Proactive Strategic Partnerships: A New Business Markets Strategy
Abstract : A Customer-Linked Strategy (CLS) is a comprehensive, integrated set of marketing, operations, and information policies designed to serve the needs of a small number of significant customers. CLS constitutes a competitive advantage because it is tailored to individual customers' needs. It is most appropriate for businesses facing small numbers of customers that together dominate a particular market. CLS is particularly appropriate for suppliers whose customers emphasize long-term, cooperative relationships, rather than short-term competition among suppliers on individual orders. Customer-Linked Strategies are more appropriate for businesses that are geared toward maintaining their position in current markets than for businesses primarily interested in developing new markets. A CLS typically requires changes in the product line, pricing, selection, and priority ordering of accounts, revision of the organization's selling mix, and concomitant changes in sales organization and management.