Always remember the Product 'P' of the marketing Ps.

It seems like a strange sentence, but businesses often lose sight of the customer and how they meet and exceed their needs and expectations through their product and service offerings.

Market orientation gained traction in the late 1980s, thanks to influential figures such as Ajay Kohli, Bernard Jaworski, John Narver, and Stanley Slater, who were instrumental in its rise in the 1980s and 1990s. Customer centricity came next.

Customer focus, a cornerstone of business strategy, has been a constant since the inception of markets, focusing on delivering products and services to meet customers' needs and desires.

Here's a simple customer value framework to help you focus on what's important.

• What is the customer's need/problem?
• What are the category entry points?
• What are the triggers or reasons someone thinks about the category, your brand, product or service?
• What is your solution to answer the customer's need/solve their problem?
• What are the key product/service features?
• What are the functional benefits you deliver to the customer?
• What are the emotional benefits you deliver to the customer?
• (those last two are very important when it comes time to communicate to potential customers about what you offer)
• What are your competitor's solutions?
• What is your competitive strength against them, and how can you leverage it?
• What is your weakness against them, and how can you address it?
• How can you improve your offering to meet customer and market demands?
• Who would need to be involved in improving your offering?

Meeting and exceeding customer needs should be everyone's focus, especially those in marketing. If you don't have the answers to any of the above, it's time for some research.