Creative Thinking for Your Customers

How well do you know your customers?

If you think about it, you know them pretty good after all they’re your customers, your business depends on them and their ability to buy your product from you.

You know what they want and when they are going to need it.

You know how much they want and how soon before they re-order again.

You know how much they are willing to pay and how quickly they pay.

This gives you an idea of their needs and the financial health of their company.

After all, they are your customers.

Do you think this information has any value to you?

Of course it does. It helps you maintain your inventory, letting you know when to buy and reorder, what to reorder, how long will it take for your accounts receivable to be healthy in order to help you continue to grow, how much is going out on accounts payable.

If your customer is expanding do you need to think about expanding your operation as well?

As a supplier you need to know all of this and more.

Another way to look at it is that since you know so much about this Customers Company that you really are a Consultant for your Customer.

Wait a minute!

Is this what you’re saying?

I just took you from a Supplier to a Consultant?

Hey and I only did it in a couple of sentences.

How can you become a Consultant for your Customer?

Think about it.

You know this company, you depend on this company and in some cases you really can’t do without this company.

Sit down and identify the old Business School SWOT about your customer.

Now if you’re saying what is SWOT, then we need a little Business School recap.

SWOT stands for Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threats.

Now depending on your relationship with your Customer, you might be able to sit down

together and create your SWOT Analysis together. If not, do it yourself.

Bring in your people one day and sit down and develop a SWOT Analysis.

Now this would be across the board for you, it would consist of manufacturing, shipping sales, marketing and even your accounting department. Bring them in and don’t give them any boundaries or limits. Let this be an open meeting and anyone can say anything they want. Remember, there are no stupid questions just stupid people who wouldn’t let the questions be asked. This is the future of your customer and what are their chances of surviving for without them, how long would you last?

The most important question you have to ask yourself is, if this customer disappears one day, do you survive?

After your people have completed your SWOT Analysis, put on paper, then sit down with your Customer and go over it. Show them how your company can be of assistance in growth or maybe in delivery of product. You might invest in a new computer system that will help your customer’s sales force order directly from you or in a new transportation system.

You customer might even offer to come in and help pay some of the investment that you are about to lay out because they can see how much it will help them in the long run.

What will be the end result?

Well if your customer is smart and they better be for your sake. They will see that you are interested in their growth, because if they grow you will grow.

You have actually become a consultant or if you want to think of it another way, a partner that is interested in their growth and success.