Companies that extend their enterprise to include partners can increase their reach and competitiveness. Doesn’t it begin with more connected thinking?
"Businesses need to break free from traditional constraints on communication and use ICT in an equally creative way", says Jeremy Dent, UK Sales Manager at Ensight. Do you agree with his assessment? I think it’s about using technology in innovative ways, supported by effective sales and marketing strategies.
Joint propositions
“Many organisations who deal with customers either through or with partners have begun to realise that they need to build a close relationship with their partners in order to develop a joint proposition”, explains Liz Machtynger ofCustomeressential.com. “A good example is major insurance organisations”, she adds.
“It is predominantly still dealing through brokers. I have worked with a major insurer recently to carry out joint research on customers to understand the real needs of the end customer, and set out the roles and responsibilities in the partnership for delivery to the customer. The outcome has been a measurable impact on the service provided to the customer (major increases in satisfaction ratings), a reduction in costs for both parties as duplication of effort has been removed, and a much better and differentiated offering to the marketplace.”
Joined at the hip?
You could also extend your internal intranets, making them extranets. These connect your business with its partners, using broadband technology. This practice helps to increase the sales performance of each organisation, including your own. Would you also like enhance knowledge management? Share information and knowledge about your customers (within the bounds of the Data Protection Act), and about your products and services. I think it can engender more connected thinking, and more aligned processes.
Customers will notice this. They want to feel that each company they deal with knows them, don’t they? Not knowing your customers, whether within the business-to-business or consumer sectors, leads to reduced sales and customer satisfaction. Technology does not create the relationship, or does it? I think it improves your ability to deliver products and services according to their expectations. Customers will further benefit if the traditional organisational silos are removed. Sales and marketing in each organisation should work together. The appropriate use of ICT can even ensure that they are better connected too.
How can technology improve the relationship between your partners, your company and your customers? How do you manage disintermediation, and channel conflicts that might arise from working with others?