Growth is driven by customer value, but do we really listen?

As competition intensifies, a good product or service alone is no longer enough. What matters is how the value proposition shows up in the customer’s day to day reality: does it support business success, strengthen risk management and build genuine, long term partnership?

In many organisations, people say with confidence:  “Yes, we know what customers want.” But when was the last time customers were asked directly and their answers were truly heard?

Do you know or are you assuming?

Customer insight rakentuu helposti kokemuksen, myynnin palautteen ja satunnaisten keskustelujen varaan. Tieto  on arvokasta, mutta usein sirpaleista. Riskinä on, että alamme uskoa omaan tulkintaamme liikaa ja ymmärrämme tarpeet omasta  näkökulmastamme, ei asiakkaan.

When competition intensifies, even small misunderstandings become significant:

• We assume price is the deciding factor, even though risk management matters more to the customer.
• We emphasise speed, even though the customer values predictability and transparency.
• We talk about technology, even though the customer wants a partner who takes responsibility.

Without deliberate, structured dialogue, customer value easily remains based on assumptions.

Value proposition under review: are we genuinely supporting our customers’ success?

B2B customers buy successful projects, managed risks and predictable progress. The effectiveness of a value proposition is only measured in the customer’s reality:

• Do we help our customers achieve their goals in the most reliable way?
• Do we identify and reduce their risks?
• Do they see us as a supplier or as a partner?

How to get started: Customer value growth snapshot

One effective way to move from assumptions to facts is to carry out a Customer value growth snapshot.

1. Muodostetaan sisäiset hypoteesit,  mitä organisaatiossa uskotaan että tiedetään, ja mitä haluttaisiin tietää.
2. Select five key customers from the right target group. 
3. Interview the customers. Identify goals, pain points, opportunities and expectations.
4. Reflect the findings against the current value proposition.
5. Prioritise development opportunities.

The aim of the Customer value growth snapshot is to identify where we can create customer value and what is meaningful from the customer’s perspective. We understand where the value proposition is not yet fully realised, or where we may have imagined ourselves to be stronger than the customer actually experiences us to be.

Often, interviews with just five carefully selected customers reveal recurring themes and create a clear picture:

• Where the direction for growth is strong and where growth can be accelerated.
• Where we genuinely differentiate.
• How the value proposition should be sharpened and how.
• How we should develop our operations.

At the same time, a clear message is sent to the customer: you matter to us and we want to develop our services to meet your needs.