One of the clear differentiating factors between a high performance organization and one that is just trundling along is that high performance organizations always have a very clear customer avatar.
High performance organizations will always be able to describe their target customer in amazing detail. They will not just have a vague idea of a broad mass of people out there that they want to do business with.
When I engage in performance coaching I will always get my client to describe their target client not in some “business speak” but in a manner they would describe someone they were going to have lunch with. The reason I say not to go down the “business speak” route is that you will get all tied up in jargon – words like “demographics”, “social grouping”, “high net worth” and other similar descriptions. There is a place for these terms but not when describing your customer avatar to me! I also find that high performance organizations avoid jargon.
So, pretend you are meeting your perfect customer for lunch next week, and describe them to me in detail! So, go on!
Your description should include answers to the following:
- What are their needs?
- What interests them?
- What age are they?
- What type of work/activity are they involved in?
- Can I build a long term relationship with this person, and how will that happen?
- What needs will my product/service satisfy?
- Where can I bring added value to this person?
- What can I do for this person that will make me stand out from my competitors?
When engaged in executive coaching with my clients I will always seek answers to these questions – and I know how difficult they are to answer with great clarity and to a high level of detail, but believe you me, it is really worth it!
If you want to build a long term relationship with your clients then you must be able to answer all these questions – and others. High performance organizations do this all the time!
Relationships are not built just on a series of financial transactions – is your relationship with your employee only around the salary you submit to their bank every month? Is your relationship with your child only around the pocket money you give every week? Of course not! So, why is your relationship wit your client only viewed in terms of the financial transaction? Certainly no company will admit that this is the case, but the reality in many cases is that, sadly, is true!
The CEOs who adapt a coaching leadership style will ensure that this level of detail is arrived at and communicated right through their organization.
So if you want to create, maintain, high performance organizations, then describe your customer avatar – in amazing detail.