Are we a client centric team?

Increasing market saturation and evolving client requirements necessitate a shift towards client-centric business models. Our classification model offers a hands-on and pragmatic perspective for companies and teams aiming to become more client centric.

A product focused business strategy centers around the product itself, driving the company to deliver the most innovative and superior products at competitive prices. Conversely, a solutions-focused business strategy emphasizes gaining and continually enhancing deep client knowledge to create solutions that meet client needs and requirements.

Along these two dimensions - product vs. solution and knowing your product vs. knowing your client - companies can be classified into four categories:

Aspect	Product-Centric	Product Pusher	Order Taker	Client-Centric
Focus	Development and refinement of products	Aggressively market and sell high-quality products	Production or sourcing of products, rely on intermediaries	Prioritizing needs, preferences, and feedback of clients
Product Cycle	Continuous loop of development, feedback, refinement	Quick development and market launch	Focus on production or procurement stages	Products designed and developed based on client feedback
Client Interaction	Limited to consideration during development	Sales force focuses on convincing buyers	Minimal direct interaction with end clients	High engagement, frequent direct feedback
Innovation	Focused on product innovation	Product innovation communicated by sales team	Limited to production efficiencies	Driven by client needs and feedback
Competition	Competes through superior products	Competes through aggressive marketing	Competes on terms and relationships with middlemen	Competes by tailoring products/services to client needs
Margin	Potentially higher but offset by R&D costs	Potential for quick sales growth, but high sales costs	Squeezed by intermediaries’ share	Potential for premium pricing, higher customer lifetime value
Advantages	Differentiation through superior products, strong brand reputation	Quick market penetration, strong customer relationships	Reduced marketing and distribution costs, focus on core activities	High customer satisfaction, loyalty, sustainable competitive advantage
Disadvantages	Risk of market misalignment, high costs, limited customer engagement	Resource intensive, risk of market misalignment, sales over client needs	Loss of direct market insight, dependency on intermediaries, reduced control over brand representation	Challenges in balancing customization and scalability, aligning the organization, managing customer expectations

Improving client centricity within a company requires a guiding framework that can be adapted and tailored to fit the unique context of each organization. A clear vision and a robust strategy are essential, and a pragmatic, disciplined approach leading to incremental improvements will ensure long-term success and sustainability in an increasingly competitive market.

No organization and no team should embark on such an adventure without any support and help.

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