New ways of Marketing today

One of the best Marketing books is a Chartered Institute of Marketing prescribed text by Professor Niger Piercy called Market-Led Strategic Change.  In this book Percy explains how companies have become more innovative in their customer approach and that there are a number of ways to improve marketing performance.

Piercy explains that for “all organisations the only thing that really matters at the end of the day is not the technology, or company policies, or computer systems, or products, or even the management …but the long-term satisfaction of customers – this is the only way it can survive.

Piercy goes on to state that the process of marketing goods and services of any kind is incredibly simple in concept or principle, but again and again we have proved , beyond doubt, in organizations, that putting it into practical effect and achieving what we want is excessively difficult.

He believes that there is an urgent need to go back to basics and to clarify the important issues to be addressed in how we want people in our organizations to understand the customer and the role of marketing.

After detailing successful marketing organizations such as Virgin and Body Shop to back up his theories Peircy goes on to state that:-

• you have to get better at going to market – but probably without a marketing department.
• you have to build trusting and close relationships with customers and suppliers – but you can only do that by breaking relationships (the ones your competitors have with those same customers).

For me one of the best lessons from this book is that “Customer perception is reality”.  Piercy states that “the harsh truth is that value is not created in the factory or the back office; customer value exists only on the customer’s terms and reflects the customer’s priorities and preferences. We think that Piercy has got it 100% correct where he states that perhaps one of the hardest things we have to do in building customer focus is simply to listen better to customers.  Where if you can find better ways of listening to customers, the pay-off may be enormous.  The surprise again and again is that customers will actually talk to you and learn how to be better if you are just prepared to listen.

Central Strata uses the ideas and practical advice laid down by Piercy contact us today to find out how we can help your business.