The Modern Customer – the PHANTOM: Customers on the Run: How Sales must Respond to Radically New Buying Behavior

Warning Notice
Acknowledgement
Contents
Abbreviations
List of Figures
List of Tables
About the author
1 The EEE-World
	1.1	Eagerness
		1.1.1	Even the Earth is Spinning Faster
		1.1.2	Technology as a Problem and Solution in One
		1.1.3	 The Culture of Hurry
	1.2	Ease
		1.2.1	Ease and Convenience as Drivers of Innovation
		1.2.2	Convenience Fighting Against the Price
		1.2.3	Efficiency and Time Saving in Everything We Do
	1.3	Enthusiasm
		1.3.1	Enthusiasm as a Driving Force of Progress
		1.3.2	Enthusiasm Continuum
		1.3.3	Hunting the Next New Thing
			Conclusion: The EEE-World: blessing and curse
	References
2 The III-Human
	2.1	Informed
		2.1.1	Information Society—How did We Get Here?
		2.1.2	The Ease of Information Consumption
		2.1.3	Searching Skills Replace Memory Skills
		2.1.4	Who Really Needs It All?
	2.2	Independent
		2.2.1	Authority Under Pressure
		2.2.2	Independent and Self-Determined Thanks to the Internet
		2.2.3	Personalities with Decision-Making Skills are in Demand
		2.2.4	Self-Determination and Flexibility — Important Trends in the Work Environment
	2.3	Individualistic
		2.3.1	The Globalization of the Individualism
		2.3.2	Individualism as a Core Driver of the Economy
		2.3.3	Individualism—A Source of Money
		2.3.4	The Individualization of the Entertainment
			Conclusion: The III-Human: One extreme strengthens the other
	References
3 The Modern Customer—The PHANTOM
	3.1	Pseudo-informed
		3.1.1	More Information with More Choice
		3.1.2	Research Phase Becomes the most Important Part of the Buying Process
		3.1.3	Highly Informed Customers
	3.2	Hyper- convenient
		3.2.1	Online or Offline: Convenience Wins
		3.2.2	Personal Data in Exchange for a Better Buying Experience
		3.2.3	Traditional Sales Processes Under Pressure
		3.2.4	Sales Between Technology and Human
		3.2.5	Fast, Urgent, Instantly
	3.3	Autonomous
		3.3.1	The Own Opinion Counts
		3.3.2	Loss of Customer Trust
		3.3.3	Self-Directed and Autonomous Procurement
		3.3.4	The Dark Side of Autonomy
		3.3.5	New Buying Tasks
	3.4	Needs-oriented
		3.4.1	Brutal, But True: They Don’t Care About “Us”
		3.4.2	Tailor-Made From the Start
		3.4.3	Needs and Benefit Filter in First Place
	3.5	Tech-savvy
		3.5.1	Technology in the Retail World
		3.5.2	Technology Affinity Has Gone Mainstream
		3.5.3	Always On
		3.5.4	Loss of the Science Fiction Status
	3.6	Opportunistic
		3.6.1	Low Tolerance Levels
		3.6.2	Brand Loyalty—An Outdated Concept?
		3.6.3	The New Loyalty to Convenience
		3.6.4	Traditional Purchasing Processes Now Obsolete
		3.6.5	Is Loyalty Still Affordable?
	3.7	Mutating-Mobile
		3.7.1	Needs and Expectations Constantly in Motion
		3.7.2	Buying Decisions On-The-Go
		3.7.3	Connected and Networked
	3.8	The PHANTOM—Fantasy or Reality?
		3.8.1	The PHANTOM File—Taking of Evidence
		3.8.2	Changing Perspectives
			Conclusion: The PHANTOM customer: not an illusion, but reality
	References
4 KISS the PHANTOM—Grasping the Ungraspable
	4.1	Know
		4.1.1	The Inconvenient Truth About the Relevance of Salespeople
		4.1.2	The Ecosystem of A Customer Decision
		4.1.3	Generational Mix: A Blend of Contradictions in Customer Expectations
		4.1.4	Rigid Target Group Profiles: Relics From the Past
	4.2	Ignore
		4.2.1	Intelligently (not) Getting Out of the Way
		4.2.2	Trust: An Increasingly Rare Asset
		4.2.3	The Ariadne’s Thread in the Digital Space
		4.2.4	Ignoring, But Addressing Individual Needs
	4.3	Stimulate
		4.3.1	Innovation Everywhere, Except in Sales
		4.3.2	Who Wants To Be A Prey?
		4.3.3	Shitstorms Lurking Around Every Corner
		4.3.4	Customer Loyalty Values Instead of Customer Loyalty Measures
	4.4	Sensibilize
		4.4.1	Questioning Instead of Answering Questions
		4.4.2	Provocation With Good Intentions
		4.4.3	Differentiation Through Customer-Oriented Content
		4.4.4	It Doesn’t Always Have To Be a Salesperson
			Conclusion: KISS the PHANTOM—the modern approach to winning customers
	References
5 The DECIDE Buying Decision Process
	5.1	Discover
		5.1.1	Demand Levels: From Clueless to Acute Need for Action
		5.1.2	The Existence of a Problem Does Not Yet Imply a Need for Action
	5.2	Explore
		5.2.1	Passive and Active Search
		5.2.2	Different Research Behavior at Different Demand Levels
		5.2.3	Generation-Specific Research Preferences
		5.2.4	Digital Natives Transform The Basis for Decision-Making
	5.3	Consider
