The diversity of customer needs is increasing, pushing the resources and capabilities of your retailers or your sales force to the limit. This often results in B2B companies investing unfocused as they try to keep up with the changing expectations of their end users. Customers want “everything” – cheaper, faster and better – and B2B companies find it hard to prioritize what really matters.
Surprisingly, there is often a big difference between what customers claim to be important and what we see as real drivers of customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. However, this can only be discovered through interviews with current and prospective clients and subsequent statistical analysis.
It is not untypical that surveyed customers overstate individual services in their importance – for example this could apply to the delivery service. At the same time, every customer is completely satisfied with the delivery, leaving little room for improvement. Our analysis showed that the actual distinguishing feature in further development – next to delivery service – is the brand. This does not mean that on-time delivery is not important, only that the need is met here and further improvements should be focused on other areas. This is not an unusual pattern in mature B2B markets, where basic needs are already satisfied. All companies are able to deliver good quality on time, so differentiation has to come from somewhere else.
A case study: Rather than endlessly striving to improve near-perfect product delivery, the examined supplier of a B2B market is beginning to improve brand perception while at the same time delivering more tailor-made products. In this way, the supplier can set himself apart from the competition without lowering price or quality.
Customers don’t always know what they want
If asked, the firts things that come to mind are often the most obvious ones. But when choosing from a variety of competitors that offer a large range of services, very different factors may really matter. As a result, companies need to focus their efforts on relevant areas instead of fiercely battling for improvements in already well-functioning areas. Our studies make this possible by demonstrating the true distinctions.