Are You Really Practicing “Customer Intimacy”?

Many boutique professional services firms rightly value "𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗰𝘆" as a core strategy: building deep trust, nurturing relationships, and tailoring their offerings closely to client needs.

Yet, as our Vistage CEO peer group discovered today, even the best-intentioned teams sometimes miss the mark.

One executive brought a critical challenge to the group for input: Their largest client had just rejected a new pricing and service proposal.

The executive team's initial instinct was to revise the proposal, keeping the commitment levels, margins, and cash flow front of mind.

𝗔𝘀 𝘄𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗼 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿, 𝗶𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿:

The approach was internally focused, prioritizing the firm's needs over the client's core concerns.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽'𝘀 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗳𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀:

1. Deeply understanding and addressing the client’s essential needs and business drivers.

2. Positioning the firm's unique capabilities and value vis-à-vis the competition.

3. Exploring creative alternatives beyond traditional compromises.

4. Evaluating solutions that could expand value for all parties involved, rather than just protecting the firm's interests.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁 moved the proposal from solely meeting the firm's needs to delivering clear, measurable value to the client's service levels and bottom line, the firm's ongoing success, and the potential to grow the partnership.

𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗮𝗹:

• Is the client's problem to be solved and P&L your starting point?

• Have you accurately mapped out how your client makes money and succeeds?

• Do you thoroughly understand their competitive alternatives?

• Are you intentionally creating upside that benefits everyone?

𝗣𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻’𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘆.

They illuminate our blind spots and expand our perspectives, helping us find optimal solutions.

𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻:

What might shift in your approach if you embraced a collaborative, win-win customer-intimacy model?