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By Chris Haydon,Senior Vice President of Customer Value at SAP Ariba
“Be real!”
How often do we hear this expression in response to a lack of sincerity? At a time when fraudulent social media accounts for businesses outnumber real ones — and when “deepfake” has been shortlisted for Word of the Year — trust matters more than ever in cementing our most valued relationships. It is the bond that anchors (and its absence that undermines) our feelings toward friends and loved ones, the candidates we vote for, and even the brands we patronise.
In any meaningful relationship — whether interpersonal or in the commercial sphere — trust rests on authenticity. It requires listening. It depends on continual feedback.
Yet without the right set of tools to gauge it, businesses can fall short in identifying (let alone responding to) the ever-changing needs of the buyers and suppliers they rely on. This holds particularly true for procurement teams, who may rarely if ever meet their organisation’s trading partners in person. Cloud-based platforms that facilitate business-to-business commerce must therefore place a premium on transparency and accountability at every link of the supply chain, not only to ensure the smooth flow of operations but to reinforce the trust that sustains it.
Of course, enterprises glean insights well beyond those from suppliers. Through the day-to-day course of business, they amass vast troves of data about customers, employees, products and processes. The ongoing stream of real-time information, both quantitative and qualitative, helps businesses to uncover opportunities, evaluate risks and anticipate trends. Intelligent enterprises convert these insights into concrete actions to improve experiences and outcomes for their customers, suppliers, partners and employees.
Does success automatically follow just from being “real” with these diverse stakeholders? Well, that may be an oversimplification. But as an acronym, real presents a remarkably handy mnemonic for customer-facing professionals everywhere:
· Responsiveness. Whether it’s your colleague, a partner or a customer (external or internal), being sensitive to her or his needs and responding to them promptly helps to build trust and deepen relationships for the long term. Speed matters.
· Empathy. Put yourself in your customer’s shoes. Listen attentively. Understand her or his concerns, priorities and objectives before suggesting solutions. One size seldom fits all. Listening is essential.
· Alignment. Demolish silos wherever they cast a shadow over customer value. Align with colleagues and partners across organisational boundaries to identify solutions. Create memorable experiences for customers that earn their loyalty, without exception.
· Leadership. With an outcome-oriented attitude, help customers (external or internal) to realise value through your expertise. Overcome setbacks and lead with integrity and transparency without regard for who receives credit.
Though the touchpoints between an enterprise and its stakeholders are increasingly digital, extending competitive advantage still requires distinctly human intention. It always will. That’s because the key to establishing trust lies in making the conscious decision to continually learn from and respond to every interaction, both human and nonhuman.
Are your customer-facing employees — and your customer-facing systems — equipped with the technologies necessary to capture constructive feedback at every juncture of contact, make systemic changes accordingly, and deliver satisfaction perennially?
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