I peruse the financial trade press pretty often. In them I read articles and come across ads touting new brands, new products, new technology, justification of new fee structures, announcements of buyouts and mergers, new channels of distribution, and so on. Most of it is interesting - some a little less so. But if you look closely at all of it, there is big pit of missing information.

Seriously, does anyone else notice that "customers" are glaringly excluded from the discussions? They are begging to be heard and are extremely willing to be loyal. But instead companies focus on everything else but their most important asset.

Continue reading "The Financial Industry's Selective Customer Memory" »

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It's important for companies to build relationships with customers. Not just relationships, but trusted relationships. Because if a customer doesn't trust that your organization is doing what is in their best interests, they're not going to remain a customer for very long.

Continue reading "Customer Strategist Orkun Oguz: Building Customer Trust from the Ground Up" »

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Although unemployment rates continue to remain high and some market sectors, such as real estate, have not yet rebounded, most corners of the economy continue to gain strength. As corporate financial performance improves, many CEOs are focusing on expanding product sales or diversifying into new markets.

That type of thinking is a common knee-jerk approach most decision-makers often make in the early stages of an economic recovery. Ultimately, however, it's a misguided methodology.

Continue reading "Customer Strategist Orkun Oguz:
Striking a Customer-Centric Strategy Through the Upturn" »

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