Developing and Utilizing Customer Insights: A Sales Report

This report analyzes customer insights for Adventure Caravans, focusing on how to leverage data for sales-related decisions, achieve sales objectives, prioritize customer service, and develop targeted products and services. The report explores various methods for converting data into customer insights, including customer segmentation, customer journey mapping, and the use of CRM systems. It suggests methods for focusing resources, communicating insights to sales teams and stakeholders, and evaluating the contribution of customer insights to sales results. The report emphasizes the importance of understanding customer preferences, market research, and adapting to changes in the market to enhance sales strategies and product development. The SOSTAC model is used for communication and planning. The report concludes by highlighting the importance of customer insights for improving sales outcomes and customer satisfaction. The report also mentions the importance of employees using signal learning and 3R learning methods to better understand customer preferences. The report provides insights for the sales manager and stakeholders.

Running head: Developing and Using Customer Insights 0
Running head: Developing and Using Customer Insights

Developing and Using Customer Insights 1
Table of Contents
1.0 Introduction....................................................................................................................2
1.1 Customer Insights to Support Sales Related Decisions.............................................2
1.2 Customer Insights to Achieve Sales Objectives........................................................2
1.3 Customer Insights to Prioritize Level of Customer Service......................................2
1.4 Customer Insight Contribution to the Development Of Targeted Products And
Services........................................................................................................................................3
2.0 Information Analysis of Provision of Customer Insight................................................3
2.1 Different Methods for Converting Existing Data Into Customer Insight..................3
2.2 Methods to Generate In-depth understanding with the Customers...........................4
3.0 Usage of Customer Insights for Providing Support to the Sales Related Actions.........5
3.1 Suggested Methods for Using Customer Insight to Focus on the Resources..........5
3.2 Communicating the Customer Insights to the Managers of the Sales Team.............5
3.3 Communication of Customer Insights to the Stakeholders Delivering Customer
Service.........................................................................................................................................6
3.4 Communication of Customer Insights To Marketers For The Support Of Product
Development................................................................................................................................7
3.5 Evaluation of the Contribution of Customer Insight in Sales Result.........................7
4.0 Conclusion.....................................................................................................................8
References............................................................................................................................9

Developing and Using Customer Insights 2
1.0 Introduction
The organization that would be discussed here would be Adventure Caravans. It basically
manufactures different types of cars and sells them to the different local, national as well as
international markets (Adventure Caravans, 2019). The sales manager needs to perform three
jobs. They are responsible for motivating their employees to perform their best, hiring new
employees for its department and are also responsible for achieving their sales objectives via
planning efficiently as well as analyzing the data on basis of past records.
1.1 Customer Insights to Support Sales Related Decisions
Customer insight means the collection, deployment as well as analyzing of data which is
required by a company in order to acquire and retain the correct customers. For the transactional
or commoditized types of sales in Adventure Caravan, the consumer is fully price oriented and
also demands a simple solution to their problems and issues. The company has limited customer
insight which helps the sales manager to gather data for supporting their sales-related decisions.
The only relevant data and information that the company has, is embedded on the sales invoice
such as the name, date of sale, address and the amount.
1.2 Customer Insights to Achieve Sales Objectives
Customer insights are a great source of information for making diverse decisions related
to sales as well as in making strategies for attaining the sales objectives (Singh et al, 2019).
Customer insights also support in prioritizing the resources as well as business effort in the
different customer needs. Besides this, it gives an idea about the interaction levels that the
customer as well. The products and the service development of the company entirely depend on
the customer insights because lack of information with regard to the purchase and sales to the
right type of customers may lead to a negative impact on the business. Therefore, complete
details of the customers with regard to their choices, tastes, and preferences would support in
attaining the sales objectives (Terho et al, 2015).

