Report

June 2000

The Customer Conversation

Bob Chatham 		Firms struggle to overcome organizational and technical barriers that hinder customer connections. To dissolve these barriers, firms must create a new relationship strategy based on a conversation, not a campaign.
by Bob Chatham with Laurie Orlov, Eroica Howard, Ben Worthen, Alexandra Coutts

INTERVIEWS
  • Firms foster a spirit of cooperation for customers' benefit.
  • The reality of data sharing lags behind objectives.
ANALYSIS
  • Firms must adopt a new, conversational strategy to drive healthy relationships.
  • A conversational strategy rewards firms and customers.
  • A hands-on or hands-free profile determines investments.
ACTION
  • Firms must first aggregate disparate data.
  • Mature organizations should focus on learning and optimization.
WHAT IT MEANS
  • Firms will improve their "corporate usability."
  • Wall Street begins measuring customer retention rates.
 
Figures & Data
  • Figure 1.  The Scope Of CRM
  • Figure 2.  Firms Strive To Cooperate On Behalf Of Customers
  • Figure 3.  Firms Serve Up Fragmented Responses To Customers
  • Figure 4.  Empowered Customers On The Net Explode The Sales Cycle
  • Figure 5.  Firms Must Pursue A Customer Conversation
  • Figure 6.  Relationship Profiles Vary Between Hands-Free And Hands-on
  • Figure 7.  Both Profiles Must Address All Three Conversational Attributes
  • Figure 8.  Determining Your Firm's Relationship Profile
  • Figure 9.  Firms' Efforts Will Evolve In Three Stages
   
RELATED MATERIAL 
  • Companies Interviewed For This Report
  • Related Research
 
GRAPEVINE
  • Newest inductees to the CRM hall of shame.
  • So what's left?
  • Sounds like the next country hit.
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Ratings and Comments
NOT YET RATED
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