Depends on what you want to achieve.... Short term profit - 'forget' the customer...long / mid term - put your customer sat centrally! Don't overachieve... Hit their needs... Best mix will be reached!

Good answer Peter. In my opinion depends. I prefer always first customer and good quality

Customer needs listen too and fulfilled will achieve the second regardless. More empathy and selling of the company as a service instead of focus on product sales. Make you and your company invaluable and the rest follows naturally

I believe that companies focused on the money will not go far enough. A clear customer centric culture in an organisation will sustain it for the long haul. Money is one of the outcome of this approach

I believe it's important to differentiate ourselves from our competitors. Building a relationship with our customers provides for both insulating and protecting our business and profitability in the long run.

As a sales professional you have to target and cultivate the right customers so the money is a secondary question. If you have a customer who budget and needs are for the basic system and you have only a cadillac offering you have a miss match that will eventually cause the relationship to fail. The service and value of your total value proposition is negatively impacted by the miss alignment of the product offering. Then you and the company have wasted a significant amount of time and resources. Target appropriate customers and remember to charge for your value in the equation.

This is a complex discussion if you take in mind that there is mostly a discrepancy between the customer (buyer) and the user (patiënt). The best for the user should preveal.

I agree with Peter, but need to add that I think you have to do it together with your customer.

We replace the term customer with Patient and or User. Focus on the Clinical or Economic Benefit / Improvement and the money follows!

Moshe Engelberg Really interesting viewpoints- thanks everyone for your comments. What a lively group! The theme I see is that being customer-centric wins in the long haul by: 1) providing differentiation and competitive advantage, 2) focusing your efforts, and 3) aligning with customer needs. And the outcome is making more money. It may also mean sacrificing short-term profits, which can be a tough sell up the management chain and to shareholders. What are your experiences "selling" a customer-first approach within your organization??

it all depends on the leaders we get really. on the ground, most reps will do what they can to live the mission and serve their customers well, for that is the lifeline of a career rep.

Of course, it has to be the customer first. However, money is also important. But if we make our products customer centric, profits are sure to come by. As far as profits are concerned it is also important to know what phase of the product cycle are we in.

I was agree with Steve, although indeed our company need long term profits that could hit stable income in the future, but as we said we need present income to run present days, so I think it was right to choose patient centered sales system but never forget to plan thoroughly which customer segments that we aimed first, and this would be depends on our products profiles and our strategic approach

I could not agree more with Steve . Looking at it from the service side if you add the value up front the rest will follow suit

This is a very complex issue as there are often multiple customers for a given device who's motivations may be at odds. In the area of surgical implants or device sales, who is the "customer"? The patient who receives surgery? The clinician that chooses and employs/implants a device? The hospital that purchased the device? The insurer that pays for the device? To ad another wrinkle; a sales rep's "true customer" is the company that pays their commissions. So how does one prioritize?

Patients and clinicians tend to want the best product. Buyers and payors tend to want the least expensive product. Device companies expect sales growth in perpetuity, whether you're selling the best or the cheapest.

Moshe Engelberg I think the bottom line is to make the case that putting the customer first makes more money. I'll write a post soon to help others make that case. The reality remains that if the goal is to make the most money the fastest without regard to long-term viability, then a customer first approach may not be best. However, as I mentioned in the original post, in companies committed to customer intimacy, the lifetime value of a customer trumps hitting quarterly numbers.

My customer get the feeling( in the stomak not in his head) that my price is equale the value of the injection molding machine or solution.
We are talking about customers problem, his need and the best solution,... yeah guys that's fine, but we thinking on the number below : the price. The best price and the money asap. I have to ensure my Job, the cash flow and the margin. Our Job is nice, but the facts are cold. You make money or you lose money. On the left side of the picture, we should exchange the word : it's not just customer; it's customers value feeling. And the right side is: cash flow and margin.

Moshe Engelberg AMIR - your comment speaks to the essence of marketing- it's all about an exchange of value.

Joseph "Jay" Houser A very wise, and successful CEO told me once that if you make the customer happy, the money will come. She has been doing this for well over 30 years and continues to grow year to year. There is an issue with reaching forecasted targets, especially if the senior staff thinks the real customer is the stockholder, although this has to be kept in perspective. Forecasts are predicated on a number of factors, but not always predictive of competition, changes in disease states, the economy blips, etc. Good products delivered at fair prices, with solid service builds loyalty. Loyalty brings solidarity to the profit line so expansion to other customers/segments/new product areas can be used to reach expanded growth.

Larry Brewton I think every comment here speaks the absolute truth Moshe but let me add MY 2 sense(cents). If a business is focused ONLY on profits, and NOT sales...THAT business will NOT be IN business for very long. A satisfied customer will sell your product/service for you better than you ever could. If you're working for a short-sighted company such as the one you've mentioned here...GET ANOTHER JOB or YOUR future will be the same as theirs.

most imp to know what phase product is in.. then what company's strategy is all about If company is looking at short terms gains then focus on money and if plans are for long term profits and stability customer comes first.

A genuine and Authentic Product/service needs hardly negative marketing or promotional scheme (back door/cheap marketing) just for selling and in turn for getting a hefty profits and so on.....