
See what you think:
Swift Responses to needs – Flexible, agile, adaptable
The one word that keeps cropping up in research about future business is the ability to be ‘agile’ in our response to needs.
By responding quickly to those ever-changing needs, we show ourselves to be a valuable asset to our client’s business, because we are able to aid them to adapt and become flexible in the way they deal with issues and their customer concerns.
Ask yourself these questions:
Advice from Experts and trusted advisors on how clients can be assisted to attract more business
A key aspect that will determine loyalty from customers in the future will be our ability to show them how they can gain more business from their customers.
You value to them increases as they see you as more than just a vendor or supplier of materials.
Becoming a trusted advisor opens up many chances to be forward-thinking, and increases your chances of being approached by a customer when they have a need for it.
Ask yourself these questions:
Global, European and Local Competition
Your future competitors will not hold back in becoming your customers’ choice wherever they can, so you have to be aware of how they are advancing in product quality, service back-up and technological advancements.
You cannot expect loyalty from your customers if you’re not keeping up with advancing demands and evolving needs.
Depending on your industry, it may be harder or easier for your competition to infiltrate your market, especially if you are UK based and Brexit has an impact.
However, be aware that your customer needs may well be changing and it’s possible your competitors could assess those needs better than you.
Ask yourself these questions:
The whole company experience, internal and external, involving technological advances and personal relationships
As technology becomes more and more usable and affordable for businesses, there will still be a need for that ‘personal’ touch, as customers will still see personalisation and ownership as prerequisites for excellence in service.
The whole experience people enjoy when utilising your services will still be seen as a key differentiator in loyalty and consistency.
The future experience may well involve companies having to reallocate resources to areas that mean more to buyers, like the overall time it takes to facilitate orders, or how they deal with challenging issues.
So, even in a global economy with technological specialists, the ‘how’ customers are dealt with may well prove to be that one driver to loyalty above all else.
Ask yourself these questions:
Each of these drivers of future business will impact you at different levels.
The real key is adapting and developing your services so that buyers feel you can assist them to gain more business in the future.
Happy Selling!
Sean
Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Sales Training | Image courtesy of Big Stock Photo
Originally published: 27 December, 2018
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