This is the fourteenth installment in our 25 week series exploring the 25 competencies, or soft skills, that our assessments measure. Each week we’ll give you the definition of that competency, explain its value, and give you tips to help you develop it. This week: Customer Focus.
Customer Focus is all about putting the customer first. Do you anticipate, meet and/or exceed customer needs, wants and expectations? The experiences that customers remember the most are the ones where someone went above and beyond. Those who are skilled in Customer Focus are great at anticipating those needs and meeting and exceeding them before the customer even knows that’s what they want.
No matter what your product or service is, the customer is in control these days. The market has shifted from Caveat Emptor (Buyer Beware) to Caveat Venditor (Seller Beware). Customers have access to so much information these days that most of the time they have already made their buying decision before you ever meet them. And what do they base a lot of those decisions on? Online reviews from other customers. You cannot afford to have poor customer service, because word will spread and your brand will be ruined.
Customer Focus is ever important and can be the deciding factor between success and failure for a company. You can truly set your company a part if you have a great customer experience. This doesn’t just mean trying to anticipate their needs, but also responding well when issues inevitably arise. Are you known for putting clients first? Even when it might be a detriment to your bottom line? Those who are strong in Customer Focus are always looking at things from the customer’s perspective and deciding what the best option for them would be.
One way to improve your Customer Focus is to make an intentional effort to improve the experience for your customers from their first interaction with your company to their last. Stop to think about the “track” your customer follows to get to their buying decision. Is that an experience that you would want to be part of? Look at each step of the process and brainstorm ways to make it smoother or more enjoyable for your customers. Make it easy for them to say yes to your company.
If you would like to learn more ways to improve your Customer Focus skills, download our Customer Focus Rx Suite here.