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1.3 Customer Insights to Prioritize Level of Customer Service
Market research, qualitative target as well as competitive analysis must all be prioritized
while identifying customer’s journey from their search for any particular products to their final
purchase repeat purchases (Cuevas, 2018). The detailed knowledge about customer insights such
as the type of services preferred or not preferred, likes, dislikes, will help in gaining an insight
into their choices. The company will thus be able to prioritize the level of customer services.
This will help in getting loyal customers too.
1.4 Customer Insight Contribution to the Development Of Targeted Products And
Services.
With appropriate market research and complete detail about the taste and preference of
the customers, third purchase details, repeat purchase, sales returns and etc (Gentner et al, 2018).,
it will become easier for the company to analyze the products and services that are in high
demand at present and also anticipate the growth of such demand in the near future. Thus,
enabling the company to develop the target products and services in advance thereby reducing
oversupply or shortage of the products or services
2.0 Information Analysis of Provision of Customer Insight
2.1 Different Methods for Converting Existing Data Into Customer Insight
There are two types of information that is used by the company i.e. explicit and tactic.
Explicit knowledge is in the form of the company's databases, documents, etc. whereas tactic
knowledge is based on experience. The majority type of knowledge in business is a tactic. The
knowledge management of any company depends on three factors which are emphasis,
effectiveness, and efficiency. Emphasis means personal interaction with the customer for gaining
information of the product whereas efficiency and effectiveness of the products depend on
various factors such as resources, skills, organization, and planning (Hohenschwert & Geiger,
2015).
However, there is lack of any responses to the radical changes that might take place in
customer taste and preferences. Therefore, the employees need to understand signal learning as

Developing and Using Customer Insights 4
well as 3R learning so as to convert existing data into customer insight. In signal learning, the
employees need to monitor as well as maintain the company’s position in the global market. In
other words, the employees must be able to pick up the right signals with regard to the changes
taking place among the customers’ demands and preferences in both domestics as well as global
market.
It is also recommended that the company should adopt the 3R learning method to respond
to the critical events that may take place in the market and mastering conceptual as well as
factual information. It includes responses such as questioning existing products or services,
thinking something creatively different from the old techniques, etc. Under this method, the
information required for attaining customer insight is customer's data and approach towards their
preferences, information regarding the different operations of the company, financial data of the
company and also the information of the personal interaction with the customer in line with the
sales of the products. Thus the company should have complete knowledge about the vital
departments of the company for accomplishing their sales related objectives and managing the
data of the customers. The managers of the concerned departments also need to know and try to
improve their plans and also ensure that skills and the resources should be focused on their
existing database. This will help in converting existing data into customer insights.
2.2 Methods to Generate In-depth understanding with the Customers
The following methods that are used by the company for gathering and managing data are
customer segmentation (Brito et al, 2015). It divides the huge number of customers of the
company into different groups depending upon their needs as well as common characteristics.
Once knowing the needs of the customers, the managers of the company would be able to use
their resources for attaining their customer needs along with the sales objectives
However, it is recommended that the company must further use Customer Journey
Mapping where the customer's experiences are described in any product or event of the company
and the emotional responses within the customer provoke them to purchase their products
(Rosenbaum et al, 2017). It is also used for designing service improvements in a product
reflecting the customer’s experiences.

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Market research tools that is used for generating in-depth understanding of the customers
includes direct consultation of the customers about their products, focusing on groups of
customers for a particular demand, conducting surveys for the views of the customers, usage of
social media and other website analyzing forms for interaction with the customers, having a
customer staff service in the company for collecting the feedback of the customers. In addition to
this, the company uses the data and information related to the customers such as sales
transactions as well as interactions with the customers using the internal business database to
decide their sales objectives.
It is recommended that the company should upgrade its process by implementing
Customer relationship management (CRM) systems which collects the information about
customers and their business contacts from the external data sources which include private or
government sector data sources which could give a better idea about customer interests
(Navimipour & Soltani, 2016). For instance, the feedback of the customers by using a feedback
template or brochure would help in attaining loads of knowledge about the customers without
interfering in their confidential matters.
3.0 Usage of Customer Insights for Providing Support to the Sales Related Actions
3.1 Suggested Methods for Using Customer Insight to Focus on the Resources
The methods for using customer insights to focus on resource use are based on three
factors: suitability, feasibility, and acceptability
Suitability: it includes the tests for the suitability of the resources in the strategies in order to
obtain the sales related objectives. The company should analyze for these strategies or plans
using methods of Boston Consulting Group (BCG) or using Shell Directional policy matrix.
Feasibility: it includes the assessment of the strategies with respect to the resources needed
which falls into three categories i.e. financial flow, break-even, and resource operation analysis.

