Home About Jim Barnes Keynotes Seminars & Workshops Consulting Books Publications Strategic Partners Client List Endorsements Contact Us	International consultant Dr. Jim Barnes has spent 30 years helping companies become more profitable. His work has shown that the key differentiating factor in establishing improved profitability and longevity of a customer relationship is improving the degree of emotional attachment inherent in that relationship...from the customer's perspective. Most companies don't really know their customers; they may know about them. Most focus on the things that are routinely or easily measured, and the result is a tendency to focus on what's important to the company, rather than what's really important to the customers. There is a crucial distinction between data and insight. "I work with clients to provide evidence of the current health of their customer relationships and to prescribe a roadmap for strengthening them; with all of the benefits that then result." Why should you invest in creating strong relationships with your customers? Because our research shows that those with the strongest relationships: Will give a firm/brand at least 10% more of their business Are roughly 30% more likely to remain as customers Are more than 50% more likely to recommend the firm/brand to their friends and associates. Major national and international client assignments focused on customer relationship strategy and measurement have revealed a consistent set of factors that drive customer relationships. And what we've learned may surprise you. Simply put, the factors that drive customer relationships can be divided into functional factors and emotional factors - the "hard" and the "soft" components of your relationship with your customers. While most companies pay a great deal of attention to the functional attributes of their relationship with customers - aspects like price, delivery, efficiency, etc. - many neglect the true differentiator - emotional affinity and the factors that drive it. "My work has focused on bringing a wealth of knowledge from social psychology and the development of human relationships to the relationship between customer and supplier, consumer and brand. The result is an enriched way of viewing the customer relationship in both B2B and B2C contexts, and the critical drivers behind that relationship. The benefit to the company is enhanced and sustained growth in bottom line returns." What does this mean for your company? You need to really know where your customers are. Collect insight, not data. Listen to your customers! Pay attention to the "soft" stuff. Think beyond customer satisfaction. Think about the customers you drive away. Plan to mean more to them in the future. Understand that the customer is in control. "Many companies think they are customer-driven. Many companies think that they understand their customers. There is a substantial gap between belief and reality." If you would like to talk to Dr. Barnes about customer relationship strategy or measurement, brand relationships, or effective sponsorship and partnership strategies for your organization or you would like more information, click here to send an e-mail info@bmai-strategy.com.
Copyright 2003, Barnes Marketing Associates Inc.