– Bob Dorf, co-author with Steve Blank Buy the book »ABOUT THE BOOK:SMART CUSTOMERS, STUPID COMPANIES pulls no punches. Dynamic and a quick read, this full color book focuses like a laser on disruptive innovation and what it takes for a company to profit from it, instead of getting crushed by it. The book makes the case that four disruptive forces are making customers smarter than the companies that wish to serve them, and that being dumber than your customers is not a sustainable business model. Michael Hinshaw and Bruce Kasanoff argue that 25% to 30% of Fortune 500 CEOs are running the next Kodak, but they don’t know it yet. They’ve been lulled into complacency because it has taken two decades for technology to reach a tipping point. In 1995, or even 2005, technological change wasn’t capable of toppling governments. Now it is. In 2000, the biggest media companies in the world hadn’t lost control of their business models. Now they have. Major companies are so far behind their customers’ expectations that almost a third of them will never catch up. This book is for those companies who can still survive – and even thrive – if they act decisively and be utterly tenacious in their conviction to act as smart or smarter than their customers. Buy the book » |
Buy the book »SHARERECENT PRESS:ADVANCE PRAISE:“Technology-enabled customers are getting smarter every day, while companies mired in the same old ways of doing business just come off as stupider and stupider. Do not let that happen to you. Instead, follow Hinshaw and Kasanoff's prescription to ride the waves of today's perfect storm of disruptive innovations.” – B. Joseph Pine II, co-author, |
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It is not a sustainable strategy to act dumber than the customers you wish to serve.
At the same time, everything and everyone has become or is becoming interconnected. Customers have smartphones loaded with apps that let them check prices, compare service agreements, read reviews, and check in with friends (and strangers) even as they examine your offers and products, and those of your competitors.
Consumers and businesses alike research, connect, and purchase online and over their phones without a second thought.
With these tools come radically higher customer expectations. Higher expectations of experience. Greater demands for personalization and customization. Lower tolerance for mistakes, for running through inane hoops, or for interactions that require mindless repetition (“... What is your account number ...?”).
In short, the world has changed dramatically, but many companies have not. Forget about innovation, they’re not even sure how to keep up. This is the challenge that your company needs to confront.
Companies that can’t pass basic tests of memory, flexibility, responsiveness, and innovation will die.
Among the many disruptive forces that are making it impossible for firms to survive with outdated strategies, four in particular are changing the basic ground rules for business competition and are the focus of this book: Social Influence; Pervasive Memory; Digital Sensors and The Physical Web.
Together, these forces will bring customers more choices, better information, and stunning new services. They are already providing individuals with tools more advanced in many cases than the most sophisticated commercial enterprises had just five years ago.
Put another way, they’ll continue to make your customers even smarter.
We’re just at the tip of this revolution.
For reasons that will become crystal clear as you read this book, established firms will need to reinvent themselves and disrupt their own industries to stay alive. With thousands upon thousands of very bright developers and entrepreneurs working around the globe to provide your customers with ever better, ever more disruptive tools, it’s a certainty that innovation will be coming to your industry if it hasn’t already.
Those companies who react slowly or tentatively will be increasingly marginalized, until finally, they’ll wither away. It may take five, ten, or even fifteen years, but eventually, these companies will be smothered by the competition and the growing demands of their ever-smarter customers.
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION We are not talking about trivial change ONE: SMART CUSTOMERS Digital innovation is leaving companies behind Customers start gaining superhero powers Companies can’t be competitive if they can’t Smart customers expect smart customer experiences Key Takeaways TWO: INTELLIGENCE IS EVERYWHERE Beyond 1to1 to 1toEverything Identify anything, anywhere, anytime A framework for infinite opportunity and innovation Innovators look through the eyes of their customers What your customers could do with a pair of smart glasses Technology is magic your customers need to trust Key Takeaways THREE: A PERFECT STORM OF The four disruptive forces Disruptive force number one: Social Influence Disruptive force number two: Pervasive Memory Disruptive force number three: Digital Sensors Disruptive force number four: the Physical Web Disruption favors the smart customer Key Takeaways FOUR: STUPID COMPANIES Does your company behave stupidly? What happens when smart customers meet Why CRM hasn't helped Does this mean the end of loyalty? Many managers don't care – and aren't paid to Guess what? Your customers don’t care either Dumb touchpoints anchor your performance to the past Key Takeaways FIVE: GET SMART A five-step system for acting smart and growing faster Getting smart: a simple system you can use Segment your customers by needs and value Modularize your capabilities to increase your flexibility Anticipate your customers' needs Reward your employees for win/win behaviors Transform touchpoints (and make them smart) In summary: It really pays to get – and act – smart Key Takeaways SIX: CRITICAL STEPS “If anyone disrupts this industry, it's going to be us.” Welcome to simultaneous change Be smart enough to learn what your customers really need Start making your company smarter, now Key Takeaways AUTHORS Acknowledgements Michael Hinshaw Bruce Kasanoff INDEX SOURCES |
1
9 12 16 26 33
35 37 39 42 44 48 51 53 56 64 69 76 81 85
87 88 92 96 99 104 108 117
119 120 122 126 132 136 140 144 145
147 166 168 171 173
175 176 177 179 183 |