In Beyond the Sales Process: 12 Proven Strategies for a Customer-Driven World, Steve Andersen and Dave Stein observe: “Customers don’t want to be coerced, controlled, or otherwise pushed around. They value authentic relationships based on transparency, competence, credibility, and trust, and they’ll pay more for these qualities, even in today’s difficult selling environment.”

The results of the most recent research studies of customer satisfaction confirm that feeling appreciated is among the attributes ranked of greatest importance and essentially the same results are revealed by recent major studies of employee satisfaction.

Here are 12 proven strategies to achieve and then sustain a competitive advantage in “a customer-driven world.”

1. Research the organization: Know, really know your customer
2. Explore the possibilities: Engage your customer in the process
3. Envision the success: Help tour customer “see” the future potential value your efforts add.
4. Elevate the conversation: Identify, design, and pursue what your customer values most
5. Discover the drivers: Fully understand and appreciate what’s at stake for your customers
6. Align the teams: Help to develop customer allies, sponsors, and supporters
7. Position the Fit: Maximize customer mindshare
8. Differentiate the value: Create an appropriate customer preference
9. Realize the value: Meet and then exceed customer expectations
10. Validate the impact: Measure success by customer’s standards
11. Adapt the approach: Apply what you and customer have learned together
12. Expand and enrich the relationship: Leverage your performance to-date

Keep in mind that you should also be helping your customer to create “customer evangelists.”

In Beyond the Sales Process, published by AMACOM (April 2016), Steve Andersen and Dave Stein thoroughly explain HOW.

That said, unless and until your own employees are “evangelists,” don’t expect your customers to be.