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What are customer relationships? A clear definition

What is customer relationship? | Business Model Canvas deep dive

For many people, the customer relationships building block in the Business Model Canvas is unclear. And that’s a shame, because the tool is not applied properly and that affects the result. This blog answers the question: ”What is customer relationship?”

What is customer relationship?

What is customer relationship?

When you google the question: ”What is customer relationship?”, you will come across different definitions. This can create confusion. In my opinion, some definitions are too extensive and detailed. Some are too short and miss important components. Others are worded in difficult language. This makes it difficult to understand. We have tried to come up with a definition that is short and clear:

”The way how a company interacts with customers, aiming to attract, retain, and grow its customer base.”

The different types of customer relationships

The definition alone does not immediately ensure complete understanding and correct application. It is also important to know what choices you can make as a company. There are different types of customer relationships, we will discuss this in detail in this article. Here is a summary of the different types of customer relationships in the Business Model Canvas.

  • Transactional
  • Automated
  • Self-service
  • Personal assistance
  • Co-creation
  • Community
  • Fans
  • Personal relationship
  • Long-term
  • Switching costs
  • Direct
  • Indirect

Tips for this building block when filling in the Business Model Canvas

Below are our tips for effectively completing the customer relationships section in the Business Model Canvas:

  1. Understand customer expectations: Conducting surveys and market research helps in gaining insights into what customers expect from your product or service. This understanding forms the foundation for developing customer relationship strategies that resonate with their needs.
  2. Define strategies for Get, Keep, and Grow phases: It’s essential to map out specific tactics for acquiring new customers (Get), retaining existing ones (Keep), and growing their engagement and value over time (Grow). Each phase requires tailored approaches to foster meaningful and lasting customer relationships. This is an interesting read about this principle.
  3. Use concise titles on the canvas to summarize strategies: When documenting your customer relationship strategies on the Business Model Canvas, clarity is key. Use concise titles that encapsulate your approach for each type of customer relationship you plan to implement. This not only simplifies communication within your team but also ensures alignment and clarity in your overall business strategy.

Answered: ”What is customer relationship?”

I hope this article gives a clear answer on the question ”What is customer relationship?”. I hope it helps you to get clarity and get better Business Model Canvas results.

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