It seems almost every business owner I meet claims to be customer centric, yet, ask their customers, and you get a different response.

Human nature is that we put priority on what is important to us, rather than looking at something from the other side of the equation. It is simply easier for us to compute, and in the short term, more satisfying, to think how well we are doing.

Go out to some customers, potential customers, and importantly, former customers, and ask them some simple questions:

• What is the most painful situation we might be able to help you with?
  • How did we do last time solving it?
• How could we make it easier to do business with us?
• What would make us so compelling that price no longer mattered?
• How would you explain our value proposition to your neighbour?
• What would make you choose our competitor over us?
• How are we different to our competitors?
• What one thing would you change about the manner in which we service you?
• What words would you use to describe the relationship we have: supplier, partner, collaborator,

Rank yourself on these questions to gain a real picture of your customer centricity. If you are doing well, you are answering all the questions your customer may have, giving them the information they need to make decisions. The ultimate test is to be able to tell them that your product is not the ideal one for them, and recommend an alternative.

Do that, and they will trust you forever.

Related posts:

10 questions for a Customer Value Audit. How do you reduce customer churn? How do you delight a customer? How to build a super effective customer ‘Persona’