Market Intelligence for Customer Processes

This White Paper discusses the kinds of Market Intelligence support that the corporate customer processes (marketing & sales planning and management, marketing process, sales process, and the account management process) typically require both on a continuous basis and periodically.

The essential focus of the paper is on looking into what “keeps sales and marketing directors awake at night” and on what kinds of concrete Market Intelligence methods and tools can aid companies to market and sell their products and services out to the market.

The MI needs in customer processes typically range from highly strategic brand and media planning to understanding on a very concrete level, how the company’s marketing and sales productivity could be further leveraged in different market areas. This paper classifies the supporting MI tools and methods into three categories based on the level of their focus: Macro analysis, market analysis, and customer and competitor analysis. Towards the end, individual tools and methods have been described under each category. 

Customers are the most important external factor for any organization. Without a thorough understanding of the present and future needs of customers, it is difficult if not impossible to run a successful business operation. Four different sub-processes are presented in this White Paper which interact under the umbrella of “customer process”: marketing and sales planning and management, the marketing process, the sales process, and the account management process, all of which can be supported through systematic Market Intelligence.

Section Overview:

Customers in Focus

Elements of the recent Market Intelligence in Large Companies – Global Study 2007 underscored
the importance of the following aspects related to customers and competitors:

• Customers and competitors were the most important elements in the organizations’
  environment. Most intelligence operations focused on matters related to these players.
• Analysis models for understanding customers and competitors such as SWOT, benchmarking
  and profiling where the most frequently used methods for Market Intelligence.
• Sales and marketing units together with strategic planning and business development
  topped the list of organizational units using MI.

Linking Market Intelligence and the Customer Proceses

This paper presents a conceptual framework that will support these groups with appropriate
customer knowledge in order for them to conduct their jobs in an effective and professional
way. It focuses mainly on business-to-business (B2B) markets, but many aspects of it can also
be applied to the business to consumer (B2C) context.

Requirements for Market Intelligence in the Customer Proceses

• MI Needs in Sales and Marketing Planning and Management
• MI Needs in the Marketing Process
• MI Needs in Sales Activities
• MI Needs in the Account Management Process
• MI in Providing Quality Assurance for Decisions and Business Processes

Market Intelligence Methods and tools for the Customer Proceses

• Macro Analysis, Market Analysis and C3
• Market Intelligence Support for the Customer Macro Analysis– Three Levels of Customer Analysis
• Market Intelligence Support for the Customer Market Analysis
• Market Intelligence Support for Customer & Competitor Analysis
• Support tools for the customer Processes

Summarized below are some of the main points proposed in this White Paper

• Ensure that MI is integrated into the customer process. This paper has provided you with
  input on how to facilitate this.
• Use the brain of the organization – involve people internally through the use of war games
  and scenario and trend workshops. Also, regularly utilize the analysis of objective, unbiased
  third parties in the marketing and sales planning process in order to avoid corporate blind
  spots. Invite the customers to participate. They will have a clearer idea of their future
  sooner than you. GIA recommends that the MI manager should be an experienced workshop
  facilitator in addition to or even rather than being an isolated information generator.
• Organize a current awareness process in the organization to serve as a basis for all Market
  Intelligence activities. A centralized intelligence software tool for the entire organization
  with resourced content input will serve this purpose. The centralized tool should also be
  used to capture and share tacit market knowledge possessed by the organization’s members.
• Ensure a process is in place for continuous reviews. The Market Intelligence process should
  challenge the existing customer strategies on a regular basis.

The Global Intelligence Alliance (GIA) is a global network of business research and Competitive Intelligence (CI) consulting companies. The series of GIA White Papers is a means for the GIA and its clients and partner companies to share knowledge on key topics within the field of Competitive Intelligence. Please feel free to give us feedback on the White Papers by sending email to info@globalintelligence.com.

• Free Download White Paper “Market Intelligence for Customer Processes” (.pdf 0.6MB)