		5.3.1	The Variety of Solutions
		5.3.2	Overwhelmed and Paralyzed
		5.3.3	In Search for Proofs of Value
		5.3.4	Self-Service Preferred
	5.4	Interact
		5.4.1	Customers are Far Ahead of the Providers
		5.4.2	Anywhere, Anytime and in Any Way
		5.4.3	Interaction at PHANTOM’s Terms
		5.4.4	The Quality of the Experience
		5.4.5	Back and Forth
	5.5	Determine
		5.5.1	High Level of Activity in the Decision-Making Group
		5.5.2	Decision or Validation?
		5.5.3	Decided is Not Yet Decided
	5.6	Execute
		5.6.1	Nothing Is Won Yet
		5.6.2	Never Put Trust at Risk
	5.7	The Zigzag Path to a Decision
		5.7.1	The Sales Funnel—an Outdated Concept
		5.7.2	B2C and B2B—Where is the Difference?
			Conclusion: Customers go their own way in their decision-making—sales must align accordingly
	References
6 The ENABLE Sales Process
	6.1	Educate
		6.1.1	Goal: Recognize the Problem
		6.1.2	Misunderstanding Potential: Not Product Education
		6.1.3	Necessary Understanding: Customer-Specific Situation
		6.1.4	Touchpoints: Digital, Indirect, Passive
		6.1.5	Key Content: Needs and Problem-Oriented
		6.1.6	Buying Center: Recognizing Initiators
		6.1.7	Content Forms: Provocative and Awakening
		6.1.8	Activities: Content Distribution
		6.1.9	Engagement: Open Access to Content
		6.1.10	Technology Aspects: Fast, Responsive, Barrier-Free
	6.2	Nurture
		6.2.1	Goal: Deepen the Problem
		6.2.2	Misunderstanding Potential: Do Not Overwhelm With Information
		6.2.3	Necessary Understanding: Relevance From the Customer’s Perspective
		6.2.4	Touchpoints: Visible, Barrier-Free, Website-Related
		6.2.5	Key Content: Neutral, Product- and Vendor-Independent
		6.2.6	Buying Center: Addressing Problem Owners
		6.2.7	Content Forms: Knowledge-Based
		6.2.8	Activities: Provide Content Passively
		6.2.9	Engagement: Digital, Anytime, From Anywhere
		6.2.10	Technology Aspects: Data-Based Personalization
	6.3	Affirm
		6.3.1	Goal: Affirm Need for Solution
		6.3.2	Misunderstanding Potential: Benefit Instead of Self-Presentation
		6.3.3	Necessary Understanding: Connecting Customer Problems With Own Offerings
		6.3.4	Touchpoints: Research-Related
		6.3.5	Key Content: All Solution Options
		6.3.6	Buying Center: Identify All Stakeholders
		6.3.7	Content Forms: Distribution Before Production
		6.3.8	Activities: Pull Before Push
		6.3.9	Engagement: Unenforced
		6.3.10	Technology Aspects: Analytics and Automation
	6.4	Brainwash
		6.4.1	Goal: Create the Right Perspective
		6.4.2	Misunderstanding Potential: The Product is Not the Goal
		6.4.3	Necessary Understanding: Irrational Decisions
		6.4.4	Touchpoints: Easy, Direct Contact Options
		6.4.5	Key Content: Shake Up
		6.4.6	Buying Center: Keeping the Goal in Mind
		6.4.7	Content Forms: Attention!
		6.4.8	Activities: Questioning Assumptions
		6.4.9	Engagement: Hybrid Interactions
		6.4.10	Technology Aspects: Artificial Intelligence
	6.5	Leverage
		6.5.1	Goal: Minimize Decision Load
		6.5.2	Misunderstanding Potential: Do Not Manipulate, But Enable
		6.5.3	Necessary Understanding: More Is Not More
		6.5.4	Touchpoints: Personalized and Interactive
		6.5.5	Key Content: Contextual Recommendations
		6.5.6	Buying Center: Create Urgency Among Decision Makers
		6.5.7	Content Forms: Options with Recommendation
		6.5.8	Activities: Customer Key Content Map
		6.5.9	Engagement: Personalized and Contextual
		6.5.10	Technology Aspects: Data
	6.6	Easy-Buy
		6.6.1	Goal: Easy To Do Business With
		6.6.2	Potential for Misunderstanding: Technology Without Business Perspective
		6.6.3	Necessary Understanding: Digital-Virtual-Human
		6.6.4	Touchpoints: Mobile, Voice, Social, Multi-Channel Commerce
		6.6.5	Key Content: Focus on the Value Chain
		6.6.6	Buying Center: Access to the Project Implementation Team
		6.6.7	Content Forms: Fast, Easy Buying Options
		6.6.8	Activities: Building Trust
		6.6.9	Engagement: Customer Experience in Focus
		6.6.10	Technology Aspects: Individual Buying Experiences
	6.7	The Big Picture—Bird’s Eye View
		6.7.1	New Sales and Marketing Roles
		6.7.2	Focus On Buying Process Instead of Sales Process
		6.7.3	Understanding Outstanding Customer Experience
		6.7.4	Focus On Value Instead of Information
		6.7.5	The Technology Intelligence
		6.7.6	Customer First, Not Technology First
		6.7.7	Leading Sales Instead of Controlling Sales
		6.7.8	Rethinking Customer Loyalty
			Conclusion: Sales not selling—utopia or future?
	References
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