Customer centricity can be defined as “a strategy that aligns a company’s product and service development and delivery with the current and future needs of its most valuable customers, with the aim of maximizing their long-term financial value to the company.” It is a strategy that recognizes and celebrates the diversity of customer needs, aiming to deliver a consistent, seamless, and frictionless experience across all touchpoints. This approach enhances customer satisfaction, their willingness to pay, and focuses their overall purchases on the company’s offerings, which in turn increases profit and ultimately improves customer equity.

In the traditional business model, the value creation process begins with the company’s core competencies and/or existing assets. The company identifies new products and channels to serve customers based on what it does best. However, in a customer-centric model, this process is reversed. The process starts with a deep understanding of the customers and their purchasing value. It’s about identifying what customers value most—what they are willing to pay a premium for—and then working backward to align the company’s offerings with these customer priorities.

This reversal of the value creation chain often leads to the development of new products or services that are drastically different from existing offerings. It may require acquiring new capabilities and adopting different ways of doing things, including new methods to meet customer needs. It might even involve developing a new business model.

This book aims to guide companies on how to implement this customer-centric model. It provides insights on how to approach customers, how to sell solutions instead of just products, how to build trust, and how to create value through intimacy. It emphasizes the importance of viewing problems from the customer’s perspective—not through the lens of the company’s products. It also highlights the value of trust in building profitable relationships and the role of customer intimacy in delivering a personalized experience.

In essence, this book is a guide to transforming your business by putting the customer at the center of everything you do. It’s about shifting from a product-centric approach to a customer-centric one and, in the process, creating a brand that people trust, respect, and advocate for.