“I cannot give you the formula for success, but I can give you the formula for failure – which is: Try to please everybody.” – Herbert Bayard Swope (1992 – 1958).
At ExperiencePoint, we are all about the client experience (and adding value of course) – we strive to have an intimate understanding of our partners’, clients’ & users’ issues, needs & wish lists. Over the years, we have expanded rapidly and our client base became varied. I realized that as we continue to be client-oriented, we have to be prepared to say “No” to anything that disagree with our values & principles or dilutes focus away from our core customers.
Recently, I’ve gotten to know (and became a fan of) David Dunne, Marketing Professor from the Rotman School of Management. David wrote an interesting blog post titled “Getting Tough with Customers” which discusses how the world’s all-time best marketer (The Holy Catholic Church) had benefited through standing firm on their values and principles & staying close to its customers & understanding them.
Professor Dunne explains “Over the millennia, the Church has built the world’s greatest global brand – the original brand icon – to such an extent that it can afford to displease, even anger many of its customers and still count on their unmitigated loyalty. The crucifix is recognized everywhere, inspires intense emotions, transcends language and culture and is the only brand I can ever think of that people would die for.” Not to mention that the Church is in an intensely competitive “market” (go ahead – apply Porters’ 5 Forces to this “industry”).
What I’ve found especially fascinating was how Professor Dunne used the Church to illustrate standing firm can actually enhance your status with your core customers. Professor Dunne has definitely re-affirmed me that we are on the right track!
Brought up in a Presbyterian family, it is no surprise that the Church has never been afraid to anger its “customers” by standing firm on their beliefs & values. Looking through the lens of how an orgnization works, some think that the Church ignores its customers’ needs. Quite the contrary, the Church will lose their strongest “customers” if they went the easy route of pleasing everybody.
“The Church, and other religions, at their core are all about customer experience. Customers are prepared to give their time and part with their money in exchange for a sense of personal well-being and transcendence,” Professor Dunne continues.
When I think about leading luxury brand – Louis Vuitton – I can’t help but to give kudos to LVMH which have faithfully ignored the many wishes around the world for their products to be more affordable. Nope, economic crisis or not – No sales, No discounts, No outlets. LVMH got the essence of its brand right. Through dissatisfying a lot of their customers by staying firm on their lavish & firm prices, they are actually staying close & pleasing their core target group (think 80:20 rule).
Keeping close to our customers & seeking their feedback is always important. But we have to always remember our values & principles as well as think of our core target group before deciding on a change.
“You don’t need to be all things to all people: focus on your core customers and give them the experience they want (but nevertheless may not be able to articulate).” – Professor David Dunne, Rotman School of Management