Developing and Using Customer Insights 6
Acceptability: it includes the acceptability of plans or strategies to achieve the sales related
objectives. The managers of the main departments of Adventure should have an idea of the risks,
returns and customer expectations with the product or service provided by the company.
3.2 Communicating the Customer Insights to the Managers of the Sales Team
It is very important for the sales team of the company to recognize their main staff in their
team who is responsible for achieving their sales related objectives. They also help to identify the
decision makers and the influencers in the company. It includes persons like users, influencers,
deciders, approvers and gatekeepers in the sales team.
To communicate with the sales team it is important for a company to have a review of the
customer's business operations, structure, strategies, and markets to understand them better. This
can be done with the help of SOSTAC model (Florea & Duica, 2017). With the help of this
model, the will have a better understanding of the control as well as decision making which
determines the achievement of their goals. The communication channel that can be used for
communicating the messages is direct channels. Conducting a meeting on a regular basis can be
an immediate source of information for the sales manager. All the members of the sale team
must share all the strategies and plans so that they all are aware of the action that has to be
undertaken. The sharing of customer insight among the sales team of the company is important
as it stimulates them to undertake actions according to the business strategy.
3.3 Communication of Customer Insights to the Stakeholders Delivering Customer Service
For better marketing communications it is important for the company to build a
relationship with the customers, achieve consistent communication elements in the company and
use some form of contact within all the members of the stakeholders delivering customer
services. With the help of this approach, the customer insight data is used for encouraging the
individuals in the delivery of service along with customer interest.
Table 1: SOSTAC Model Framework
Analysis of the situation Stakeholders, competitors, structure,
customers of Adventure
Aims Financial as well as non-financial plans to be

Developing and Using Customer Insights 7
communicated
Consumer interests to be communicated along
with the difference in the existing and the
anticipated analysis
Plans Segmentation, positioning, and targeting
Tactics 7Ps of the marketing mix to be followed
Actions Budgets as well as plans of the company
Controls Measurement, Corrective Actions
As it can be observed from the table, customer insight can be used in various parts of the
decision making of stakeholders the company should also consider some internal marking
conditions. The members of the sales team should have strong orientation for competitors, profit
and the market. They should highly be responsive to the changes in the market.
3.4 Communication of Customer Insights To Marketers For The Support Of Product
Development
Product development support: under this section, the effectiveness of a company in
matching the demand of product by the customer is discussed. The customer requires the
following in the product: product qualities, the expectation of services and sensitivity of the
product price. The Adventure must manufacture their products on the basis of the features in the
product required by the customer, their service performance and the interaction with the
customer.
Communication to the R&D department can be done by sharing the above information
through the networking channels. The added value of the R&D department projects will also be
highlighted as the communication scope will include both the internal and external interlocutors.
Proper planning of the deliverables presentations, plan approaches, pitches will be done in
advance. Using key messages that result in action will be a better approach.

Developing and Using Customer Insights 8
3.5 Evaluation of the Contribution of Customer Insight in Sales Result
The contribution cannot be measured only on the basis of financial tests but also on
financial metrics such as return on the different investments and assets, profits, cash flow, profit
ratios, and production costs.
The customer insights helped the company to improve the return on interest as well as
improve the customer bases. In addition to this, there is immense scope for the company to
generate data with regard to the customers under the above-mentioned sources and categories
and exploit the same for the benefit of the organization as a whole. The customer insights will
help generate huge returns in the form of financial and non-financial assists.
The process of long term decision making is complicated that requires the managers of
the main departments of the company to search for better investment options outside for making
huge profits (Parise et al, 2016). The sales manager of the Adventure Caravan should assess any
strategy related to their objective for a maximum period of five years. There should be some
requirements in Adventure for providing a no. of estimates of costs and revenue of the sales
department.
4.0 Conclusion
The company should ensure that the sales department to focus on the various methods of
customer insight because it would not only increase the sales but also makes huge profits. They
should allow them to work on their particular strategy for not than a period of five years. They
should also keep a constant track on the changes in their market and make further developments
in their products according to the demands of their customers. They should also be concerned
about the return from these sales as well. Following all the discussed steps and preparing the best
strategy, the company will be able to develop customer insight and achieve its corporate goals.

Developing and Using Customer Insights 9
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