Throughout my moderately long career, I’ve had the chance to work in multiple organizations, and collaborate with many others as customers or vendors. As I gained experience and formed ideas on what does or doesn’t work about inter-organizational interactions, one type of approach always stuck out: Customer Advocacy.
What do I mean by Customer Advocacy? The idea is rather simple; customer advocacy can be defined as a business approach centered on prioritizing the long-term success and satisfaction of the customer. In every business relationship I was part of where Customer Advocacy was prioritized, I observed increased chances of positive outcome.
This approach, in turn, means that the relationship between the two organizations can grow deeper roots, based on mutual respect and interest, also increasing the likelihood the relationship will last much longer.
So what does it actually mean to be a customer advocate?
It means taking the time to understand the customer's business goals, their challenges, and their pain points. It means working closely with them to develop a solution that is tailored to their specific needs. It means making the effort to see both the problem and the proposed solution from the customer’s perspective, and it means being responsive to their feedback and making adjustments along the way.
Too often I’ve seen service providers focus on selling their own products or services, rather than on solving the customer's problems, or worse, selling the customer something they don’t need just to make profit. Not only does this approach lead to solutions that are not fit for purpose and that do not deliver the desired results - this approach will almost always lead to a short-lived relationship between the organization as the customer realizes that the consultant does not have their best interest in mind.
In contrast, when you focus on customer advocacy, you put the customer's needs first. This approach focuses on the long-term vision for the customer and for the relationship and leads to better outcomes for both the customer and the service provider.
Here are a few examples of how customer advocacy can drive long-term success:
Ask “Why” early and often. Your customer hired you because of your experience and knowledge. Lean on that experience to gain a deeper understanding of the actual issue, rather than the one stated by the customer.
Know that it is ok to push back. Some of my most impactful solutions were ones where I pushed back on the customer’s request and explained that what they are asking for is not what they need.
Design solutions with a holistic approach, aiming to not only satisfy management with reports and efficiency, but also the end-users, by making their day-to-day jobs easier (for example, by using automation), and adding operational value (reminders, automatic follow-ups, etc).
Take responsibility for your mistakes or misunderstandings. It is not uncommon for customers to expect consultants to just “know” something about their business without ever discussing it. It is our job as consultants to extract the necessary information from our customers, but there are always things left unsaid. Taking responsibility and working with the customer to rectify gaps shows integrity, and will bolster the customer’s trust that you will do the right thing by them.
If you are looking to build a lasting business, you cannot ignore your customers’ perspective.
By focusing on customer advocacy, you can build long-term relationships with your clients and ensure that you are always delivering the best possible solutions. This will lead to increased customer satisfaction, loyalty, and referrals.
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