Dennis Geelen: Are you Truly Customer-Centric? You May Not Be

What does it really mean to be customer centric? It’s more than just polite customer service or occasionally asking customers what they think of you. It’s an ongoing mindset that is backed up by processes, structures, and tools to continue staying in lockstep with your customers - and engaging their input and needs to drive business decisions. My guest today, Dennis Geelen, shares his formula for customer centric success. We also discuss why some businesses have thrived during the pandemic while others have failed, why data and customer centricity are not the same thing, and tips to help your organization become more customer-centric. 

Key Takeaways:

• The questions you ask of your customers should be in the context of what they are trying to do, not just their thoughts on your products or services.
• When collecting data, you need to understand if you are doing it to add value for the customer or just to grow, sell, and maximize your quarterly profits.
• Find a way to go through your customer’s journey with your company and see what you learn from that process.

"It's so important to have customer centric innovation as your foundation because you don't know when the next disruptor is coming along." —  Dennis Geelen 

About Dennis Geelen: Dennis Geelen is the author of the best selling book The Zero In Formula and the Founder of Zero In, a customer experience and innovation consulting company. Dennis has spent the past 20 plus years helping several companies in various industries change, grow, and prosper. He brings a strong background in strategic planning, innovation, and customer experience, combined with his passion for helping companies and giving back to communities. Dennis lives in Lindsay, Ontario with his wife Cindy and their dog Duke and two cats (Peanut and Chica). 

Connect with Dennis:

Website: www.zero-in.ca (Find the customer centricity assessment tool here, mentioned in the episode)

Twitter: https://twitter.com/dennis_geelen

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennis-geelen-5a95703/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dennis.geelen.9

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dennis.geelen/

Book, The Zero In Formula - https://www.zero-in.ca/the-zero-in-formula

Mentioned this episode:

Competing Against Luck by Clayton Christensen - https://www.amazon.com/Competing-Against-Luck-Innovation-Customer/dp/0062435612

The Trusted Advisor by David A. Maister, Charles H. Green, and Robert M. Galford - https://www.amazon.com/Trusted-Advisor-David-H-Maister/dp/0743212347

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