In an era of industrial consolidation and growing globalization, greater power is being put in the hands of a few large shippers, making the stakes in managing customers greater than ever. It turns out that only 13 percent are satisfied with the way they develop these relationships and only 16 percent consider themselves effective at increasing corporate profitability through their strategic customer relationships. It must be recognized, says the study, that key account customers hold most of the trumps. The challenge to the supplier is to play its few good cards skillfully. Suppliers that are most effective at developing strategic customer relationships, it would seem, spend more time and effort thinking about their customers profiles, direction and future needs and relatively less time and effort considering how their key accounts will best be of benefit to their own companies.
Most effective companies focus on their customers and add value to their businesses.
Least-effective companies tend to focus on themselves and use their customers as means to their own ends. No doubt new technologies and e-commerce are improving the ability of suppliers to meet the growing demands of the key account customer. But, the report stresses, the most effective companies still owe much of their success to the personal dimension. In particular the degree of involvement and roles played by senior managers and executives in building strategic customer relationships. The most effective companies, claims the report, improve their own growth and profitability by focusing on specifics specific products and services to specific customers for specific reasons.