After many years researching the world of the relationship between supplier and customer, I can say that, in general, suppliers are not concerned that the purchases made by customers, in the vast majority of cases, are no more than mere encounters fortuitous and mercenaries.
That it does not displease them that these purchases do not leave the slightest residue that could be the germ of a stable, lasting and beneficial relationship for both parties. That they only look at the sales figure, without worrying about the reasons why the customer, once they have met them, is not motivated by trying to create a relationship with them. That the detachment of the client gives them little less than equal. In other words, the supplier continues to be in the attitude of taking everything other than the product and manufacturing into the background.
The effects of this attitude are, to say the least, worrying. In the first place, the total lack of awareness of the existing divergence between customer and supplier and, therefore, of the cause that causes it. Second, the indifference to the very high risk of permanence in the market that is being assumed and especially at the current moment when the economic cycle deceleration curve has been entered. And thirdly, the alarming apathy in finding out the enormous benefits - higher income, higher profitability, better image, greater and better prescription, timely and accurate information on the competition - provided by a loyal customer is total.
Faced with this situation and in order to create a certain awareness that makes this attitude questionable, I present this article that, on the one hand, identifies the cause why the provider is not tuning in with the customer, as the origin of current problems, and, on the other, it describes the path to follow, in order for this attunement to take place.
> Identification
I already know that speaking of a cause as the origin of a situation in the world of business management, as in so many other things in life, is likely to be viewed with skepticism, so I ask for a little patience and continue with the reading the article, since I hope to convince you that this case "is the exception that meets the rule."
That a person feels that each time he is moving further away from another is because, time and time again, he does not find in her what he is really looking for. You may have multiple charms, but if you are not able to give what the other needs, the divergence will be a fact. Well, this is what is happening today in the business relationship. Suppliers are providing levels of quality, price, service and time as never before, but, instead, the customer is increasingly volatile.
This reality, then, is saying that the client is looking at the supplier for something more than the best objective standards and the supplier is not finding out. He is still 'busy' in implementing the latest quality assurance systems, which are also granted by the most prestigious organizations, in obtaining the best prices, offering the best service and cutting the delivery time, without being It goes through your head to be 'concerned' to know what it is that makes the customer that is not loyal. You have unknowingly opted for the safest bet to have serious problems.
If, today, the client does not create relationships of trust with their suppliers, it is because they do not satisfy the vital need that has germinated in them: Feeling supported in being able to respond to the growing demands of all kinds of their clients. Yes, it is true that you find providers who serve you with beautiful words and kind smiles, but you do not feel they are accomplices. They do not feel that they are involved in your business, or that they share risks and that they are not involved in its management. This, then, wanting to be faithful to a provider and verify that he is in another story is the real cause of the prevailing divergence.
And this need has not been something that has appeared unexpectedly. It has had its logical process of evolution. Since 1966, more than 1,700 in-depth interviews have been carried out with multisectoral companies throughout the geography of Spain. During that time it has been possible to discover the change in draft that was taking place in customer demand. It has been experienced how the subtle was replacing the parametric and the rational was giving way to the emotional, until today, as shown by the latest results1 obtained, in which the client openly states that he wants a supplier that is get involved with him.
These results are truly eye-opening: 46% of customers want one trusted provider, 21% want several to avoid risk of 'getting hung up', and only 23% want several to get the best price. And of those who prefer a trusted provider, 72% are willing to accept a higher price. A final data, 100% of the companies interviewed lacked the study that determines the differential cost between getting a customer and keeping the one you have.
Therefore, the conclusion is obvious. The client wants to feel the supplier as if it were a true partner and is not finding it. Or in other words, the divergence occurs because the customer wants to be faithful to the supplier, even being willing to pay more for it, and the latter, by continuing to be installed in its traditional attitude, is not knowing how to recognize it.
Solution
It can already be presumed that changing this sad reality will not be easy and not because some technology is still in the experimentation phase, no. It will not be easy because it requires a profound change in the mentality of the provider. Eliminating the current divergence is a matter of feelings, because being faithful to someone is a feeling. You are faithful to someone because you feel that you always give more than you expect. Because it feels like it is always looking out for you. Because it feels like their goals are to make yours come true. That is, you are faithful to someone because you feel their emotional harmony and vibration. Thus, converging with the customer forces the provider to move in the dimension of feelings.
And to move in that dimension, the culture of the emotional must be established. A culture that is fundamentally characterized by three aspects: One, obsolete prejudices about what emotions are disappear. Two, emotions are not repressed and emerge cleanly, which allows us to see naturally that they are present in all behavior. And three, those emotions can be identified, accepted, regulated and controlled, those of the client can be recognized and it can be seen that “putting yourself in the other's shoes” becomes more than just a pretty phrase.
The moment this culture is a reality, points programs or newsletters or games or call centers or… will start to make sense. They will no longer be seen as cold techniques that are learned or mimicked, to which the aura of a panacea is put on, and they will become normal consequences of the vocation of wanting to enthuse the client. In the same way, professionals will be able to continue passing the knowledge, experience and skills screen, but it will be seen normally that to be part of the supplier company, they will have to pass the emotional one. It will be perfectly integrated that if there is no capacity to manage feelings it is IMPOSSIBLE to converge with the client and it will be clear that without convergence the future is totally up in the air.
1) Research technical data
Sample size: 102 companies
Technical: In-depth interview
Sector: Multisectoral
Geographic scope: Bizkaia and Alava
Date of the research: November and December'06-December'07 and January'08
Authors: Students of the Higher Technical School of Engineering of Bilbao.
