“[Customers] don't feel like you're trying to sell them something. They feel like you're trying to solve something with them,” shares Seema Jain, Salesforce Senior Director of Innovation, on the transformative power of co-creation.
In the “From transactions to partnerships: The power of co-creation with customers” webinar, Seema and Mural Chief Evangelist Jim Kalbach dive into this innovative approach. Co-creation redefines the traditional customer journey by involving customers in the process. By doing so, companies can create solutions that precisely address customer needs and build stronger, more meaningful relationships. Leveraging real time collaboration tools, companies can gather instant feedback and make continuous improvements, ensuring that the solution meets or exceeds customer expectations. The shift from transactional customer relationships to enduring partnerships fuels innovation and long-term loyalty.
What is co-creation in sales?
Co-creation is more than just a buzzword — it’s a strategy that hinges on the power of collaboration and shared value. This approach involves actively engaging customers in the discovery or development process, allowing them to provide input and feedback that can shape solutions.
“Co-creation in a sales context is when you work with your customers to uncover their needs and their challenges and their vision. Like, where do they want to go? The current-state-to-future-state kind of journey,” Seema explains. “It's not just a Q&A session where you take notes and go back to craft something on your own. It's really about building together in real time. And when we co-create, we're shifting the whole dynamic. I think it goes from selling to a customer to actually partnering with them. And you're creating a space where they feel heard, valued, and part of the solution — and that's so powerful.”
Co-creation does not need to be a time-consuming, massive effort either. Micro co-creation involves focused customer sessions that contribute specific insights. “I think it can be done in increments where maybe you're getting to something big at the end of it, but you’re starting in these incremental conversations,” says Seema. Micro co-creation allows for a gradual understanding of customer needs and can build stronger trust in the end. “When customers are part of shaping the solution, they simply open up more.”
Benefits of co-creation in sales
Co-creation in sales can significantly enhance customer relationships and drive business growth. This collaborative approach creates a shared understanding, ensuring that customers’ wants and needs are recognized and implemented. Here are some key benefits:
- Shorter sales cycles: The product is already aligned with customer expectations, reducing the time needed for iterations and negotiations.
- Stronger relationships leading to larger deals: Customers feel more confident in the company's ability to deliver value, fostering trust and larger, more committed transactions.
- Differentiation in competitive situations: Unique, customer-driven innovations set the company apart, making it a preferred choice in the market.
- Increased win rates: Active listening and response to customer feedback boosts the likelihood of winning deals.
- Fewer post-sale surprises: Continuous customer input ensures that all aspects of the product are thoroughly vetted, leading to a smoother and more satisfying customer experience.
“When you invite the customer into this creative process, they bring ideas, contacts, and even solutions you wouldn't have uncovered through a standard discovery interview,” says Seema. “You walk away with insights that make your solution sharper, smarter, and, frankly, more likely to win because the customer sees their fingerprints all over it.”
How to transform transactional customer relationships into partnerships?
Shifting from a transactional, pitching-focused approach to a collaborative, co-creation-based partnership is essential for building deeper, more meaningful customer relationships. This not only increases alignment but also leads to outcomes that are more impactful and sustainable.
- Start with shared goals: Align on the outcomes your customer wants to achieve, not just what your product does.
- Create space for collaboration: Use visual tools and real-time working sessions to invite input and iterate together.
- Invest in discovery: Spend more time upfront understanding the customer’s pain points and context.
- Shift from presentation to participation: Invite customers to build with you, not just react to your ideas.
- Celebrate joint wins: Reinforce the value of partnership by highlighting co-created success stories.
Real time collaboration tools like Mural further enhance this process, fostering a culture of open dialogue and shared progress. During the recent webinar, Seema walks through a discovery workshop template utilizing co-creation. The template includes everything from an icebreaker, overview, and recognizing persona-associated pain points to mapping them to business impact.
“So, you’ve captured all the pain points now from your customer. You've tied it to specific personas. And now you're ready to rank the relative pain, next to one another. This is kinda where you ask, How much does it hurt? And the prompts here are: How painful are these issues compared to each other? And what's the impact on time, cost, or even brand reputation?” she says.
“We're just looking for a quick scan of what really hurts the most, and we can always validate this, like I said, later with end users and focus groups or research following the session. But this exercise allows you to do two things: First, it surfaces where is the energy around what's truly top of mind for the customer. And, secondly, it helps you prioritize which problems are worth solving first.”
What are the benefits of real-time collaboration?
Real-time collaboration with customers using tools like Mural is essential for building stronger, more meaningful relationships and driving successful outcomes. Here are the key benefits of this approach:
- Better understanding:
- Immediate feedback and insights help us truly understand customer needs and preferences.
- Dynamic engagement ensures that we are always aligned with customer expectations.
- Buy-in:
- Active participation makes customers feel valued and heard.
- Fosters a sense of ownership and commitment, transforming transactions into lasting partnerships.
- Accurate information gathering:
- Real-time engagement ensures that we capture the most accurate and relevant customer data.
- Reduces the risk of misalignment and misunderstandings, leading to more precise and effective solutions.
“We really think that when customers can see and shape the plan, they start to believe in it … and in you,” says Seema. “And so if you're not co-creating with your customers today, I think you're just missing that chance to build deeper trust and win smarter.”
Ready to take the next step in your co-creation journey? Try Seema’s template and start building stronger, more collaborative relationships with your customers.
To gain deeper insights into how to effectively harness the power of co-creation, watch the full on-demand webinar.
