Things are different now than they were a few months ago and it has become quite the cliché. Nevertheless, things are different in life and in business. We are all learning to adapt. As things settle into a new normal, remember that our markets are settling into a new normal too.
Remember Precedented Times?
McKinsey’s May 27, 2020 COVID Briefing kindly pointed out that
To get back to business, many companies are running spreadsheets to see how many people spaced six feet apart will fit in an office, planning one-way paths through the workplace, and figuring out adaptations to restrooms, lunchrooms, and entrances. All of those are critical tasks, but they are not enough. What’s needed is a return “muscle”: an enterprise-wide ability to absorb uncertainty and incorporate lessons into the operating model quickly.
i.e. Businesses are operating differently today, and they will need to operate differently tomorrow. This is all changing and changing quickly. It can be tough to predict, or even keep up with the now. So that, of course means that now more than ever, we need to stay in touch with our customers and markets.
If You Want to Know How Things Have Changed, Ask
A key point in the McKinsey briefing, is that businesses need to “incorporate lessons into the operating model quickly”. This of course is a key tenet of the Market-Driven Business and one of the reasons that Win-Loss and related research exist in the first place. New information is learned, and then is fed back into the organization in order to drive change. Quickly.
But how do we learn during these difficult times? The folks at McKinsey remind us that analytics will help us there. But they only get us part of the way there. They add,
To renew and refresh their connections to the people they serve, companies need to recognize what’s happening now, and respond in three ways: digital excellence, safe and contactless engagement, and dynamic customer insights.
And that last one is the key, isn’t it? That’s where interview-based research comes in. Now more than ever, you need to pick up the phone, hop on a video conference, or visit 6 feet apart and have a conversation with someone from your market. People want to tell you how they feel about the world changing, and through those discussions you can find new ways to better serve markets and customers new and old.
Go Ahead and Ask for Help, We’re Here For You
We here at The Win-Loss Agency spend our days talking to people on behalf of our customers. It’s second nature to us. But hey, we get that not everyone knows how to do it efficiently and with the structure needed to effect change in business.
And so, while we wait to get back to precedented times, we would like to offer you
30-minutes of string-free consultation on your Win-Loss or Market Discovery efforts.
This isn’t a vapid corporate promise, we really mean it. Let’s just talk. Reach us here, here, or call us at 226-444-0605.
Are You Ready to Learn from Your Buyers?
You bet you are. We look forward to hearing from you.
