How well do you know your customers?

How Well Do You Know Your Customers?

A successful Account Based Marketing (ABM) or Customer Centric Marketing (CCM) strategy demands a deep, almost obsessive, commitment to understanding your customers. Without this insight, your sales and marketing efforts will feel like an uphill battle.

You might have developed Ideal Customer Profiles (ICPs) or mapped out key accounts—both valuable steps. But for most mid-market companies, true knowledge about current and prospective customers is often lacking.

Research and Listen

Once you’ve identified your key accounts, set aside any preconceived customer profiles. Avatars may provide comfort, but they can obscure the truth.

Begin by conducting thorough research, and more importantly, engage with your customers. Not to sell, but to ask questions and listen carefully. Don’t accept surface-level answers; instead, probe deeper using techniques like the 5 Why’s to uncover the root causes of issues.

For example, during a recent conversation with a potential channel partner, they mentioned, “Competitor X doesn’t really do much for us.” Instead of accepting this at face value, I asked, “Why?” The answers that followed were unexpected but revealing, leading us to adjust our strategy significantly. My goal wasn’t to counter their points in the moment but to understand their perspective more fully so we could be a better partner.

Remember, B2B interactions are really human-to-human connections. And everyone has a boss they need to please.

Stay Perpetually Curious

If you’re unsure where to start, consider the common objections you’ve heard over time. Use these as a foundation for your queries. Dive deeply into each one, seeking to understand the real issues driving these objections.

For instance, if pricing objections keep coming up, don’t assume it’s just about cost. Often, it’s a convenient excuse to end the conversation. By exploring further, you might discover underlying issues that, once addressed, will position you as a valuable partner rather than just another vendor.

The learning is never done. Leadership and policies within organizations change over time. To be successful, you have to constantly update your knowledge about what makes every customer tick.

Personal Connection for the Win

The more you understand your customers—their real challenges, motivations, and needs—the better you can serve them. Approach every interaction with curiosity and a genuine desire to help, and you’ll find that not only will your marketing efforts improve, but your relationships with your customers will deepen.

If this all sounds like a lot of work, it is. But it is also incredibly rewarding and can fuel massive growth.

One Final Thought

Right now, I’m focused on the culture of decision-making within organizations. I’m curious about the factors that influence these decisions—both internal and external. Who has a say in the process, and how is the decision-making tree structured? Is the process driven by instinct or is it more bureaucratic? And, how many people are involved in making these decisions? Understanding these dynamics is crucial for aligning strategies with how customers truly operate.

What is the biggest question you are wrestling with at the moment? Drop me an email, I’d love to know!

Weekly Recommended Reading

I’m currently rereading 10x Is Easier Than 2x and would highly recommend it to anyone who hasn’t already read it. Thinking small keeps you small. Thinking big, on the other hand, is the only way to make really giant leaps forward.