Key Takeaways:

Make sure you define your “customer” clearly and correctly — beware of serving your “employees” instead of your true “customer”.

There are three general customer value proposition strategies:

- Operational excellence focuses on streamlining operations and reducing costs.

- Product differentiation focuses on creating a product or service that stands out from the crowd.

- Customer intimacy focuses on personalizing a product or service based on a customer’s needs and cultivating a long-term relationship with customers.

No matter which customer value proposition strategy is used, the basic aspects of a product or service, customer relationship, and brand identity need to be maintained to appeal to those you serve.

Ministry organizations will usually choose to focus on customer intimacy — getting to know the people they serve so they can tailor their services to their needs and create ongoing relationships with them.

Resources:

Art of Manliness Podcast Episode 518: The Quest for a Moral Life

Competitive Strategies: Operational Excellence, Customer Intimacy, Product Leadership