![\"Customer](\"https:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/csfocus.jpg\")
\nWe often oversimplify what we believe a customer\u2019s need is, often due to the fact that many organizations view customer needs through an internal lens. Now is the time to refocus on your customers.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cBecause we sell widgets, our customer must need widgets. Our customers must want them to perform reliably, have them delivered on time, and at least meet a minimum quality standard.\u201d\u00a0Organizations frequently view this as their organizational purpose and mission \u2013 to generate a product and sell it to as many customers as possible who might buy it. Yet this can be a self-fulfilling perspective, presuming that your offerings are addressing all the needs a customer may have.<\/p>\n Why is this mindset so prevalent in a lot of companies today? It usually originates at the beginning, starting with the company mission. When you take a look at your company\u2019s mission, what does it say? What are you in business for? Do you want to be the leader in your industry? Does your organization plan to be the \u201cbest\u201d in whatever you do?<\/p>\n The more important question is, for what purpose?<\/p>\n When we examine how businesses make money and grow, there are a few obvious strategic factors. Sometimes it\u2019s about having a superior product or service. Or it\u2019s being first to market. And sometimes it\u2019s about being the cheapest, or the most accessible.<\/p>\n No matter what the strategy, the common thread between all successful companies, in any industry, is understanding who you are serving (the customer) and how you can serve them in the exact way they want to be served to fulfill their needs. Each customer often has a unique set of needs, with similar ends, and every need ties to bigger picture goals.<\/p>\n Following is not Competing<\/strong><\/p>\n Terms including \u201cbest quality\u201d, \u201con time delivery\u201d, \u201cresponsive customer service\u201d, and \u201cbest value,\u201d all permeate the business landscape. But every company is saying this. Your competitors are saying this. These types of deliverables and claims are simply the baseline to even be considered as an option for a customer.<\/p>\n These terms are also based on an internal company perspective. For example, many organizations measure \u201con time delivery\u201d based on when the product leaves the factory, not when it arrives to the customer.<\/p>\n The companies that focus on following their competitors, rather than engaging the customer, often struggle to differentiate and compete within the marketplace. They work on expanding their portfolio of products and services based on competitor actions, and continually find themselves behind the curve.<\/p>\n While traditional methods of business growth are all viable revenue sources, they are typically the same approaches the competitors are using. Unless the organization simply plans to just do these things \u201cfaster, smarter, and better,\u201d there\u2019s not much real difference between you and them.<\/p>\n Where companies can increase the gap from the competition is by starting to understand and embrace their customers\u2019 needs, instead of solely their own.<\/p>\n