Customer-centricity is more than just a buzzword. Many companies claim to put customers first, insisting that every decision revolves around them. But how many truly live up to that promise? The daily drive to get things done often prioritises sales and product-focused thinking over customer needs, leaving good intentions by the wayside.

At Understood, we believe that real customer-centricity starts with your people. But how do you ensure that each member of your team thinks about the customer at every step?

We’ve put together six strategies to help you create and embed a truly customer-obsessed culture:

1. Define and champion company values that inspire a customer-centric culture

Your values should be more than words on a wall. They should be a part of every interaction between employees and customers.

2. Make sure your team understands your customer experience vision

It is a mistake to assume they already do. Educate and inspire them with a tailored customer service training program designed to bring your vision to life.

3. Develop a strong communication strategy to drive engagement

Success depends on everyone being on board. Talk about customer-centricity from the top down, bottom up, and across all levels of the business. Use customer journey mapping to help employees visualise the entire customer experience.

4. Give your training programme a distinct identity

Create an internal brand with a recognisable look and feel to reinforce its importance and make it stick. Include frontline customer service skills, emotional intelligence in customer service, and handling challenging customers to ensure comprehensive training.

5. Build a network of customer champions

Identify passionate employees across the organisation who can advocate for and embed customer-centric behaviours. Their enthusiasm will be contagious and will contribute to building trust in customer relationships.

6. Keep customer focus front and centre

Provide managers with a wealth of ideas, resources, and training to continuously engage and educate their teams. Implement customer engagement strategies, customer feedback systems, and customer retention strategies to measure and improve outcomes.

7. Integrate human-centric sales techniques

Support your sales teams with consultative selling techniques, upselling and cross-selling in customer service, and strategies for closing deals that focus on long-term customer trust and rapport rather than just quick wins.

8. Innovate your customer experience

Encourage teams to think outside the box with customer experience innovation initiatives that enhance loyalty, improve customer retention, and create a truly seamless, engaging experience.

Creating a solid customer-centric culture takes consistency and commitment. The companies who do it well are rewarded with loyal customers, engaged employees, and a stronger brand which we think is well worth the effort.

Talk to us, explore our website, read our blog, and follow us on LinkedIn to learn more and discover ways to grow a more successful business.