Many mid-market executives believe Marketing owns customer intimacy. Can this be true, considering that Marketing’s main focus is generating demand? Will Marketing have time and talent to get close to customers? To be sure, many functions have significant customer interactions. For example, Sales when selling and Finance when managing receivables; and each function interprets customer data through its own lens, leading to diverging actions.
Only the CEO can bring about a unified view of the customer. Therefore, the CEO must serve as the advocate to ensure ongoing company-wide customer intimacy efforts.
Remember to plan to overcome resistance or other inherent challenges. For example, a company operating in strong silos will need to become somewhat collaborative. Or if your company isn’t very forward leaning, this also will need to be addressed.
Here are 3 recommendations for moving ahead:
If you’re in a B2B business and looking for ways to increase customer intimacy, consider implementing a customer advisory board program and funding a senior customer advocacy position.
Getting closer to your customers is more important than ever and should be championed by the CEO. Charter a cross-functional team to run your customer intimacy program and publish frequent updates to all employees to engage everyone. Consider a customer advisory board or senior customer advocate position to create opportunities to hear directly from your customers.
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1:00 - 5:00 pm
Over 70% of Executives Surveyed Agree: Many Strategic Planning Efforts Lack Systematic Approach Tips for Enhancing Your Strategic Planning Process
Executives expressed frustration with their current strategic planning process. Issues include:
Steve Rutan and Denise Harrison have put together an afternoon workshop that will provide the tools you need to address these concerns. They have worked with hundreds of executives to develop a systematic approach that will enable your team to make better decisions during strategic planning. Steve and Denise will walk you through exercises for prioritizing your lists and steps that will reset and reinvigorate your process. This will be a hands-on workshop that will enable you to think about your business as you use the tools that are being presented. If you are ready for a Strategic Planning tune-up, select this workshop in your registration form. The additional fee of $695 will be added to your total.
2:00 - 5:00 pm
Female leaders face the same issues all leaders do, but they often face additional challenges too. In this peer session, we will facilitate a discussion of best practices and how to overcome common barriers to help women leaders be more effective within and outside their organizations.
Limited space available.
10:30 - 5:00 pm
General’s Retreat at Hermitage Golf Course
Sponsored by UBS
General’s Retreat, built in 1986 with architect Gary Roger Baird, has been voted the “Best Golf Course in Nashville” and is a “must play” when visiting the Nashville, Tennessee area. With the beautiful setting along the Cumberland River, golfers of all capabilities will thoroughly enjoy the golf, scenery and hospitality.
The golf outing fee includes transportation to and from the hotel, greens/cart fees, use of practice facilities, and boxed lunch. The bus will leave the hotel at 10:30 am for a noon shotgun start and return to the hotel after the cocktail reception following the completion of the round.
