Customer value analysis

The number of customers is just one of many factors that determine the economic success of companies. At least as important are the following aspects


Unqualified Hauruck Actions


This is actually known to all people who are responsible for the return on their company. Nevertheless, it can always be reg- istered that this connection is not taken into consideration during working days.


Specifically define and analyze target users


For example, the marketing department of an (online) bank is launching an action to acquire new customers, offering a far higher interest rate to new customers who open a daily money account than most of the competitors. And indeed some new customers are being acquired.


Converting results correctly


But will this have a positive impact on earnings? Usually not! Because this offer "exclusively for new customers" not only annoyed part of the regular customers. In addition, many of the new customers are very price-sensitive. That is why they change the bank again when the "special offer" has expired or another provider offers an even more attractive offer.


Another example: An (online) trader starts a mailing campaign in which he offers new customers a price reduction of 20 euros at the initial purchase. And in fact, he wins new customers, who even more often buy from him. Unfortunately, these customers are different than the previous ones. The value of their orders is significantly lower than for the old customers.


But not only this: the new ones also cause a higher effort. For they send the ordered goods more frequently and their payment morale is worse. As a result, the trader's costs are rising quickly. And suddenly, the company is faced with the question: How will we get rid of the customers who we called but do not really want to?


This is a very complex question - especially in the business-to-consumer business. The dealer can, of course, take various educational measures and, in extreme cases, even terminate the business relationship. But this is a delicate task. Such measures can, for example, cause the (online) dealer to be rated very badly on the Internet - which also has a negative impact on the (buying) behavior of the lucrative (target) customers.


And the absolute super-Gau: A TV magazine with a high-quality TV shows a report about the bad service of the (online) dealer. Then it has a real problem - even if its measures were necessary for business purposes.


The examples show how important it is to tailor new customer acquisition programs, offerings and customer loyalty campaigns exactly to the profit-making (target) customers. An increasing number of companies are therefore trying to "cluffle" customers according to all possible criteria using their CRM systems and prioritize them using a customer value analysis. However, many companies do not fully exploit the potential for customer value analysis.


Trends: Business consultants


In technology, this is rarely the problem, since there are now good software and service offerings. What is more important is that many companies have not defined precisely enough - as a result of their positioning in the market -


But when all this has been clarified, it is often still too little in the minds of the decision-makers, with whom a commitment is (not) worthwhile. As a result, they always make decisions that are contrary to the superordinate objectives in the day-to-day business. And before they get dressed, the company is in a similar situation to a stationary trader who has launched an advertising campaign that actually attracts many new customers - but unfortunately primarily "shoppers" who buy almost nothing. However, they relocate and employ the salesperson, which is why they hardly have time for the really attractive customers. The result: these leave the business frustrated at some point.


What can a dealer do in such a situation? Ask the "shoppers" to leave their house (and never to come again)? This is usually just as little possible as an online shop, which is located in the B2C area, closes its doors for certain customer groups forever.


Accordingly, it is important to think about the decisions about the shop and assortment design as well as the planned marketing campaigns: Are we really attracting the desired customers? Because the wrong people are in the house, it takes a lot of time, energy and "fingertips" to separate from them.