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Believers Make the Best Customers

continued from page 12

EXTRAORDINARY PARTNERS compete. The best organizatons systematcally build around the best
Customers who help us to improve results make extraordinary customers, forming partnerships that contribute to symbiotc growth.
partners. But customers who resist our products, advice, council, Line-of-sight with a great customer strs innovaton in both customer
service, and representatives can make hostages of our people and and service provider.
diminish our culture. The pressures to be more efficient are helpful; We have seen stellar examples of customer/vendor partnership.
terrorists are not. And when a customer holds your people hostage, Toyota has consistently practced great partnership with its suppliers,
you must free them or suffer the consequences. even to the point of locatng them adjacent to their manufacturing
It is counterproductve to have line-of-sight with your worst plants. What consttutes a great customer? The list varies, of course,
customers. Great organizatons fre poor customers, rather than let by the situaton, but here are a few traits you can take to the bank:
them detract from their people and thus their culture and ability to • Great customers don’t keep you guessing.
They keep educatng you about their goals,
needs, and dreams so you can increase your
usefulness to them.
• Great customers share your values. They
share your values about service to their

Great organizatons

fre poor customers,

rather than let them
detract from their

people and thus

their culture and
ability to compete.

customers and work alongside you to jointly
develop their people and do the right thing.
• Great customers are upfront. They’re honest
and candid about what works and what
doesn’t so that you can solve problems
together. They give you a chance to work
with them to make things right.
• Great customers won’t begrudge you a
reasonable proft margin. They appreciate
that both you and they must be proftable in
order to sustain the business long term.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH
The culture of an organizaton is extremely
sensitve to its customers. The quality of the
customer either provides opportunites for
growth, innovaton, and purpose or strangles the
organizaton and limits the future of its members.
Curt Cofman is Senior Partner and Chief Science
Ofcer of The Cofman Organizaton. Dr. Kathie
Sorensen is Principal Partner, Curriculum
Development of The Cofman Organizaton. They
are co-authors of the new book, ‘Culture Eats
Strategy for Lunch.’ For more informaton, go to
htp://cofmanorganizaton.com/ ESM

28 engagement strategies Vol.17 Issue 4