Bringing CRM and Innovation together in business
David Beard, Sage CRM Expert
In all economic conditions, businesses think about WHAT they sell – their top products, consistent buyers, etc. However, thinking this way is really just “navel gazing” – only operating from an internal perspective. A better question to ask is WHY customers buy, HOW they do this, WHAT their expectations are of a sale, and more. In essence, you need to think creatively, albeit Inside the Box of your chosen business environment.
OK – sounds like beginner’s Business Strategy, right?
Sure it does. However, I think the day-to-day reality for many business operators is this – they are stuck with an internal narrative. Many, when asked WHY they want to a process to work a certain way, just say “it’s what we have always done”. Critically, there is often no real reference to the CUSTOMER’S experience of the sale.
How did we end up not thinking from a customer perspective?
After listening to Radio 4’s In Business a few weeks back, I was struck by Russell Ackoff’s comment along the lines of “most managers don’t deal with complexity … they look for simple solutions” What Mr Ackoff is suggesting is that innovation is hard work. When you are busy executing & monitoring a business strategy, it’s often hard to step back and think differently. After a while, usually when the same ideas fail to deliver the same results, the owner is left to contemplate the operating complexity of the real world.
How can people be innovative and run the day-to-day?
Mr Ackoff suggests synthetic thinking is required – studying the behaviour of the parts of a business as it relates to the functions of the whole. At its most basic, it means mapping your customer’s journey through your business- where does it cruise uninterrupted, when does it end up in a cul-de-sac, and the like. And, in most knowledge-based businesses, these journeys are inextricably linked to employee engagement. The most valuable mapping ideas are tied up in employee’s heads. They know how that customer journey works – asking them to help improve the journey will shed light on the complex systems within a business.
That should allow you to drive innovation from within, delivering a clearer view of the world in which your business operates & how best to focus your efforts.
David Beard, Sage CRM Expert
