| The earliest entrepreneurs were craftsman and skilled | | | | successfully extract what a customer really wants |
| workers who controlled the knowledge to produce | | | | and then quickly act on the information. |
| products for a given market. The tycoons that | | | | These entrepreneurs will be able to enter new |
| followed controlled resources such as raw materials, | | | | markets not because of a low barrier of entry, but by |
| capital, labor, or the transportation to fuel | | | | exposing the void between what a customer wants |
| manufacturing. | | | | and what businesses are providing. |
| In recent times the people who controlled information | | | | This new entrepreneur will be an expert in customer |
| had the competitive edge in the business arena. | | | | research and be able to quickly get the pulse of a |
| The next wave of entrepreneurs will be the ones that | | | | segment and whether they are satisfied with their |
| use technology to leverage customer relationships. | | | | options. |
| This type of businessman will not be confined to any | | | | Companies (large and small) will be vulnerable if their |
| one industry but have the freedom to enter almost | | | | cultures are product centered, stifled by corporate |
| any market. | | | | politics and power struggles. Bureaucratic organizations |
| The success of this type of entrepreneur will not be | | | | will be slowly targeted and forced to give up |
| as monumental or as easily recognizable as say Henry | | | | segments they can not adequately serve. |
| Ford, Andrew Carnegie, Ross Perot, or Bill Gates. | | | | Smart businesses understand the importance of |
| Rather these entrepreneurs will use subtle slow | | | | creating relationships more and more everyday not as |
| sustainable tactics to win their markets. | | | | a strategy but a survival tactic. The evidence is |
| With geographic barriers all but removed by the | | | | everywhere you look and will affect every business |
| internet, goods and services are now commodities | | | | sooner or later. |
| easy to locate and deliver to customers everywhere. | | | | The reason is simple: When a customer experiences a |
| Big business recognizes the importance of customer | | | | responsive and exceptional relationship with a |
| relationships but missed the boat on taking advantage | | | | company, a similar experience will be expected with |
| of them. Today Customer Relationship Management is | | | | their next purchase. |
| mostly about creating efficiencies for corporations and | | | | It will not matter if the product purchased is dry |
| the ability to query huge data warehouses to produce | | | | cleaning or medical test equipment. The customer will |
| lists of customers most likely to buy products. | | | | expect to be important. |
| While this may make marketing more effective it is not | | | | The next step after expecting a good customer |
| helping the customer. | | | | experience is demanding a great customer |
| The real gold of customer relationships will be mined | | | | experience! |
| by the people who know how to communicate and | | | | |