Requirements for Cultivating Customer Focus

Abstract

In today's fiercely competitive global marketplace, companies face a plethora of opportunities, as well as threats and challenges. As products become increasingly homogeneous, companies must develop concepts and strategies for fostering relationships with their customers. This necessitates a comprehensive approach, with a shift from transactional marketing to relationship marketing already underway, placing emphasis on the customer. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) holds promise for navigating competitive markets, yet high failure rates in CRM implementation persist. One critical success factor for CRM implementation is a steadfast orientation towards the customer. Achieving customer orientation entails various measures including change management, cross-functional collaboration, process optimization, employee engagement, and support from company stakeholders. Internal marketing is crucial for persuading employees to transition from functional to cross-functional thinking. Customer orientation is not merely a strategy, but a journey and long-term commitment, requiring continual assessment and enhancement. This paper offers an in-depth exploration of the essential factors for cultivating customer orientation.