DEVELOPING CUSTOMER-CENTRIC STRATEGIES

The first hurdle any type business planning encounters is getting management to invest the time. HYM struggled to overcome this obstacle for a good while until we had a very client- centric thought: “We need to condense customer-centric planning down to the time management will take – without compromising outcomes.” So we developed Hyper- Planning. H-P condenses planning sessions normally spanning many weeks into an intensive two day session. All inputs are gathered beforehand. All executional planning comes after. But for two compressed days H-P guides management through a structured planning process that converts inputs into customer-centric strategies. Very hard work, but well worth it.

Customer-centric planning: Developing customer-centric strategies means planning from the customer perspective. During team planning meetings, we ask participants to “put on your customer hat” or “find your inner customer.” Doing so develops appreciation for what customers want and what they need, including anticipating future preferences. Lacking this customer guidance, companies revert to planning to meet internal goals, which rarely equate to customer goals.

Sequencing: Properly sequencing introduction of inputs and subsequent considerations, as shown, fuels the H-P process.

• Understanding customers & their expectations
• Understanding customer experience
• Understanding expectation/experience gaps
• Identifying external factors affecting customers
• Identifying internal factors affecting customers
• Identifying how factors could change
• Developing strategies to meet expectations
• Developing strategies to exceed expectations
• Developing change strategies

In many instances, Hyper-Planning produces breakaway strategies that create unique customer relationships and place our clients in unique competitive positions. That’s always our goal.

To learn more about H-P, read or download our free Hyper-Planning Guidebook. Or, to read about the progression from strategy to customer-driven process, click here.