What Customer Centricity Can Learn From Jazz

Frank Barrett's book, Yes to the Mess had been on my radar for some time. What a source of inspiration! It tells what leadership and organizations can learn from jazz. 

JAZZ? 

The power of jazz lies in the continuous adaptation of the melody to the wishes of the listener. And this is precisely the strength of Customer-Centric organizations: constantly adapting what you have to offer to what your customer really and specifically wants and values. 

UNLEARN 

One of the basic principles of jazz is unlearning what you have learned as a classical musician. As a starting jazz saxophonist I know better than anyone how challenging this is. Let go of everything and improvise. Heavy! 

But according to Frank Barrett, this is exactly what organizations should do if they want to transform their DNA from internal to customer-oriented. 

Client-Centric organizations start from the needs of the customer, they throw product silos overboard and thus determine their value proposition, needs-based. A complete change of mentality. 

DARE, STEP BY STEP 

Improvising is really not easy for any aspiring jazz musician. You can only learn it by daring to play, by daring to make mistakes. You don't learn it by reading a book. 

The same goes for an organization. If you do not dare to provide a wow moment for your customer based on the wishes of that customer, then you will keep doing what you have always done: follow the score and do not deviate from it, no matter what the audience thinks of it. 

LEAD AND BE LEADED 

A jazz musician enjoys playing a solo, as well as supporting another musician. 

One of the strengths of a customer-oriented organization is that here too every colleague can and may score, as long as it has value for the customer. An employee who has an idea can perfectly decide to play a solo, within the agreed strategy. Just as the same employee can support and reinforce an idea of ​​a colleague. There is no hierarchy, only strengthening of each other's autonomy. 

REWARD 

The reward of a jazz musician is a wildly enthusiastic audience, because you have listened to them. You have used their reactions, their experience to really give them what they came for: not a concert, but an intense experience! 

Convinced to give every single client this intense experience, time and again? Let us know! Together we manage to give every customer that fantastic red carpet feeling. 

Siska Bossuyt, Customer Centricity and CRM Practice Lead at Mentor and Men