CUSTOMER RELATIONS

Accelerate your business with these expert tips on "Customer Relationship - 4th segment of the Canvas Canvas". Analyse and discover this TIP!

First of all, in this segment of the canvas, it is necessary to define the type of relationship that you will have with your customer segment. Once it has been validated the customer segment(s), the value proposal and it has been defined which channels are going to be used to connect the value proposition with customers, therefore, you have to validate if the relationship you want to establish with the customer is the right one. 

Relationships with your customers allow you to specify how you are going to acquire, retain and grow your customer base! Therefore, you have to answer briefly and concisely, how our value proposition is going to relate to the customer segment. 

SOME TYPES OF RELATIONSHIPS

ESTABLISHED LINK:

• TRANSACTIONAL, TIMELY

Establish sporadic links with the customer as in the case of a one-off purchase. Finally, which means that it establishes a relationship easy to leave or break up on the part of your client, because, there is no exit barrier to hold you back!!!

• LONG TERM

When you establish a close link with the customer as in the case of a subscription. In addition, this type of link establishes a relationship that is harder for your customer to leave or break, The relationship would be severed, as they would no longer receive the benefits of your value proposition. In cases, where you aims to establish close links with customers, making them prescribers of our value proposition.

INTIMACY OF THE RELATIONSHIP:

• AUTOMATED

Your customers probably reach the value proposition of your project through a machine. This means low contact between your project and your customers. So, it is emulates direct customer service based on an automated process, usually, using computer tools. Equally fashionable are the chatbot (+) with Artificial intelligence (+).

• STAFF

Firstly, these customers are served by a specific person by acquiring the value proposition of your project. Individualised: offered private or exclusive service to customers.

• COLLECTIVE

In addition, it provides attention to a group of clients or community, organised in forums, talks, workshops.

• THROUGH THIRD PARTIES

Therefore, our value proposition reaches out to the customer segment (+) by entities or external services to the companye.g. sales assistants for insurance policies.

• BY SELF-SERVICE

In addition, the value proposition is provided in a way that customers take care of themselves.

• CO-CREATION

However, it is necessary to the customer segment, is an active part of the value proposition.

TYPES OF RELATIONSHIPS:

• INDIRECT

As well as, in which your users can only get your value proposition through intermediaries!!! Distance learningis when a indirect communicationpossibly with the use of technological resources such as e-mail, messaging or mailboxes.

• DIRECT

The one where your customers contact you directly to get your value proposition. Staffthrough, a direct communicationfor example: face-to-face or by telephone.

LIFE CYCLE OF THE RELATIONSHIP:

• ACQUISITION STRATEGIES

They also define how you are going to obtain new clients for your project.

• RETENTION STRATEGIES

Therefore, explain how you are going to keep your current customers.

• CROSS-SELLING STRATEGIES

Define how you are going to make more profit with your existing customers. We have to find a way to get more sales from existing customers!!!

What is the relationship with the client?

Customer relationship refers to the way a company interacts with its customers throughout the customer lifecycle, from acquisition to post-sales support. It is an important part of a company's business model and can be critical to the company's success. The customer relationship can include communication, support, education, personalisation and other activities aimed at maintaining and improving customer satisfaction and loyalty.

The Business Model Canvas is a tool that helps to visualise and design the business model of a company in a simplified and structured way. In the Canvas, the customer segment is one of the main blocks and is directly related to the customer relationship.

The Canvas should identify who the company's target customers are, how it relates to them and what value proposition it offers them. The value proposition is what makes customers choose the company over the competition, so the customer relationship is crucial to the company's profitability.

This is why the Canvas must define how the relationship with the customer will be established and maintained, i.e. what communication channels will be used, what type of interaction will be had with them, how the sale will be made, among other aspects. The relationship with the customer is a key element in the design of the business model, and a good relationship can make the difference between the success and failure of the company.

In the Canvas model, there are several types of relationships that a company can have with its customers, among them are:

1. Personal assistance: This type of relationship refers to the personalised treatment provided to the customer to meet their individual needs. An example would be a shop that offers personalised attention to its customers to help them choose products.
2. Self-service: This type of relationship is based on providing customers with the means to meet their own needs. An example would be a supermarket where customers can scan their own products and pay at an automated checkout.
3. Community: This type of relationship focuses on creating a community around the brand. An example would be a software company that creates an online forum for its customers to share their experiences and help each other.
4. Co-creation: In this type of relationship, the company and the customer work together to create products or services. An example would be a cosmetics company working with its customers to develop new products and improvements to existing ones.
5. Exclusive access: This type of relationship focuses on providing customers with exclusive access to products, services or content. An example would be a technology company offering an exclusive beta version of its new software only to its most loyal customers.
6. Subscription: In this type of relationship, customers pay a regular fee to receive products or services on an ongoing basis. An example would be a video streaming company that offers exclusive content to its subscribers.
7. Tracking and monitoring: In this type of relationship, the company monitors and tracks how its customers use its products or services in order to offer improvements and updates. An example would be a software company that monitors the use of its application to identify areas for improvement and make updates.
8. Customer service: This type of relationship focuses on providing exceptional customer service. An example would be a telecommunications company that has a customer service hotline available 24 hours a day to help resolve any problems or queries.

Why does an entrepreneur need to define well his customer relationship in his business model? 

Defining the customer relationship well in the business model is essential to the success of any business. By doing so, the entrepreneur can ensure that he/she clearly understands the needs and expectations of his/her customers, and can design his/her product or service to effectively meet them. Some of the reasons why an entrepreneur should define his or her relationship with the customer well include:

1. Providing a satisfying customer experience: By understanding customer needs and expectations, an entrepreneur can design a satisfying customer experience, which in turn helps build a loyal customer base.
2. Save time and resources: If an entrepreneur does not understand the needs of his customers, he may end up spending time and resources on features that are not important to them, which in turn leads to customer dissatisfaction and loss of business.
3. Personalisation: By understanding the needs and expectations of customers, an entrepreneur can personalise the customer experience and create a product or service that perfectly fits their needs.
4. Differentiation: A good customer relationship can also differentiate the business from the competition, which in turn can increase the chances of success.

In short, defining the customer relationship well in the business model can be one of the keys to a company's success.