• Are you adapting to your customers changing needs and demands?
• Are you constantly being pro-active on their behalf?
• Are you supporting them with innovation and development?  

As an expert in leadership coaching who helps companies to grow in uncertain times, I can prove that doing the above will strengthen your business and your customers’ companies. 

Not doing them could be disastrous for both parties – and lose you precious accounts.   

As a leading executive coach and business strategist who has guided business leaders through dramatic change in South Africa’s socio political environment, here’s three nuggets to keep you close to your customers. 

1. Faster response time
   In uncertain times customers will order at the very last minute so ensure your order cycle can achieve ’just in time’ order fulfillment like the top fast food chains. Get your people to deliver faster order fulfillment targets and celebrate their successes. 
2. Smaller orders more frequently
   To help customers manage cash flow, give them the option to place smaller orders more frequently and bind them with an annual volume incentive. You’ll need to overhaul your operations and order fulfillment cycles – which may bring additional savings as you apply the same approach to your suppliers. 
3. Support customers with innovation and development
   Innovation doesn’t have to involve developing new products. Make small modifications to your standard product to suit customer’s particular requirements such as painting or packaging the product in their colours, adding their logo or supplying complete subassemblies. 

Today’s world is about surviving, growing through uncertain times and strengthening yours and your customers’ businesses for the long term. To find how you can achieve this you can email richard.bosworth@whatifspecialist.com, follow @richardwhatif on Twitter and find me on LinkedIn under Richard Bosworth.