1to1 Magazine - November/December 2008 - (Page 6) editor’s note What in the World? EDITORIAL STAFF Whether your base of operations is Brussels or Boston, Beijing or Bogotá, customers are the heart of your business. Customer centricity, however, is often at risk during uncertain economic times—times when, in fact, that focus is most important to long-term success. With that in mind, I asked my extended business network the following: What customer strategy will make the biggest impact globally in the next 12 months? Not surprisingly the answers highlighted the need to balance customer and corporate needs, as well as to better understand customers and act on that insight. According to Peppers & Rogers Group founding partners Don Peppers and Martha Rogers, Ph.D., earning customer trust is the single most important business strategy any company, in virtually any area of the world, could embrace over the next 12 to 24 months. A company that constantly measures its own actions in terms of what’s in the best interest of its customers is a (relatively) safe investment, not just for this quarter, but for the long term. As companies try to lower costs to protect their margins over the next 12 months, self-service will make the biggest impact, according to Gartner Managing President Scott Nelson. The longer term will see continued growth in social networking, he says, with the benefit of “allowing customers to link and support Earning customer each other in addition to supporting the firm.” trust is the single Echoing Nelson’s sentiment is Paul Miser, director of most important business development for Spur, who says that the associbusiness strategy ation of CRM to social media will make the greatest any company, impact. “There are real-life, real-time conversations going in virtually any area of the world, out there right now in the social environment,” he says. could embrace. “These conversations are more powerful than what we, as marketers, could ever produce. The great thing about it, though, is that we can continue these conversations on an individual basis. That is where CRM would come in. Understanding customers as individuals and showing them their "dream" will take them from prospect, to customer, to loyal customer, to brand advocate.” Several people suggested that getting back to basics will be the winning strategy over the next year. “Too often we are chasing the next big technologydriven fad to satisfy customers,” says Manoj Mistry, director of HollowTree Consulting. “Products and services—and how you market them—need to be relevant to your customer's needs and, more important, must deliver the promise.” Other basics Mistry suggests are proactively contacting customers to ask about their buying experience, as well as resolving problems during the first contact whenever possible. “Assuming the economy languishes for eight to 12 months, the good strategy is to maintain or improve service levels,” adds Brian Casto, CEO of Group 19. “Some competitors may be tempted to cut staff and cut services as a way to save money; they may not have a choice. Maintaining a high level of ‘touch’ with your customers may not yield immediate sales, but will do a lot to build truly loyal customers.” Ginger Conlon Editor-in-Chief 203-642-5341 ginger.conlon@1to1.com 203-642-5159 mila.dantonio@1to1.com 203-642-5195 elizabeth.glagowski@1to1.com 203-642-5229 kevin.zimmerman@1to1.com 203-642-5254 jeremy.nedelka@1to1.com Mila D’Antonio Managing Editor Elizabeth Glagowski Managing Editor, Interactive Kevin Zimmerman Senior Editor Jeremy Nedelka Assistant Editor Contributors Greg Edmondson, Eric Krell CREATIVE STAFF Annette Webb Creative Director 203-642-5501 annette.webb@1to1.com 203-642-5283 lorri.cosentino@1to1.com 203-642-5225 gregg.watson@1to1.com Lorri A. Cosentino Art Director Gregg Watson Senior Designer SENIOR ADVISORS Don Peppers, Founding Partner Martha Rogers, Ph.D., Founding Partner Marji Chimes, Vice President Marketing/Media EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Stephanie Acker-Moy, Hewlett-Packard Michael Eichorst, TIAA-CREF Thomas J. Hannigan, Hoffmann-La Roche Pharmaceuticals Justin C. Honaman, Coca-Cola Bottler Sales and Service Violette Jacobson, Ed.D., United States Postal Service Henk Kok, Air Miles Netherlands Andy Lorin, Bonasource Paul Miller, Prolog Connect Dan Steinbock, India, China, and America Institute Pete Winemiller, Seattle SuperSonics and Seattle Storm ADVERTISING & MARKETING STAFF Michael Dandrea Group Publisher 203-642-5525 michael.dandrea@1to1.com 203-642-5343 dara.smith@1to1.com 203-642-5443 thomas.schmalzl@1to1.com 203-642-5425 carolyn.filbert@1to1.com 203-642-5165 cheryl.richter@1to1.com Dara Smith Sales Manager Thomas Schmalzl Director, Integrated Communications Carolyn Filbert Sales Coordinator CIRCULATION Cheryl Richter Audience Development Manager SUBSCRIPTIONS Send address changes and cancellations to: 1to1 Magazine c/o Hallmark Data P.O. Box 2075 Skokie, IL 60076-9417 1to1@halldata.com Editor-in-Chief, Publications 203-642-5341 or ginger.conlon@1to1.com www.1to1media.com/weblog 6 1to1 magazine Vol. 10, No. 6 1to1® Magazine (ISSN 1540-5249) is published six times per year (January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September/October, November/December) by Peppers & Rogers Group. Periodicals postage paid at Norwalk, CT, and additional entry points. Editorial and advertising sales ® office: 1to1 Magazine, 901 Main Ave., Ste. 212, Norwalk, CT 06851. Tel: 203-642-5121; fax: 203-642-5306; www.1to1media.com. © 2008 Carlson Marketing Worldwide Inc. All rights reserved. 1to1 is a registered trademark, and Return on Customer is a registered service mark of Peppers & Rogers Group, a division of Carlson Marketing Worldwide. Both are registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Postmaster: Send address changes to above address. Subscriptions are free to qualified U.S. subscribers. 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