Understanding Customer Needs and Managing the Customer Experience: End-to-End, B-to-B

• Going Beyond Surveys to Understand Real Needs/Opportunities
• Better Gauging the Strength and Value of Customer Relationships
• Building and Measuring Higher Levels of Loyalty and Advocacy
• Engineering More Profitable Total Experiences for Your Customers
• Insight into Insight: Comprehending Customer Motivations
• And more...

February 7 - 8, 2006
Renaissance Concourse Hotel
Atlanta, Georgia

View a Summary of the Meeting (.pdf 1,409Kb)*Acrobat

The Twelfth Joint Conference of the
Institute for the Study of Business Markets
Smeal College of Business, Penn State

and the

Center for Business and Industrial Marketing
Robinson School of Business, Georgia State

Every two years we poll our academic thought leaders and senior B-to-B practitioners on the "Key Trends and Critical Capabilities" business marketers must address looking forward. Our most recent survey was completed in the fall of 2005, and identified the top issues on the minds of researchers and marketers alike. We saw a clear consensus across the membership.

Understanding Customer Needs

Respondents called for better insights on: "Understanding the underlying needs and motivations of the customer." They cited the need for better tools for listening, communicating, and discerning opportunities to add value, as well as finding better ways to link the voice of the customer to business processes. Our respondents—both marketing professionals and academic thought leaders alike—agreed that better understanding customers' real needs is a top priority.

Managing the Customer Experience—End-to-End

As we looked deeper into the results, we saw that better managing the total relationship with the customer was cited as crucial to gaining insight. Respondents cited that traditional "customer satisfaction" surveys were not helping them manage, understand, and profit from customer relationships. Truly loyal customers open up to their real needs. Building true loyalty in today's markets is a challenge.

In this meeting we'll explore approaches to better understanding customer needs, as well as new tools for measuring and managing the entire customer relationship.

Opening Keynote: Lou Carbone

Acknowledged as "knowing more about orchestrating customer experiences than anyone in the world," Lou will be sharing insights on how to apply the tools of Experience Engineering in business-to-business markets. How do we ensure that every employee, every touch point, every connection we have with customers builds loyalty to our brand, adds value, and sets the stage for innovation and profitability?

Insights from Fred Reichheld

Widely heralded as the quintessential scholar, researcher, and advisor on customer loyalty, we'll hear from Fred on "The one number you need to grow, and how to grow it"—building stronger customer relationships and better understanding of customer needs.

Gain New Perspectives From Our Speakers

• Dr. Mohan Sawhney, Kellogg School of Management, will discuss Insights on Insight—going beyond traditional survey instruments to gain real understanding.
• Dr. Das Narayandas, (selected as the best professor in the Harvard Business School MBA program by his students), will share insights on the true meaning of Customer Centricity—and how to develop it in B-to-B situations.
• Dr. Liam Fahey—Babson College, noted author—will delve into how emotions explain and drive brand behaviors in B-to-B.
• Renowned researcher Dr. Bradley Gale will discuss how to "Analyze the Worth of Your Customer Relationships—Integrating Data to Improve Practice and Profits."

Hear Practical Approaches From Leading Practitioners:

• We'll hear from Christi Pedra, COO and VP Sales of Siemens One—practical insights on how Siemens connects to and learns from its customers.
• Virginie Harris of IBM Global Business Partners will discuss how IBM engineers total experiences for stronger connections, ongoing insight, and customer loyalty.
• Richard Owen of Satmetrix and Simon Lyons of Aggreko will discuss their approaches to Customer Experience Management.
• Managing customer relationships is everyone's responsibility—as is managing connections with our employees, our families, our friends. At a special dinner presentation, we'll hear from noted author and coach, John Miller on The Question Behind the Question—keys to taking personal responsibility in our lives.

Important Additions to Your "ISBM Library"

Each ISBM Member firm and Member attendee will receive the important books:

• Clued In: How to Keep Customers Coming Back Again and Again, by Lou Carbone
• QBQ! The Question Behind the Question, by John Miller
• The Ultimate Question, by Fred Reichheld

We hope that you will be able to join us!

Location

Renaissance Concourse Hotel
One Hartsfield Centre Parkway
Atlanta, Georgia 30354
Phone: 404-209-9999
Fax: 404-209-7031

Please make your hotel reservations now:

A block of rooms will be held for ISBM until January 15, 2006. Please mention ISBM Conference for the meeting rate. ($129.00 single/double)

Member Fees

• $650 by January 6, 2006
• $750 after January 6, 2006

Cancellation Policy

• On or before January 6, 2006—no fee
• Between January 7 - January 22, 2006-$100 fee
• After January 22, 2006-full conference fee due
• All substitutions after January 22 will be subject to a $50.00 administrative fee

All participants must register in advance by mail, phone, fax, or e-mail; checks may follow.

For more information contact:

Deborah Lupp or Gary Holler
Institute for the Study of Business Markets (ISBM)
Smeal College of Business
The Pennsylvania State University
484 Business Building
University Park PA 16802-3603

Phone: 814-863-2782
Fax: 814-863-0413
E-mail: isbm@psu.edu