In stressful times, working with customers as they prefer builds connection and drives profit

GlobalData

Mon, May 19, 2025, 4:56 AM 10 min read

As the world braces for a period of global instability, exacerbated by the ongoing trade and tariff issues, it stands to reason, as a supplier, you’re scrambling to figure out how to support your customers who may soon face significant price hikes across their supply chains.

Yes, these are challenging times. But you’ve already weathered crises like 9/11, the credit crunch, Brexit and COVID. Now is the time to double down. This moment presents an opportunity not only to support your clients but to foster what I term "Experience Loyalty" — building relationships that will keep you working with them long after this period of uncertainty is a memory.

Fortunately, some of the foundational elements for this were already in place. As consumers, there’s a growing expectation for seamless integration — not just isolated systems. Just as groundbreaking innovations in digital commerce have transformed the B2C sector, similar levels of convenience are now being demanded in the professional realm. Business systems are expected to handle most of the work, with access to information whenever and wherever it's needed.

B2B platforms aren’t quite the same, and it would be misleading to suggest that B2B systems will evolve to be exactly like banking apps — but there are some intriguing developments along this path. Customers are expressing a desire for more intuitive and seamless operations, greater interoperability, increased automation, and faster processes to strengthen customer experience loyalty.

But making systems as easy to use as possible isn’t the main focus here. While great functionality and impressive AI matter, they are just one part of the puzzle. The real focus is building Experience Loyalty — the kind that transforms a supplier from a low-cost option into a trusted advisor. It’s about deepening collaboration, driving innovation with customers and, in the next phase, working together to meet business goals and unlock real growth.

There’s a financial case, too: research shows loyalty turns into profit. Your share of wallet with a customer typically grows by around 30% in the first five or six years of the relationship. But the real breakthrough happens when you retain them for the long term — that’s when you see a significant surge in wallet. Retaining a business buyer for seven years can drive a 150% increase in revenue per customer, and after 10 years, that jumps to 240%. This is why experience loyalty is so critically important.

Over the years of working with customers and witnessing Experience Loyalty in action, I’ve identified four key drivers of success: taking a proactive approach, being NPS-driven, fostering a strong emotional connection with key clients, and creating an exceptional overall experience of collaboration.