Too often, it's a misplaced notion that we are entitled to have our wants and whims satiated without having to take any responsibility for them ourselves. That type of attitude is counterproductive and puts the relationship in jeopardy. I've heard stories of customers missing scheduled project-planning meetings with their VARs without showing concern or offering even the flimsiest of excuses. I've looked back on a few of my less-flattering moments as a customer and cringed at how misguided I was. Maybe it has something to do with all the customer-centric paraphernalia we've been fed.
Customers come first.
We love our customers. Perhaps we've overdosed on it. Making The Grade Jim Cecil is one among this new breed. He firmly believes that not all customers are worth keeping. Cecil bases his Bellevue, WA, consultancy, Nurture Marketing, on what he calls the nurture philosophy.