7 July Creating Customer Value (...eliminating...)

[Paul Terlemezian]

The purpose of business is to stay in business. I heard this "line" again today. What does it mean to you?

 

One tenet of staying in business is to eliminate activities that do not create value.

 

What process do we have to eliminate activities that do not create value in the courses we build and deliver and in the processes we use to determine the impact of the course.

 

A course (classroom or online) is a complex activitity. Each learner must be prepared to learn; must be capable of assimilating what has been learned and will need support when they return to their job. The instructor and/or technology used to provide the learning must be functioning properly also.

 

What practices exist to assure the success of this complex activity? Are they actually applied? When were they last reviewed to assure that they are adding value in relation to the desired outcome?

[Paul Terlemezian]

Have you ever had a client:

1. Ask you to offer a service outside of what you currently offer?
2. Ask you to change the way you package or deliver your service?
3. Reveal something they were planning to do with your materials that you might wish they did not do?

If so - congratulations for two reasons!

1. Your client trusts you! (what a wonderful compliment you have received
2. You have just been given a strong hint of what your customer values

Try to resist dismissing this compliment by hearing it as a threat - consider it as an opportunity to "stay in business" by creating customer value! What are you willing to do (and how do you prove it will benefit your client) as you make sure that your client understands:

1. The challenges associated with what they have described
2. Your experience with overcoming these challenges
3. How you can help them overcome the challenges

Even if the client does not buy this help from you - you may have serendipitously created a new product offering!